Through Konkan

The busy traffic and heavy rain at Bangalore has made the roads underwater.After my office hours I was quickly rushing to my hometown since there was a long weekend coming ahead.This time my journey is in train although I usually go by bus.I reached K R Puram railway station an hour before the scheduled time. Waiting in a brown bench watching the trains pass in front of you is a good timepass.My thoughts went back some years back seeing a train from north india.

Some years back I was working in a nationalised bank. The job involves some immediate transfers across the country. These transfers are always scary  for us since we have no idea on which part of the country we are deputed to.After 6 months of service at my hometown my transfer order came where in I was deputed at Vapi , an Industrial city in Gujarat.

I prepared myself to go. The train was  booked .I boarded the train.It was 27 hours journey.The 2 tier Ac caoch was clean and neet . There was only one co passenger in my coupe.This train was not having its pantry car. Anything and everything which we need to eat has to be bought when some station arrives. My co passenger Rajkumar was working in L & T at Rajasthan. He was fully prepared for the journey with all the food packed from home. I had only a waterbottle. I managed with the biriyanis and chapattis you get from the stations. That night I slept peacefully in the train after a watching couple of movies in my laptop which I had saved for the train journey.

The next morning was very pleasant. The train was moving swiftly through the green terrain where in you see some good green plants and some agricultural plots. Soon I realised that I am going through Konkan Railway track.This konkan was much heard topic through our social studies book . This track is famous for number of tunnels.I started counting the tunnels . I noticed that these tunnels are longer than usual tunnels which I see in our kerala.

The beauty of the terrain aside made me wonder if such places exists in India. The train was going beside mountains , green agricultural plots where in people cultivate groundnuts and some other crop( which I am not sure what it is). You can look outside and sit for hours with a peacefull mind.The beauty of nature was its peak. 

I realised that I am hungry . I was drinking more water so that I can manage my hunger till the next station is reached.But Rajkumar offered his homely food to me. We shared his breakfast .Rajkumar is a project manager in L&T. He vists his hometown once in every six months. He couldnt take his wife and children to the site since he is sleeping in container homes at the site.These container homes will be shifted from one place to other as per the requirement of the project.

I felt sad for him since he was continously speaking of his children.He misses them a lot due to his nature of the job. 2 weeeks in every 6 months is the time he spents with his family.After our breakfast and conversation with a deep breath he was lost in his thoughts looking outside . The train was running immensly fast through konkan.

After couple of hours at a station train was halted. A short break from long sitting and lying down , I jumped out of the train to get some fresh air. Sellers were rounding the train with a basket of “ Vada Pav”. I had one vada pav. This was the first time I was tasting a vada pav. It tastes good and fullfilled my hunger quickly. 

From the beautiful konkan railway ,we reached the congested city tracks.Mumbai and its congestion was visible even from train. Tightly Packed flats and streets were the beauty of Mumbai. People come in search of their fortune to this city.Three more hours from Mumbai was my destination.

I am going to join a new branch in Vapi .The city is very new to me. There is not even a single person I know in this city. No friends , No relatives, nobody.

Being Gujarat , people speak gujarati.I dont understand thier language.I dont understand their culture and I have nobody to help me there. My branch manager has provided me the contact of Chief manager of vapi branch.

Since I had no clue where to stay what to ask for , I decided to call the chief manager . His name was Prasannakumar. He was from Andhra.He welcomed me with good smile when I called him. He agreed to pick me up from railway station too.Such a nice person . When I got down at Vapi station , He was waiting there to pick me . He looks aged . He might be some years younger to my father. But still he was in his late fourties.

He greeted me and took me to his home . He informed I can stay in home for a week or two since his family went hometown . It was a great relief for me since I got some time to get adjusted to the new city.The city is heavily polluted. Everywhere you see only dust and fumes. I got freshened up . My chief manager took me out for a dinnner.First day at vapi he told he will show me good gujarati food.The food and buttermilk was so tasty . Gujarati food is really yummy. After our dinner we reached the flat and was ready to sleep.My chief manager made sure that I was comfortable  . He took care of me as my parents does. I had a good sleep.

When I woke up in the morning , I saw him cooking break fast for me. Andhra style upma which he prepared for me was spicy. But was tasty. We both dressed up and I was ready to join my new branch.

When I reached bank , I was welcomed by good number of staffs. I felt happy.Though they all knew gujarati they tried to speak with me in hindi and english to make me comfortable.Young clerks who were of my age ,Dhawal and Sushil made me feel I am one among them. From the watchman to our Assistant branch manager I met them and minkled with them quickly.

Back in those days I was too confused how people go out to a new place and start a new life. What I was experincing now was such same scenario but I got comfortable soon. Soon I was burdened with lot of work.My chief manager made me very busy with work that he didnt even gave a second to miss my home town.

Life at vapi is very busy. Being a industrial branch we had lot of companies to visit and lot of work to do. Me and my manager reach branch by morning 9 and we leave by night 9. I wonder at this age how is he working so hard. During the weekend he took me to some party where in only he will be invited .These parties are arranged by the customers to bank managers to approve big loans.He took me to all those places to study how things work.

Since his family was back I had to shift to a new flat .But soon I got a friend praveen who was also transferred just like me. I got adjusted to the place and people.I made a bunch of friends from all age groups. Mahinder singh motwani is one such friend who inspired me continuously about starting a business.

Things were smooth and going good.Hangouts at daman ,an union territoy nearby vapi and busy bank hours has made vapi days beautiful. Suddenly the transfer order came in again . It was not even a month I joined vapi. Again a transfer to kutch has made me down. I had to leave my belowed branch and my loving friends and my manager and leave in 2 days to join a branch in kutch. Some immediate requirement at that branch made them to pull me there.

People at bank get leave for two weeks after a transfer is initiated . This leave is to pack and make yourself ready to relocate. I decided to leave my hometown since I was down and again a relocation was making me uncomfortable. I applied leave for 2 weeks and left hometown bidding good bye to my vapi friends.The plan was to join the kutch branch in 2 weeks time.

That two weeks changed my life. I left my job. Went for studies again and now reached an IT firm in Bangalore.Now sitting in K R puram railway station and seeing these trains coming from Gujarat filled me with good memories. Though  I have spend a little time with them their love and affection was priceless .