This story happened a few years before when I was in Bangalore. I just thought it might be an interesting read and also wanted to record it before it goes into oblivion.
A very ordinary day had been turned into an unforgettable experience because of an auto-driver in Bangalore. I was to catch the Intercity Express train to Salem from the Cantonment Station at 6:35 am. Generally, it takes only 15 minutes for me to walk from home to the station. That was not a very special day - as usual an ordinary Saturday. I estimated the time in the ticket-queue to be 10 min. With all these calculations perfect, I came out of the apartments at 6:10 am. I started walking, just then realised an auto-rickshaw passing by. I just thought I could get some extra 10 minutes if I take the auto and save some energy walking to the station. I called him. He stopped. Generally, the autos charge around Rs 20 in the mornings to go to the station. I stepped in and seated and told him to go to Cantonment railway station. By this time, it was 6:11 am. He replied, "Ek Sow, Ek Sow". "What! One Hundered! Not at all possible. I will give you twenty." After that he did not care about what I told. The auto whirred and sped up on the empty roads, but unfortunately in the direction just opposite to the station.
"Where are you going? Turn right on to this road." - "Ek Sow, Ek Sow"
By this time, I realised that the auto driver was totally on a high. Drunken Driving experience!
"I do not want to go anywhere. Stop! Stop! Now!!" - He did not even cared. The auto started speeding up even a little bit more. He had no idea where he was heading to. In the meantime, another auto started following the one that I was in. He tried to overtake us a couple of times and tried to say something to the driver. From his expressions, I got that he was also trying to stop this guy. No way. My driver was already in heavens. He did not give way; did not listen; but never stopped to release the accelerator. By this time it was already 6:15 and auto was going through the streets of Cox Town.
The auto happened to cross the railway bridge. I just got an idea. I told, "See the railway bridge. Stop here. The station has come". I am not sure whether he listened to me or what went into his mind. But he finally stopped. The other auto which was following us also got close by. The moment it stopped, I jumped out and started running. It was 6:17 am by now. I saw a bus which goes close to the Cantonment railway station (it takes a turn 200 metres ahead of the station towards Shivaji Nagar). I got into the bus. It was 6:18 am. I was looking at the watch every now and then. It reached the bus stop at 6:25 am. From there I started running towards the station. Entered @ 6:29 am. Walked up the stair case, reached the other side of the station, joined the ticket queue at 6:31 am. The train had just entered the platform. The ticket queue appeared to be moving very slow for me. There would have been around 15 passengers waiting ahead of me. I look at the watch, it was 6:33 am, still 10 more were there. It was 6:35 am, the train started leaving, still 4 ahead of me. When I reached the counter at 6:37 am, the platform was empty - the train had already gone. Stop here! For those of you who had thought that I could have made it finally - it is an anti-climax.
I requested the ticket issuer, "One Jolarpet" - Idea changed. I planned to take the Lalbagh Express to Jolarpet and catch the Kovai Express coming from Chennai. It would reach Salem by 11:30 am. Had I originally caught the Intercity Express, I would have been in Salem at 10:20 am.
Got the tickets. Lalbagh Express came to the platform at 6:53 am. Unexpectedly, too much of crowd in the unreserved compartments and even in the reserved ones. I thought why all these hassles, why can't I catch the passenger train to salem at 7:45 am. That probably seemed to be a better deal. Came back to the counter and cancelled the superfast ticket and got an ordinary ticket to salem. By the time, the Lalbagh also left, the platform was almost empty. Spotted a comfortable bench and started reading magazines. That continued till I fell asleep in a few minutes after I boarded the 7:45 train. When the train reached Salem, it was 12:45 am.
When I look back, it is enjoyable and I can laugh at it. But definitely not, when I was in that auto!!
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