Summer & Wedding season is really on the top of everything else in Maharashtra. Yesterday, there was a wedding of my colleague friend in Basar, near Nizamabad. I had gone home on Saturday itself as Basar is 100 kms from there. Usually when I go home on weekends I cook food for me and my father. To be precise I cook some non-veg dish and mother makes the Rotis and Rice! So this Saturday was no exception and I ended up adding some 100 grams, at least, to my current, slightly more-than-normal weight. Having filled the stomach to the fullest & deprived of sound sleep in the journey earlier night, sleep was the order of Saturday.
And Sunday was more than animated for me.
8 AM : My Sun rose & without caring much of the train timings took my own time to groom up.
9 AM: reached the station “aaram sey” only to find that the departure time of the available train (Mumbai – Hyderabad) was 8:45 AM. Despaired me, just walked to the enquiry to check next available train & surprisingly (or not so) the 8:45 train was late by half an hour. I sprang back to the ticket queue.
10 AM: Train arrived. Larger than Life crowd. I hated. What had been the dream of having a ‘suitable’ seat, turned into a walk from engine to the rear end to ‘just find a seat’! Finally hit into one of the sleeper coaches. To my luck, an old man offered a seat from his half-already-occupied berth. So nice of the kind man.
11 AM : On the trains going south, I always find Maharashtrian people mistaking me as a South Indian and starting to talk south Indian languages with me (avoid talking in the first place!). And I surprise them with my fluency in my mother tongue. Kind Uncle who did not speak to me for over 45 minutes and was busy talking to his wife on various family issues, finally found me speaking Marathi on phone, admitted his confusion between my look and language! Some sweet exchange of words and the Ticket Checker walked in! Seeing my non-reservation ticket in the Reservation Coach, asked for a fine of Rs.75. Having many co-passengers of my type, I gathered the courage to oppose him. He insisted that I should not continue and should change the coach on the next station. The next station where I was supposed to ‘change the coach’ was Basar itself.
12 PM: In the function hall. Ceremony started. Completed. I left for the Lunch. Known that return train was at 2PM, decided to visit Goddess Saraswati Temple.
1 PM : reached the temple, purchased a coconut, got through the entrance. Surprised to see the emptiness in the temple on a Sunday. Went in through a couple of turns, bare foot, Sun at its unkind hottest. Security cop inside told that “Darshan” is closed between 1 to 2 PM!! Surprised me by this Lunch-time-closed thing, gave my regards & prayers on a closed door and walked out with the un-broken coconut. A couple of clicks on camera, from outside. Back straight to station.
2 PM : Train supposed to arrive at 1:45PM, was announced to be late by 2 hours. Headed to the bus-stop to find a bus. A long wait – no bus!
3 PM – 6 PM: a couple of 15 minutes-each halts at various intermediate stops, couple of times change in the six-seater autos, in the front, besides the driver, then finally a bus (which started from Basar itself!). Harsh Sun in the sky, hot air, dust from the mother earth really filled up my heart (or Lungs rather). Reached home- sweaty, dusty, dirty.
6 PM : went straight into the bath.
P.S.: the evening train to come back to Hyderabad I and Deelip were to catch was late by 2 hours.
P.S. again: However, we two yesterday found a uniquely innovative way to pass the time if the train is late! Can’t mention it here. Know it in person! 
