No it’s not the last journey of my life. It’s just the last journey from College to home. Now onwards, no more reservations to Durgapur, no more reservations back home. A lot, literally a lot has happened since I left the college on 2nd May 2008. I had a very awkward feeling of leaving the college, to add some spices to it, so many weird things happened that evening. I and Chandu had a plan to go to Howrah in the morning and enjoy the whole day shopping in Calcutta. We wanted to do so to avoid the melodrama which was supposed to take place when we were to leave. But, it was all our style Icon’s Idea to go by Bus to Howrah station we had to agree to it, considering all the Final year students who were going by Mumbai Mail were going by the same bus. The journey was as usual delayed because of the people sobbing at the college main gate, trying to wish good bye to other folks who were to leave the college some time later. I very well remember man’s eyes which were completely red and he was crying holding me. Finally we took away with loud screams, we couldn’t even move the first 45 minutes and bhadaaam goes the rear right tyre of the bus. We stopped at a dhaba near by and grabbed the cold drinks to avoid the nasty Heat of the Highway. We somehow got over with that, the driver replaced the tyre, and we continued to move. We couldn’t exceed the speed as the replaced tyre was an old one and was worn out and the Grand Trunk road was quite heated up to burst a worn out tyre. As usual any DGP group is bound to enjoy, we were enjoying the ride, with a few first year lads making all sorts of noises. I thought although we had spend 250 bucks and me and Chandu were planning to leave early by train, but the last ride with the people who are famous in the college to very much enjoy there group The great Mathhus, was worth it.
The persons who seemed most effected by leaving the college were Rai and Murthy. Both of them were not able to believe that the college life was over. The case was same with me, but I as always, was trying to behave in a more mature way. During the journey I was looking outside the window, trying to give a final look to the farms and lands of West Bengal the land of great personalities and culture, the land of Roshogullas (although we always thought that they are made much better in the other parts of the country than in Bengal and it was all because of Dulal Da and other Singhara Mishti vendors who made our hostel corridor no less than a railway Platform, with there Mishti which had a very unknown smell), The land of beautiful girls, those in our college never fulfilled this condition. I was told by my senior Rahul Malviya when I was in first year that, “This land is known for beautiful girls, but I haven’t seen good girls here although this is a place where girls have huge and bulging boobs, so it also called Breast Bengal.” I always tried to visualize the truth in that statement of Malviya in the first year of my college life. And to my surprise I found it true to some extent. I don’t know when I will go back to that place. The very famous Madhuri Dixit's song ‘Ankhiyan Milaun Kabhi Ankhiyan Churaun’ was on the screen of our video coach. There were a few intimate scenes in some of the songs specially “Tip Tip barsa paani” and all the first year guys and girls went oooh aaah.
I was looking at those videos and didn’t know when the time passed. We were merely 30Kms from Howrah station and Bhadaam goes the tyre again. It was a deafening sound. I gave a look at my cell phone. It was already 7:10 PM. We had our train at 8:30PM from Howrah station. It was quite a trouble, if I missed the train today, I will miss my connecting train to Shahdol from Bilaspur station. We had to hurry up. We unloaded our luggage and called the bus owner. He arranged for 5 Taxis, it was 7:30 PM by then. The taxis couldn’t take us to the station because it took at least one and half hour from there. We decided to go to the nearest railway station and catch a Local train to Howrah. We all hopped into the taxis and reached the local station. I quickly went down and took the tickets for all of us and rushed towards the platform. We had to wait for 5 minutes for the local train to arrive. It arrived somehow every one got into it. Few great people like our dear Bulla were carrying hell lot of luggage with them. He was carrying a trunk with him, and it was quite a hurdle race for him to catch the Local. We were approaching Howrah station. It was 8:10PM and I called Tippu who was already there in Howrah station and asked him from which platform will Mumbai Mail depart? He called me back and informed me it is on platform 21. We reached platform 6, as expected the world’s busiest railway station was busy as always. We moved quickly towards platform 21. I saw Tippu standing near the platform 21 he carried my luggage and I finally reached S5. We all managed to somehow catch the train, but the man with Trunks our LED missed the train. How can someone catch a train carrying a trunk of his size. Bulla and a first year guy missed the train. I called Bulla and said not to worry, and asked him to go to the reservation counter, where he can find many agents who will get him the ticket of Gitanjali Express. And he finally got a ticket to Mumbai.
We were lying happily in our berths. I messaged, Rai trying to console him. He also managed to catch his train to Bangalore. We couldn’t have dinner that night. We managed with biscuits and cold drinks. We were still thinking about what has happened the whole day. It was the most exciting catches I have ever made. I was happy about reaching in time and catching my connecting train. But some more excitement was kept for us in store. It was 3rd May 2008 00:05 AM I got up and looked outside, we were at the world’s longest platform. I was feeling very sleepy. I slept again. I got up after a few minutes due to some noise in my bogie. I looked outside we were still at Kharagpur station. My goodness, I looked at my cell phone it was 1:30 AM. But me lazy ass, I went to sleep again. I got up once again after a few hours. I got up and enquired what has happened. We were at Muri Junction. I had never seen that station in the route earlier. I went to the platform and enquired what has happened. A goods train went off track a few kilometers ahead of Kharagpur. It would take more than 8-9 hours to clear the track. And so, our train was following a different route. It was to happen of which I was worried, I will definitely miss my train. I went to S12, Mahore and group was there. I was talking with Jeenu. A train arrived in the adjoining platform. To our surprise the train in the platform was Gitanjali Express. We saw Bulla sitting there, people went there and asked him if he wanted to come back to Mumbai Mail. But our train was supposed to move towards Ranchi by then. It was very less time left for Bulla to again carry his luggage and catch Mumbai Mail. They finally took a right decision by not allowing Bulla to change train again. We were moving towards Ranchi now. I decided to go and sleep again as it is of no use thinking and discussing what has happened. I finally reached Bilaspur station. Our whole year got down to wish good bye to me. We used to do this when seniors left earlier. I missed my connecting Train and had to catch a Passenger train to reach Shahdol. I finally reached home at 11:00 PM in the evening. I hugged mom, I was seeing her after four long Months. I had my dinner and went to bed thinking of the adventures of my last journey.....
