"JAB I SAT"

....There is a story to tell….almost filmy though….so thought of sharing with you all…

On 2nd November, I started from the office with a wait-listed ticket (going to Bhopal for Diwali). Went to the station and tried to get some favour from the TTE (as Sumeet has suggested); but in vain. And, the chart was not getting released. There was a lot of chaos on the platform as everyone waited eagerly so see if their reservation got confirmed. The entire train was buzzing with unreserved people. Nevertheless, the train started off, without the chart being displayed and I boarded one of the AC coaches.

I thought I was lucky to at least get the attendants seat next to the exit door. I kept my luggage and was waiting for the TTE to come. After 15-20 minutes, the TTE came and to my expectation reassured that the reservation is not confirmed. Since, there was no alternative I decided to put my luggage down and sit on the attendant’s seat…..and that is when the real story begins….titled……..



…..so the moment I sat on the seat, I heard a shot of pressure-release, and smoke started coming out in thick volumes. Two coach attendants seated nearby almost stumbled and crawled their way out of the AC Coach; into the connected SL coach. They thought that it was some fire. The scene was as if some bomb has exploded. Yes, indeed the smoke was that heavy. Soon people got into a panic and the train was halted (by pulling the emergency chain).

…and I, all the while laughing in my mind, knew what has happened….any guesses? Well, a fire extinguisher was placed beneath the seat. The weight of my luggage wasn’t much so nothing happened earlier. But, when I sat on the chair, the cap of the fire extinguisher got pressed and it triggered off. And the mechanism was such that it wouldn’t stop till it fully exhausts its 5kg load.



After the train halted, the conductor approached and opened the doors for the smoke to escape. But, by then the entire area went white with the powdered substance that was inside the extinguisher; so much that the floor, the wash basin, the bed-sheets and the doors were all white. As I cursed my luck; for even loosing the attendant’s seat. Hopelessly, I sat with a bunch of MIT College guys in the SL coach till Daund (next stop after Pune). In Daund, the coach was cleaned to some extend; but the traces of crime were still visible (please check out the pics that were taken hours after the coach was cleaned).

And like in the movie…”Jab We Met” (of course the inspiration to my title), I prayed “Babaji…ab is journey ko boring bana do….please no more surprises”. I was asked to meet the conductor who asked me to write a letter quoting the incident so as to save the poor attendant; which I did earnestly. Seeing my gesture, the attendant (who earlier was hyper about the entire incident, thinking that he had to pay a price for it) invited me to sit on his seat. He also, confessed that it were their mistake to have kept the fire extinguisher down and also that the security cap was missing. And, like some Hindi movie, I came to know that I was not actually responsible for the crime I just committed. Later, I came to know that they even trade the attendants’ berth and even the area where they keep the blankets, pillows and bed-sheets. So for just Rs.300 I finally got a nice berth with nicely spread bed-sheet and pillows.

Going home can be so adventurous I never knew. And as Samrat says “all’s well that end’s well” …so the “Jab I Sat” story ended on a happy note.