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Allahabad !

One of the most awaited destinations while my travelling.

No! No! I was not neither going to Allahabad nor had a chance of meeting anyone I know there waiting on Allahabad station.

Ha! Let me explain you what made me to wait anxiously for Allahabad from the next tenth minutes I boarded the train at Agra fort today morning at 9:15.

I have travelled a lot (most of the times, alone) all over India and outside India as well.

In bus, train or flight, I was never been fortunate in case of co- travellers till date.

Every time I wish to get an interesting person to be my travel partner, but unfortunately my journey always ended up being most boring.

So later, I started praying for the same while booking the tickets only. Again, nothing turned out good.

From 2 days back I was praying to God, “Please God, this time any how manage to bless me with a good  co-traveller, so that my boring day journey in such disgusting train ( the only option I got while booking the ticket one month back the travelling date. Thanks to Indian Railways!)

The travelling date reached.

1.      The first thing I hated about this train was that it was a day journey.

2.      It gonna take much more the time I travel with other trains from Delhi to Patna.

And in condition 1  & 2 I had to travel all alone, gonna be a pakau (boring) day journey I hated ever.

Anyway, the reason 1 & 2 were more than enough to be unhappy and unexcited to the journey.

At 9:15 that is 15 minute late the train arrived station- Agra fort.

With my luggage, I entered coach and the next step was searching my seat.

A lady in her 40’s welcomed me sitting on the same seat I was looking for.

Normally people try to give space thinking the owner of the seat arrived in case they have occupied a vacant seat, but this lady was in her own world enjoying on my seat.

“Is this yours?” I asked her pointing towards my seat.

“Yes”, she replied with a ‘I don’t care attitude’.

‘Grrrr..’ it was too disgusting, “How it could be possible?” I said while rechecking my mobile confirming the seat- Coach B2, seat-44.

It was my seat only.

‘O God! Again!’ I had to thanks to god for such wonderful company for my journey.

Meanwhile, a girl lying on opposite side upper seat  said, “ ours is 45 and 46.”

“Grrrrrr....” Can’t she tell the same the first time I asked. A dumb girl like her great mom.

Without looking at her I adjusted my luggage.

“till where are you going?” The lady asked me.

“Patna”, I said.

“And till where you are going?” I asked her politly.

“Allahabad”

‘Thanksgod ! not the whole journey atleast.’ I was bit relaxed.

As I sit on my seat,

“We have a seat there as well (pointing somewhere among seats 1-40 ). You can go there.” She said to me.

“hmmmm...Nopes, I am fine here’, I said with my trademark smile.

I expected her to let me sit on the window side, but it was a hopeless wish.

Any how I managed to keep my bag and place myself on the 20 percent of the vacant space on my seat left after occupied by that lady and her one daughter.

Not even ten minutes passed that, her husband came from somewhere and after knowing that seat no. 44 is mine, he offered the same exchange scheme that his wife offered to me.

“We have two more seats there, you can go there.” He said.

“Thank you uncle, but I am fine here”, I refused his proposal.

I gave a look around. Except mine, all other 5 seats belong to the family travelling with me. They were seven in number with an old man in his 70’s, another man in his late 40’s or early 50’s, the lady I introduced in the beginning, two girls in their teens and two guys in their teens again.

“It will be good for you and us as well if you shift. We all will be comfortable here.”He insisted again, that too in a very irritating manner.

“Uncle, anyhow you are travelling till Allahabad only and I have to go till Patna. After Allahabad again I have to come back here only, so better I will complete my journey on my seat only.” This was my turn to give irritating smile to him.

I took out a novel to spend my 6 hours.

I couldn’t complete even my tenth page, found uncle worrying again for the seat.

“The seat there are empty, I am asking her (looking at me) to shift there, but she is not listening.”He said to his father sitting next to him.

Now my temper was getting high.

“Hadd hai!” I raised one of my eye brow controlling myself while looking into the 2^nd chapter of my novel.

They already have est of the 5 seats and it is day time, some time back only they all woke up, and this much of space is less for them to sit.

And I was getting any valid reason to leave my seat and shift to their ‘s.

“So much of silence is there, no one came yet there.”he continued with a pause.

Enough than enough man !

Why don’t he go himself there to be in peace instead of irritating me again and again.

 Now it was getting unbearable for me and I decided to be a BAD girl.

‘Let me show them how stubborn this girl travelling alone is!’ I said to myself.

Slowly from 20 percent seat I occupied 50 percent of the seat. And opened my lunch box. Aroma of my veg-biryani was increasing my hunger.

I was enjoying every spoon of my yummy biryani while they staring me for the seat.

I took more than twenty minutes to finish my lunch along with my two chapters.

I closed my lunch box, put it back in my bag, and went to wash my hand.

While coming back, I heard some known voice before reaching my seat.

“See, almost all seats are empty here, these two are ours”, That uncle was showing me the vacant seats he had.

“O my God !”, it was too much now.

It was almost tenth times, “You have already finished your lunch, now you can sleep there ” he said with an irritating giggling as I reached my seat and was about to sit.

I closed my book and looked at him (he was sitting opposite to me). My one eyebrow raised as usual my anger reach the critical point, and took a deep breath to be in control.

Cleared my throat.

“Respected uncle,

From very first time, I made it clear that I am not going to leave my seat at any cost, so please stop asking me for another time. I have booked this seat from Agra till Patna station and I will sit-sleep or do whatever on this seat only. If you or any of your family member have any issue with my presence you have already two vacant seats there, any two of you can fully utilise those seats. And stop bothering me now!”

I almost shouted in anger.

There was a silence in the cabin as the other people were also listening with so much of interest.

Two young guys on the side lower sseat and witness the whole conversation from the beginning were smiling, as even they had got irritated by this family’s behaviour ( I don’t wanna share those things here.)

Thereafter that aunty with one of her daughter and her two sons went to the other seats they were sending me and I spread my bedsheet and blanket to take afternoon nap and prayed to reach Allahabad soon !

A every new journey gives a new experience!