With Lovely Memories …

After the train story, we started our 30 hours journey to Delhi. Our fellow train travelers were all oriya people staying / working in Delhi. And luckily enough we had all the cook/train vendors, oriya too. So we talked, talked and talked all throughout the journey {of course it was difficult to find time when we were not sleeping }. We were mostly on time in that journey till Mughalsarai, but just after the train crossed the junction, it came to a standstill for about 2 hours. Everyone who was happy with the speed of the train till that time was cursing the train, and the boredom. After crossing few more stations, the train never tried to pick up the speed. It rather gave way to each and every train coming in the opposite direction. By the time it reached Shivaji Bridge in Delhi, it was running at least 4 hours late and the moment it touched New Delhi railway station it was already 6 hours late.

Aniyus, my dearest friend, started from his office in a hurry without having evening tea with his office colleagues thinking that the train is on time and should reach New Delhi around 5.30pm or 6pm, at least. He called me when it was announced in the New Delhi station that the train is already 2 hours late. He said, “I am waiting near platform 7, and it has been announced that the train would reach by 8.10pm” Poor guy his mobile was running short of battery and he quickly sms-ed us that he is putting his sim card into his driver’s mobile so we won’t be able to reach/call him on his mobile. This was when it was already 7.50pm. I am sure how quickly he would have changed the sim, and after about 30mins he called, it’s already 8.10pm and still our train has not arrived. [The train clock got jammed at 8.10pm]. and it showed 8.10pm when we reached. He was NOT surprised to see the time in his wrist watch. 11pm!!

We soon packed ourselves in his car and zoomed past the lovely New Delhi- Gurgaon road. Driving on that road was really like driving on some I-* roads in US. Soon enough we reached his place and he asked his cook to quickly make rotis for us. Chicken was already done. The room was warm with the room heater working at 20 degrees and after a great dinner, Aniyus started to show off his guitar skills. He has improved a lot. And after that we slept only to be woken up by the harsh sound of the alarm at 7am.

The next day started with fog all around. It was the worst day of fog in Delhi. We reached Indira Gandhi International airport by 11am and our flight to Kathmandu was at 1.30pm. I confirmed the departure time with Air Sahara as 1.30pm before bidding adieu to my dear friend Aniyus.