<p>I love travelling by trains. Indian Railways has a lot to offer. The beautiful landscapes, lush green fields, sparkling water bodies – windows on the train can be a feast to the eyes and peace to the soul. One must not forget the fair fare, exclusive knick-knacks and delicious goodies that keep you entertained and gratified. But what attracts me the most is undoubtedly the long hours of sleep I can catch up on, and this always pushes me to opt for the upper berth. This choice helps in avoiding unwanted disturbance that can occur in lower and middle berths, thereby allowing me to grab extra hours of sleep. </p>.<p>There are many memorable experiences of train journeys for me, but one that stands out happened nearly 25 years ago. I was a newly married young bride. My husband and I combined our trip and writing an entrance exam for a postgraduate course in the northernmost part of India. The month was December, and it was unbearably cold, especially for South Indians like us who had never experienced harsh winter. </p>.Defeated by the fine print.<p>On reaching our destination, we somehow squeezed into our friend’s hostel room for our one-day stay. </p>.<p>On seeing our ‘shivering’ state, he was considerate enough to rent a room heater from a nearby rental place. Justice was delivered by the room heater in keeping the room warm and cosy. His concern extended to the extent that he gifted us with a thick mink blanket as our wedding gift.</p>.<p>Finally, exams were done, and we headed back to the railway station to board the train back home. As it was exam time everywhere, all the trains were overbooked. For our return journey, we had only one berth, and it was RAC (reservation against cancellation).</p>.<p>My husband and I climbed up to the only single upper berth, hoping that the ticket collector would allot an additional berth soon. KK Express, the dream train for many – especially post-graduation aspirants in the field of medicine – was scheduled to leave Delhi at 20:20 hrs, and it did. As soon as we boarded the train, we promptly wrapped ourselves in the newly gifted large mink blanket and dozed off.</p>.<p>After a couple of hours, the ticket collector walked up to us and said, “I can give you a confirmed seat if you wish to, but lagta hain aap dono aise hi bahut comfortable ho! (It looks like you both are quite comfortable as it is.)</p>.<p>Was he being witty, naughty or practical? We don’t know. Nevertheless, he was right. </p>.<p>After 25 years we still use the same blanket – cosy, comfortable and unifying!</p><p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)</em></p>
<p>I love travelling by trains. Indian Railways has a lot to offer. The beautiful landscapes, lush green fields, sparkling water bodies – windows on the train can be a feast to the eyes and peace to the soul. One must not forget the fair fare, exclusive knick-knacks and delicious goodies that keep you entertained and gratified. But what attracts me the most is undoubtedly the long hours of sleep I can catch up on, and this always pushes me to opt for the upper berth. This choice helps in avoiding unwanted disturbance that can occur in lower and middle berths, thereby allowing me to grab extra hours of sleep. </p>.<p>There are many memorable experiences of train journeys for me, but one that stands out happened nearly 25 years ago. I was a newly married young bride. My husband and I combined our trip and writing an entrance exam for a postgraduate course in the northernmost part of India. The month was December, and it was unbearably cold, especially for South Indians like us who had never experienced harsh winter. </p>.Defeated by the fine print.<p>On reaching our destination, we somehow squeezed into our friend’s hostel room for our one-day stay. </p>.<p>On seeing our ‘shivering’ state, he was considerate enough to rent a room heater from a nearby rental place. Justice was delivered by the room heater in keeping the room warm and cosy. His concern extended to the extent that he gifted us with a thick mink blanket as our wedding gift.</p>.<p>Finally, exams were done, and we headed back to the railway station to board the train back home. As it was exam time everywhere, all the trains were overbooked. For our return journey, we had only one berth, and it was RAC (reservation against cancellation).</p>.<p>My husband and I climbed up to the only single upper berth, hoping that the ticket collector would allot an additional berth soon. KK Express, the dream train for many – especially post-graduation aspirants in the field of medicine – was scheduled to leave Delhi at 20:20 hrs, and it did. As soon as we boarded the train, we promptly wrapped ourselves in the newly gifted large mink blanket and dozed off.</p>.<p>After a couple of hours, the ticket collector walked up to us and said, “I can give you a confirmed seat if you wish to, but lagta hain aap dono aise hi bahut comfortable ho! (It looks like you both are quite comfortable as it is.)</p>.<p>Was he being witty, naughty or practical? We don’t know. Nevertheless, he was right. </p>.<p>After 25 years we still use the same blanket – cosy, comfortable and unifying!</p><p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH)</em></p>
