Isspheshal Compartment

Blogging fever was on and it was spreading like a wild fire, I thought I was immune enough till this day to catch it late, or it has something to do with my friends saying that I catch up with things late. Nah! I guess not, all it has to do is with this amazing experience of my journey in a handicap compartment.
I was unlucky, rather kinda lucky to miss my train, well I did try the “Jab We Met” style, but didn’t find the “Mintrox” guy to pull me up and say “Thank you toh bolo brother”.
Thus missed the train had to wait for another, thanks to Laloo’s strictness in Railways, I had to look for seat or rather space to set my foot in a general compartment, as this was my first trip in such a situation, my routine Raichur-Gulbarga trips of at least thrice a year became unique, totally unforgettable.
With loads of pushing and shelling I ended up in handicap compartment, for most of us lucky and blessed: Indian Railways has provisions (reservations) for handicap people, a special coach, well precisely only a single berth at the end of goods coach, with only two long seats and space less than any office compartment, probably smaller than my last hostel toilets.
And handicap people need to carry a documentary proof, if you are without an arm or a leg you are not a handicap unless you carry a piece of paper with your photo and a few signatures of corrupted bureaucrats, I have no clause of Indian Law as to how this is justice.
Now the scene:
Just two seats facing each other, two above them, rest some empty space, more than 18 people on seats supposed to be for 8 less fortunate. There were a few handicaps from what I could see there was one guy with some knee cap kind of thing and an uncle with jaipur-leg.
According to rules, a handicap can get an accomplice with him. But, those who were actually handicap had just their problems to accompany them. Just hanging myself tight with no other option for next 3hours, I was firm to capture this journey in my memory for long. To get it on paper as soon as I’m set free. I was lucky enough as someone visibly stronger than me but had polio offered me a seat besides him on the upper berth. Now, I was in a better position to observe things from a broader perspective.
Now a guy with a Jackie Chan stunt pulled himself up to find himself a place opposite to me on the other upper berth, then pulled his kid up, making himself comfortable there, then starting to shout on the guy next to him to make place for his kid, reminding me of Urdu saying: “Jiska galla, uska Allah”, “You have voice, God is on your side”. All he had was a certificate and some knowledge to manipulate with the laws of land. Reposing that each of his family member is comfortable. Blackmailing anyone trying to question his moves, well this was a small thing, damn crowded everyone eagerly waiting for the next station to come to get more breathing space, it did happen, 2 got-down 10 got-in.
Well summers in our region are horrible and you need to constantly re-hydrate yourself, I was carrying a litre water bottle with me for the purpose, but bigger people have bigger requirements, there was a middle-aged couple who came in some smaller town, even had to quench their thirst in a bigger way, they carried a pot of water, it went unnoticed until, it tumbled-off, to create an unmatched chaos, I swear, I had never heard swearing in 5 South-Indian languages at once, sure a show of integrity. Or even unity in diversity. Well here water acted for a purpose it isn’t supposed to be, all it did was raising tempers.
Amazing events till the end of the journey, making the most memorable journey of my life. If in this journey instead of crying “damn it”, if I would had repeated some holy verses, I am sure I could have booked my seat in heaven. But, a journey worth a lifetime.