Hanging loose

I was traveling by the brown line a couple of weeks ago and I overheard people saying the train was crowded. I immediately flashed back to my travel adventures in Mumbai. And I felt like screaming, “Stop complaining you pampered babies!”

It also brought back memories of the multiple times my life has flashed before my eyes on the trains in Mumbai. I traveled by local trains for about 6 years growing up in Mumbai and every day was an adventure. If you wanted a crowded train, the first class compartment in the 8:30 AM express train from Andheri to Churchgate would be the one for you. If you wanted hell or were short on cash, you would venture into the second class (click through for the rest).


I was one of those hangers-on, and on most days I would find a good spot to latch onto. Now why would I risk life and limb and my future gene pool to hang from a train? Well, the temperature inside is close to 120 degrees and the smells of sweat, cologne, oil, food, fish, etc. could be what hell smells and feels like. Bodies squishing against you and people's hands (inadvertently I hope) in your business were par for the course.

So I would hang. On the bad days I would literally be holding on by the tips of my fingers. On one such occasion I was sure I would fall. I prayed as hard as I have ever done in my life, and I’m sure I would wake Him up if he was sleeping. I swore to myself that I would never stand outside the train again. I promised Him my first born kid, then my first paycheck, my second paycheck, anything. By the time the next stop arrived I was up to my 16th paycheck. My weak forearms hurt like hell. But thankfully for me and fortunately for the readers I made it alive.
Come evening, I weighed my choices. I had hell if lost my life given all the promises I had made or hell if I entered the train. I promptly forgot my promises and was hanging outside on my way back at 5:30 PM from Churchgate to Borivali.