A train journey of yesteryear 20 years back we were just married and that year during pujo we were to go home

for celebration. That time pujo ofcourse used to be celebrated in Korba township but that was far & few between the main heat of Kolkata pujo. That time & even today the only convenient way of going from Korba to Kolkata was by Train. The nearest station where the trains used to stop was Champa 63 km away and Bilaspur, 105 km away. Howrah is 686 km from korba and is just a overnight journey. Getting reservation was very difficult because lots of bengali people used to live in Bilaspur, Raipur and Champa area and all descend to Howrah bound train during that time. There were only two Howrah bound trains that would stop at Champa Ahmedabad express and Bombay mail. There were four quotas at Champa , two quotas at Shakti (the next station after Champa). These quotas used to be filed up three months before as that time reservation could me made that much earlier. Bilaspur had a larger quota of 10 berths but we never had to go to Bilaspur. The last resort ofcourse was to board on the train and ask the TT to allocate the vacant seats, if any. That year we had big group of 12 people going for Howrah during Puja. 4 had reservation from Bilaspur, 4 from Champa and 2 from Shakti. Rest two had no reservation. All were to catch the Mumbai Howrah mail. We all decided to catch the train from Bilaspur at 6:30 PM. That was the time when the roads of Madhya Pradesh was at it's worst state. So for going to Bilaspur we all set out at 12 noon. The Boss' jeep dropped us at the township gate where form we would catch the Bilaspur bound bus. The bus came and we all boarded. Luckily all the ladies of our team could get seat easily. Soon we crossed the Churi village and then Kathgora crossing where the driver takes tea and then embarked on the Kathghora exit towards Pali. By that time we all could manage seat for each of us. There are lots of picnic spots in and around Pali but we simply were looking forward for the end of the journey to Bilaspur station as sitting on the rear most seats on these fully broken road was very painful.

Pali is another halt for tea break for the driver. From Pali the bus rolled on to Ratanpur the famous spot for Mahamaya temple. On festive occasions huge throngs of devotees descend here for puja but today is a very normal Saturday and it is completely empty. From Ratanpur the bus rolled on. 2 km before Bilaspur, Shubhra proposed that we should better get off from here and we should short cut the station by rickshaw else we have to wait for another half an hour inside the bus. So we all got off from the bus with our luggage. Luckily that was the time when most of us were just married and only Ghose-da had kid of 15 years age. While few of us walked the last kilometer to the station others moved on rickshaw. The train was scheduled to come Bilaspur at 6:30 PM but it was late by two hours. Shubhra forecast that it would be further late. That was the time when if a train appears in an hour of scheduled time was considered to be on time. So a simple late means somewhere between 2 to 3 hours late. So it was. At 8:30 PM the follow up announcement was made for another one hour late. Earlier we thought of taking dinner in the train but now we must perforce to take our dinner at the station. Somebody suggested for the railway catering service but majority preferred to go outside. So in teams we went to the nearby restaurant to take dinner while others took care of the luggage. The train finally arrived at 10:00 PM. We boarded the S5 compartment as per the chart and I went after the TT for the rest two reservations. I found him relaxing at the AC compartment normally that is where they are found. He simply said that there was no room left. After nudging further he told me to wait at the S5 compartment. In case somebody doesn't turn up among the Bilaspur , Champa or Shakti quota the same can be allotted to us. But the chances are thin as we ourselves are from Bilaspur, Champa & Shakti quotas. So we all 12 gathered up in 10 berths at S5 coach. At Shakti the TT came to our compartment and told me that all the quotas upto Shakti is filled up. I told him to keep trying for quotas at Brajrajnagar, Raighad or Jhausuguda stations meanwhile I stacked up at the same birth with Ghosda's 15 year old son. The TT quickly understood that our team is together. At half past 2'O clock the train reached Jharsuguda station. Me and Shubhra alighted from the train for tea. Stacking up two in one berth was very difficult. We searched for the TT and he came searching us. Finally he declared that two berths are available from Raighad quota who have not turned up . Quickly we paid him and then we left for the S3

compartment. The next big station came was Rourkela. Surprisingly we found some more births became empty then. But who cares ? We continued our sleep in our legitimate birth. Amidst snoring sounds of various frequency and intensity the train arrived CKP or the Chakradharpur where more births became empty. The winter was not yet started then but the air outside Orissa state was very cold and our windows were not closing fully resulting in cold air ingress making my sleep fully uncomfortable. Shubhra helped me in jamming the windows with news paper and we continued our sleep. Later in the morning when we meet again at S5 my wife told me that because of cold air ingress from the faulty windows they could not sleep comfortably. That time mobile phone was not so ubiquitous otherwise only a call and I could have helped them out. The train reached Howrah station 4 hours late. We all separated and moved homeward. Some went by local train while others moved by taxi. When we reached home we both felt exhausted and drained. Mom said the train was not much late ! S. Bera Powai