“Why am I doing this job?? Why am I doing any sort of a job??? Why do I have to wake up this early?? Why do I have to wake up at all??? I wanna sleep…..” every weekday of my life begins with these questions. But again paapi pet ka sawaal…. I plead, beg, cajole myself to get up & start bribing myself to a treat of the awesome samosa pav & chez chili toss(Ramnath’s special cheese chilli toast sandwich, but that’s what he will call it ;-) )I drag myself up, take shower, get ready & leave at 5:45 am so that I get in my shared auto at 5:50 am & reach the station at 6:00 am & I don’t miss my 6:01am train to CST(Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus) earlier known as VT(Victoria Terminus) as the PJ goes one of the biggest sex change operations ever…. (sorry couldn’t control :P)
Have been taking the 6:01am train to CST for the last couple of months to build my career in Radio (what was I thinking???). Like every weekday for the last few months, papa came to drop me till the station to ensure I reach the station on time. Actually he wants to be 100% sure that I get in the train n don’t come back home half way from the station and go back to sleep….. L the 6:01 am train – Cheh Ek as the bambiyaa’s call it, arrives. I get in and go and occupy my seat next to the window. Bella & me wave at papa & the cheh ek leaves the platform. “What darling, kya huaa??? Kal raat main late soya tum??” Bella asks me in her lovely sweet voice. “koi nai, abhi suu jaau, mai tumko masjid pe utha dega” This is all I wanted to hear & I start singing lullaby’s to myself.
Since my 1st day at work, Bella has been waking me up at Masjid station. If it wasn’t for her I would have been fired on my 1st day for reaching late. I got in the train and had slept off…. Bella is one of the sweetest bawi’s (parsi) I have met. She teaches in one of the school’s in Colaba. In her early fifties, she is full of life & her energy levels are always high. Cribbing about the education system is her favorite topic of discussion. And her partner in crime Mrs Das, who travels all the way from Panvel(starting point of the train) with her 3 kids – Shonali, Sudeshna & Shourabh – to take them to school. Shonali is in 9th, Sudeshna in 6th & Shourabh in 3rd. Initially when I started travelling I used to hate Mrs Das for torturing her kids like this… I mean who makes their kids travel almost 1.5 hrs one way at 5:30 in the morning for school???? “Meghaaa, panvel ke isshhcool ka phhees baahut haai, keedhaar she degaa, tabhee to coolaaba jaana podhta hai”.
Today I couldn’t sleep, very unusual though. I could see Shonali & Sudeshna studying and Shomu i.e. Shourabh sleeping next to his mom. Bella was busy reading her prayers & in the middle of that she questioned me – “ninu nai aaya??” I smiled and shook my head for a no. Bella’s hindi like most of the parsi’s is a mix of gujarati & hindi which sounds pretty cool.
We had passed Govandi but maushi had not got in the train. Had not seen her for the last few days…. Reaching Kurla the all quite 1st compartment of the 1st ladies becomes nothing less than a battle ground. Women of all shapes and sizes, height, weight, volume, density, religion, cast - screaming at the top of their voice, pushing each other enter the compartment & start the battle of the seat. In this madness in a very shrill voice you will hear manju screaming “mogra, jai, jui, kevda le lo………. Yekdum phressh hai” Looking at manju no one can guess she has such a thin & shrill voice, doesn’t go with her image. Above average height, strong built, dark complexion, tamilian lady draped in a saree looking fresh as her flowers. “maushi nai aai aaj bhi??” she asks me & I shake my end & say no. The battle for the seat is over, few have won themselves the wonderful 3rd seat, some have managed to get hold of the 4th seat (on which majority of the women can just manage to balance only part their bum) & the rest stand swearing at the winners of the battle for the seat (in their minds ofcourse ;-))
There are some unwritten rules in the Che Ek – all women to finish their prayers, gossiping or whatever they are doing till the train reaches wadala. Once the train crosses wadala the bhajan madali gets into action & everyone in the compartment (well almost everyone) starts singing or atleast makes an attempt to sing. The bhajans are decided on the day of the week & today being Tuesday it’s the ganpati special. I usually get kinda irritated with this as it disturbs my sleep. Ghare kaku had made prasad & was distributed in the compartment after the bhajan session was done. With the train approaching closer to CST I started feeling a little restless. Bella & Mrs Das were getting restless as well. Where is she?? Why hasn’t she come in? Is she doing fine?? All of us were a little worried.
Maushi which is the Marathi word for maasi which basically means “maa si” (like a mother) is a maid in her late sixties. Travels everyday from Govandi to CST & works in a school. Will get in with the broadest smile on her face, in her nauvari, carrying her plastic bag. One of the most beautiful women I had seen. Struggling with her health she managed everything on her own. “ghega baala (take it my child)” & she used to give me sugar boiled toffees. That’s all that we shared everyday – a smile, few words & my toffee. I have been missing this for the last few days……
Masjid came, as per the ritual Bella woke me up. I didn’t feel like getting down, wanted to wait to maushi to come & give me my toffee. As the train pulled into CST station we all were standing at the door to get down. The train stopped, we got down & started walking towards the exit. As we all were walking we could hear someone calling out for Shomu in a very weak voice…. There she was standing in her nauvari, broad smile & as pretty as ever. One sight of hers & all of us had a broad smile on our faces too. “mereko tumhara naam maalum nahi hai beta isiliye mai Shomu ko bulai. Kaisa hai tum?? Voh dus din ke liye mere isscool ka timing change kiya thaa isiliye mai nahi aai Che Ek main, kal se aayega pakka” J
Next day’s Che Ek ride I was awake till Govandi, waiting for maushi to get in. The moment I got a glimpse of her, I started signing lullaby to myself & was off to sleep with a smile on my face.
Relationships don’t need proper situations or locations to flourish. Even the Che Ek ride is enough to build some wonderful relationships. J
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