2nd Class Compartment

The compartment is packed with people. If a rat can find its way from one end to the other, I would adopt him for this bravery.

The bottom seat with capacity of four is occupied by seven over-sized individuals. One of the two upper seats have three young boys comfortably lying on each other, they seem to be college students by their appearance. Obviously, I inquire about the space. Apparently, two of their friends are stuck on their way back from the toilet room which is located at the end of compartment. I believe them, but it might take them hours to reach back here, so I give them my camera bag to place. Why not utilize the empty space I say?

I should convince my friend Nishu, who specializes in optimization algorithms, to frame a journal paper on 'Optimization techniques in a second class railway compartment'. With sandals and shoes occupying the free space above the fan cage, the published paper can be eye opener for many across the globe.

Since an hour has passed standing in the middle of this 'chandni chowk prototype' with my jacket on, I question my comfort level. I should have been soaked in sweat by now. Oh! The fan on this side of ceiling is actually working, a luxury only lucky ones can cherish. On the other side, various men have tried their luck by hitting the fan blade several times at a specific angle to maximize the torque with special tools like comb, pen, paper roll etc in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions to make the damn fan run, but alas their comfort on this journey relies completely on the wind induced by the speed of this train.

The young boys from the toilet room have finally arrived. Their arrival is celebrated by a loud whistle and applaud by the fellow mates. I join them in this celebration.

My camera bag is handed over to me now. A wait of another long hour standing still on my right leg before I reach Lonavala. My left leg struggling to find a empty spot on the floor. Twice I've kept it on the fellow passenger's foot and I shall not test his patience further.

I might as well meditate and pray to Lord Shiva in this posture, and looking at the speed of train, I am confidant that I can achieve Siddhi of the highest order by the end of this journey.