Mumbai.
Boarded Udayan Express without much event. Godmom packed me off with loads of good tidings.
Back in the compartment - my abode for the day - I was alone except for Mr. Roshogulla (pardon me for the cliché.) Sitting across him, I could sense him sizing me up. His eyes lingering on my face for a couple of seconds. I was just bracing myself for some chit-chat when enter Mr. Hands & Legs. Well, that’s all there was to him. Boy, was he tall!!
A flurry of activity ensued – shifting of luggage, moving of human form, the ring of a cellphone, me sifting through stuff in my backpack.
Meanwhile, the phone that rang was Roshogulla’s. He gave some short and curt directions to a woman (probably, his wife). I could hear the woman defying all laws of distance and communication – her voice screaming out of the phone. Could almost distinguish the words she uttered. But I wasn’t interested.
And then it happened – that what I call ‘Divine Intervention’. It was almost as if the Gods had joined forces to humour me with a few moments of happiness and cheer.
It was just pure entertainment!!! Tom & Jerry, Shrek, Looney Toons – all put together. Total blockbuster!!!
At first, when my Bundle of Joy (BoJ, is what m going to call her) got in, I could hear only shrill repetitive cries of "Shreyas! Shreyas!" Then it became more urgent, started getting more worried by the minute. These were the cries of a harried mother who couldn’t find her five-year-old son. She was probably thinking she had lost him in the madness called 'Dadar station'.
Appear big-blue-strolley, followed by 20-something, salwar-kameez clad, mother of two. She had a pleasant face, one which sports a smile comfortably and quite often. Strands of her hair were sticking out in different directions as if electrocuted. And why not? Boarding a train with as much luggage fit for a month and with more important baggage called “kids” is no mean feat.
I didn’t take their arrival very well because it meant me having to forgo the coveted window-seat. But who was I to complain, it wasn’t even my seat. I shifted, made space for the little party (Shreyas had been found, much to the mother’s relief.)
BoJ placed all her luggage on the seat. Shreyas and Baby (unfortunately, was unable to find the lil un's name) were made to sit. Then she started pulling my poor bags from their resting place under the seat. I started; retorted at her to let them be. A tad rude I was. I could have continued to be that way, but I guess the kids melted my heart. And almost spontaneously, things took a comic turn.
Baby was bawling for mummy’s attention. And Shreyas decided he wanted his sandwiches now! now! Mummy dearest was trying to bring some order to the house.
One thing led to another. BoJ, in her effort to satiate her lil ones, dived into her bag… out came milk bottle and then the sandwiches. Just then she banged her head not once but twice on the tier above. BOING!!! BOING!!! a la Tom & Jerry style. Her lips hissed and she writhed with pain but her hands never stopped working. Her Jerry-like swift movements continued. Table was set.
Baby was merrily sucking his milk bottle, full with sound effects. Shreyas started munching and BoJ also managed to take a bite or two.
Just as things started to cool down and peace restored, Baby decided he wanted mummy right next to him and he conveyed it to her in his baby-ways, meaning tantrums. The bawling resumed – this time with hands shaking wildly in the air. Mommy had just gotten up to let sweet Baby have his way and take him in her arms when the teeny meeny little baby hands caught one end of the plastic bag on which rested the home-made cucumber sandwiches sprinkled with chat masala. One swipe and down tumbled the stack of sandwiches. Tom & Jerry Part II !!!
Mom didn’t know what to do, whether to be angry with the little angels or to curse her own luck. Luckily, she was able to recover some of the sandwiches before they touched the floor.
Yours truly was enjoying completely. Camaraderie already being established between them and me. Shreyas already had a name for me (Jyot"puzzle", coz' mine proved to tough for him) and even Baby, I reckon, had taken a liking towards me. Mom was as sweet as honey. Meself was only just preparing for a pleasant journey of gossip-exchange, baby talk, kiddy games when the TC decided to play devil.
On his customary ticket-checking round, he informed BoJ that her ticket had been upgraded, courtesy dear Lalu Prasad Yadavji and that she had to shift. So, we had to reluctantly bid each other farewell. I could do only so much to keep myself from screaming and asking them not to leave. Smiled through it.
It had ended too soon, as fast as it had started. But my new friends were to me what a gust of cool air is to a tired, lonesome traveller. :)
That's it for now,
Ciao.
(p.s. It turned out that ‘cellphone banshee’ wasn’t Roshogulla’s wife after all.)
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