No matter what is your religious orientation, you'll definitely have a Christmas plan. I too had a plan for Christmas 2015. I always wanted to attend the Midnight Mass at a church on Christmas eve. So I and my friend decided to go to Mumbai to attend the same. We were planning this trip before 4 months of Christmas day and we ended up booking tickets for the trip before 2 months. Meanwhile when we were deciding regarding when to go and where to stay during the trip, some other friends showed interest. One of them was my friend's BF and one other couple whom I barely knew showed interest in joining us. I kind of loved the idea of traveling with strangers so we booked tickets for five of us and we made a WhatsApp group for organizing our trip. So our (me and my friend) plan was to have dinner after reaching Mumbai, go to the Church, attend the mass, spend some time around, rest at railway station, board a train in morning to come back home. Then the other group members suggested that we should go to Marine Drive and Gateway of India also as they did not wanted a very short trip. We didn't wanted to spend on hotel stay so we agreed with the plan 2 on a condition.. i.e if we won't be tired enough, we will go to the other two places (GW of India and Marine Drive) also.
On the day of the trip, at 3:58 pm we boarded the train by leaving 2 mins margin before departure of the train. I was very excited by the idea of making new friends on the trip. My mum had packed some snacks bought from Patanjali store to eat during the train journey and the food packets were the biggest saviors as the train journey turned out to be too boring than I expected. I almost ignored the fact that I was going on a trip with couples so it was evident that I'll have to be in awkward situations many times. I was under that misleading idea that I'll be able to gel up with the new buddies but most of the time went in looking out of the window and pretending not to be feeling odd one out between these two pairs of couples. Unfortunately I did not carry a book to kill my time by reading so I unwillingly indulged myself in thinking about the severe heartbreaks I had to face in my life and sulking over the fact that I was so single and unloved.
My mood took a reverse gear and I started feeling disgusted at everyone and everything around me but tried to control my emotions as I was out with friends and was looking forward to the most anticipated Midnight Mass at Mt. Mary Church in Mumbai. Train was on time and it dropped us on Bandra Terminus at 8:27 PM. From the little knowledge I had about the Bandra Terminus railway station I easily predicted that transport availability was scarce and expensive in that area. But my trip mates got confused after getting out of the station. We wanted to dine at a good restaurant, change our clothes and then go to the church but my safety conscious trip buddies seemed hesitant to ask for guidance from a auto rickshaw-wala, on which I got irritated and told them in a bit higher tone that inaction will not help us to reach the Church on time. That rude reaction was consequence of my extremely boring train journey and hence it unexpectedly turned out to be a fierce fight between me and my friend. I requested them to carry on with the trip and I would take a return ticket to go back home as I had lost interest in joining them for the rest of the trip. I went back to station and texted my scientist friend who wanted to meet me on my Mumbai trip. He was also joining us at the Church so I wanted to inform him the change of plan. I sat at a corner outside the station to figure out what to do next and find out the trains which could drop me at Surat station in morning... my friend with the other trip buddies came searching me and we fought again but then I decided that instead of being a trip spoiler, I should accompany them for the Mass atleast. So I reinformed my scientist friend to stick to the old plan and we resumed our trip. It was shear hardship to find a good place to dine.. fortunately we boarded a good cab and the driver dropped us to a decent veg restaurant. He also gave us suggestions to reach the church.
We breath comfort after entering the restaurant, had a fulfilling meal but avoided changing as the washrooms of that restaurant were not very clean moreover there were no mirrors without which it is very difficult for gals to get ready. We walked for some distance to get any transport and after a while we boarded an auto who took us to the Church (12:10 am) taking two rounds around the same place and making a way out the inescapable Christams eve traffic. Near the Church, my scientist friend was waiting. There was too much crowd in and outside the Church so I stood outside for a while and listened to carols and preaching but avoided going inside with that endless queue. So rest of the time I spent time with my scientist friend having our usual very long conversations although that day I was tired and little low because of the intense to and fro experience. We sat at Bandstand promenade till 3:00 am but then Mumbai Police drove out the crowd from the roads and the beach. I got separated from my trip buddies and my scientist friend had to walk me to the Bandra station. I was utterly tired and I wanted to go back home as soon as possible. At Bandra station I bought a return ticket and took a taxi to Bandra Terminus. When I called my trip buddies they said that they wanted to continue the trip in morning and look around other places of the city so they were at Bandra station from where they can board a local train. I was in no condition to continue the trip so I decided to remain at BDTS and wait for the next train to Surat.
At nearly 5:15 am I boarded Bandra-Kanpur express which had many vacant seats in general coaches. I selected a convenient place to sit and clicked some selfies to kill time. I was sleepy but I wanted to remain alert as I was traveling alone.. I spent some time by surfing few sites online and texting my friends that I have boarded the train.
After the while when the train was about to depart, a group of guys boarded the train and all of them settled near my seat with their luggage. One guy was asking me details about the train and the stoppages. I got really conscious because this was an awkward situation for me to be around so many stranger guys. Whenever I have to travel alone in general class, I make sure that I board ladies coach because it is very comfortable and interesting to be around ladies of all age groups. So this was like a once in a lifetime kind of very awkward situation. And someone has truly said that all Indian girls presume all Indian guys as potential rapists. I also started finding out ways in my head to curb this awkward situation if I smell something fishy. I didn't wanted to change my seat because I was not sure whether I would get any seat in other compartments. So I stayed there and observed them alertly. 4 guys made themselves comfortable and slept. One guy was awake and he started a conversation with me. I politely replied to whatever he asked. They were going to Daman to spent the Christmas weekend. I have been to that place once so I informed him all what I knew. So that is how the conversation started and continued till the Vapi station where he and his group had to get down. 3/4th of my journey went smoothly because of the new friend I made in the train. We discussed life . It was such an experience and talking to him really made me feel better after a disturbed trip..moreover getting to know a stranger on a train journey is real fun (almost fits in my party idea ). Well I had the most unusual but memorable and eventful nightout.
Mumbai trip of just few hours taught me these lessons.
1. Avoid traveling with couples when you are traveling single.
2. Do not hesitate to walkout of an uncomfortable situation.
3. Try traveling alone sometime.
On the day of the trip, at 3:58 pm we boarded the train by leaving 2 mins margin before departure of the train. I was very excited by the idea of making new friends on the trip. My mum had packed some snacks bought from Patanjali store to eat during the train journey and the food packets were the biggest saviors as the train journey turned out to be too boring than I expected. I almost ignored the fact that I was going on a trip with couples so it was evident that I'll have to be in awkward situations many times. I was under that misleading idea that I'll be able to gel up with the new buddies but most of the time went in looking out of the window and pretending not to be feeling odd one out between these two pairs of couples. Unfortunately I did not carry a book to kill my time by reading so I unwillingly indulged myself in thinking about the severe heartbreaks I had to face in my life and sulking over the fact that I was so single and unloved.
My mood took a reverse gear and I started feeling disgusted at everyone and everything around me but tried to control my emotions as I was out with friends and was looking forward to the most anticipated Midnight Mass at Mt. Mary Church in Mumbai. Train was on time and it dropped us on Bandra Terminus at 8:27 PM. From the little knowledge I had about the Bandra Terminus railway station I easily predicted that transport availability was scarce and expensive in that area. But my trip mates got confused after getting out of the station. We wanted to dine at a good restaurant, change our clothes and then go to the church but my safety conscious trip buddies seemed hesitant to ask for guidance from a auto rickshaw-wala, on which I got irritated and told them in a bit higher tone that inaction will not help us to reach the Church on time. That rude reaction was consequence of my extremely boring train journey and hence it unexpectedly turned out to be a fierce fight between me and my friend. I requested them to carry on with the trip and I would take a return ticket to go back home as I had lost interest in joining them for the rest of the trip. I went back to station and texted my scientist friend who wanted to meet me on my Mumbai trip. He was also joining us at the Church so I wanted to inform him the change of plan. I sat at a corner outside the station to figure out what to do next and find out the trains which could drop me at Surat station in morning... my friend with the other trip buddies came searching me and we fought again but then I decided that instead of being a trip spoiler, I should accompany them for the Mass atleast. So I reinformed my scientist friend to stick to the old plan and we resumed our trip. It was shear hardship to find a good place to dine.. fortunately we boarded a good cab and the driver dropped us to a decent veg restaurant. He also gave us suggestions to reach the church.
We breath comfort after entering the restaurant, had a fulfilling meal but avoided changing as the washrooms of that restaurant were not very clean moreover there were no mirrors without which it is very difficult for gals to get ready. We walked for some distance to get any transport and after a while we boarded an auto who took us to the Church (12:10 am) taking two rounds around the same place and making a way out the inescapable Christams eve traffic. Near the Church, my scientist friend was waiting. There was too much crowd in and outside the Church so I stood outside for a while and listened to carols and preaching but avoided going inside with that endless queue. So rest of the time I spent time with my scientist friend having our usual very long conversations although that day I was tired and little low because of the intense to and fro experience. We sat at Bandstand promenade till 3:00 am but then Mumbai Police drove out the crowd from the roads and the beach. I got separated from my trip buddies and my scientist friend had to walk me to the Bandra station. I was utterly tired and I wanted to go back home as soon as possible. At Bandra station I bought a return ticket and took a taxi to Bandra Terminus. When I called my trip buddies they said that they wanted to continue the trip in morning and look around other places of the city so they were at Bandra station from where they can board a local train. I was in no condition to continue the trip so I decided to remain at BDTS and wait for the next train to Surat.
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| No make up at all--selfie |
After the while when the train was about to depart, a group of guys boarded the train and all of them settled near my seat with their luggage. One guy was asking me details about the train and the stoppages. I got really conscious because this was an awkward situation for me to be around so many stranger guys. Whenever I have to travel alone in general class, I make sure that I board ladies coach because it is very comfortable and interesting to be around ladies of all age groups. So this was like a once in a lifetime kind of very awkward situation. And someone has truly said that all Indian girls presume all Indian guys as potential rapists. I also started finding out ways in my head to curb this awkward situation if I smell something fishy. I didn't wanted to change my seat because I was not sure whether I would get any seat in other compartments. So I stayed there and observed them alertly. 4 guys made themselves comfortable and slept. One guy was awake and he started a conversation with me. I politely replied to whatever he asked. They were going to Daman to spent the Christmas weekend. I have been to that place once so I informed him all what I knew. So that is how the conversation started and continued till the Vapi station where he and his group had to get down. 3/4th of my journey went smoothly because of the new friend I made in the train. We discussed life . It was such an experience and talking to him really made me feel better after a disturbed trip..moreover getting to know a stranger on a train journey is real fun (almost fits in my party idea ). Well I had the most unusual but memorable and eventful nightout.
Mumbai trip of just few hours taught me these lessons.
1. Avoid traveling with couples when you are traveling single.
2. Do not hesitate to walkout of an uncomfortable situation.
3. Try traveling alone sometime.
nice story and like to be a part of it. one wrong presumes to be pointed :- all Indian guys as potential rapists. bdw life is a journey. enjoy whether with stranger or with
ReplyDeleteknown.
Nice thoughts. Nicely written....
ReplyDeleteAgain missed this blog.. well written..:-*
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