On my return trip from the suburb of Virar, it was 9.30pm and so I travelled in the gents' compartment with my son, since it is just crowded enough to be seated, at this time. Also it makes no sense getting into a ladies' only compartment so late, and the gents' compartments are a safer bet, as they are more populated and one is not caught alone and unsafe.
I had to engage my mind in some sort of activity, so as not to nod off in the all male passenger bogie, which would be inappropriate for a lady to do. I undertook a survey of sorts of everything that was around me. The first thing I decided was that I would list the stations that passed, as I am not too familiar with the sequence, having spent my childhood in Pune. So starting from Virar, Nallasopara, Vasai, Dahisar, Borivli, Andheri, Bandra, Dadar,Mumbai Central, and then my stop, Grant Road. Having boarded a fast train, the journey lasted approximately 50 minutes. During that time, my survey of various statistics were logged by me. Since there was nothing to watch outside the moving train, as it was very dark, I observed the sights within.
And of course, the sounds too. The regular announcements of the approaching stations, with a warning in Hindi, Marathi and English, not to lean out of the open doors, and not to hang out, which so many passengers were indulging in, anyway, and also the jingle that was repeated exactly 16 times during the span of my journey. "Swaad sugandh ka raja, badshah banayeh badhiyah khaana,badshah masala, badshah rajwadi garam masala, pau bhaji, panipuri, chaat ka masala, badshah masala, biryani, pullav, cholle ka masala, badshah masala." It almost mesmerised my senses into whetting an appetite.
Intermittently, my audio senses were bombarded with some passenger behind me indulging in candy crush on their mobile. Looking around, I made a survey of how many of the 26 seated passengers within my view, were using mobiles, either typing messages, scrolling or wearing headphones and listening to songs. Fourteen of them were busy with mobiles, even standees, were viewing their mobiles in one hand and supporting themselves with the other hand holding the overhanging handholds. Watching their hands, I noticed that 6 males were wearing finger rings, and one of them was wearing a ring in every finger, hmmmmm. So I was then assessing the accessories that they were sporting on their wrists. Ten were wearing very large watches, five were wearing fancy bracelets, one had almost 6 shiny beaded rakhees on one wrist, two men had thick kadas, and nine males had orange strings tied on one wrist.
Watching the seated men was an eyeopener as to how males behave even in public. Two of them were very engrossed in digging their noses, obnoxiously, and one fellow was busy massaging tobacco in the palm of one hand, with the thumb of the other, and then carefully pinching it all up and pressing the lethal mixture into the lower part of his mouth. One old man was reading what was some sort of hindu prayer book. Two of them were chatting loudly.
The colour of the passengers shirts was very depresssing. Three were wearing black shirts, nine males had nondescript checked or lined shirts. Five were wearing some sort of yellowish shirts, blue and purple shades were eight of them, only my son was wearing a smart orange T shirt with a black jacket. Hmmmmm. Watching their shirts, I noticed that only three had used a pen as a style statement, adorning their shirt pocket. Only three were clean shaven, one was a very unruly bearded man, six had trimmed beards, and all the rest sported moustachios. Fifteen of the 26 that I was observing, had backpack bags, one had a large blue plastic bag and five of them were carrying their belongings in plastic bags.
Comparing the female travellers, I have noticed that they tend to snack a lot. They also nod off even while standing and travelling, and the mobile is of course an indispensable accessory for all travellers, irrespective of their gender. But when travelling in a ladies' compartment, colourful outfits, pretty earrings and necklaces, and nailpaint, stylish bags and hairstyles are more interesting to observe. And of course the conversations are also very engaging. Besides, the babies and children add an extra angle of interest to me as an observer. Often there are hawkers too, selling earrings, toys, bindis, fruits etc, and so travel time seems to fly, although one is pressed and pushed among a melee of screeching females, at every stop.
I had to engage my mind in some sort of activity, so as not to nod off in the all male passenger bogie, which would be inappropriate for a lady to do. I undertook a survey of sorts of everything that was around me. The first thing I decided was that I would list the stations that passed, as I am not too familiar with the sequence, having spent my childhood in Pune. So starting from Virar, Nallasopara, Vasai, Dahisar, Borivli, Andheri, Bandra, Dadar,Mumbai Central, and then my stop, Grant Road. Having boarded a fast train, the journey lasted approximately 50 minutes. During that time, my survey of various statistics were logged by me. Since there was nothing to watch outside the moving train, as it was very dark, I observed the sights within.
And of course, the sounds too. The regular announcements of the approaching stations, with a warning in Hindi, Marathi and English, not to lean out of the open doors, and not to hang out, which so many passengers were indulging in, anyway, and also the jingle that was repeated exactly 16 times during the span of my journey. "Swaad sugandh ka raja, badshah banayeh badhiyah khaana,badshah masala, badshah rajwadi garam masala, pau bhaji, panipuri, chaat ka masala, badshah masala, biryani, pullav, cholle ka masala, badshah masala." It almost mesmerised my senses into whetting an appetite.
Intermittently, my audio senses were bombarded with some passenger behind me indulging in candy crush on their mobile. Looking around, I made a survey of how many of the 26 seated passengers within my view, were using mobiles, either typing messages, scrolling or wearing headphones and listening to songs. Fourteen of them were busy with mobiles, even standees, were viewing their mobiles in one hand and supporting themselves with the other hand holding the overhanging handholds. Watching their hands, I noticed that 6 males were wearing finger rings, and one of them was wearing a ring in every finger, hmmmmm. So I was then assessing the accessories that they were sporting on their wrists. Ten were wearing very large watches, five were wearing fancy bracelets, one had almost 6 shiny beaded rakhees on one wrist, two men had thick kadas, and nine males had orange strings tied on one wrist.
Watching the seated men was an eyeopener as to how males behave even in public. Two of them were very engrossed in digging their noses, obnoxiously, and one fellow was busy massaging tobacco in the palm of one hand, with the thumb of the other, and then carefully pinching it all up and pressing the lethal mixture into the lower part of his mouth. One old man was reading what was some sort of hindu prayer book. Two of them were chatting loudly.
The colour of the passengers shirts was very depresssing. Three were wearing black shirts, nine males had nondescript checked or lined shirts. Five were wearing some sort of yellowish shirts, blue and purple shades were eight of them, only my son was wearing a smart orange T shirt with a black jacket. Hmmmmm. Watching their shirts, I noticed that only three had used a pen as a style statement, adorning their shirt pocket. Only three were clean shaven, one was a very unruly bearded man, six had trimmed beards, and all the rest sported moustachios. Fifteen of the 26 that I was observing, had backpack bags, one had a large blue plastic bag and five of them were carrying their belongings in plastic bags.
Comparing the female travellers, I have noticed that they tend to snack a lot. They also nod off even while standing and travelling, and the mobile is of course an indispensable accessory for all travellers, irrespective of their gender. But when travelling in a ladies' compartment, colourful outfits, pretty earrings and necklaces, and nailpaint, stylish bags and hairstyles are more interesting to observe. And of course the conversations are also very engaging. Besides, the babies and children add an extra angle of interest to me as an observer. Often there are hawkers too, selling earrings, toys, bindis, fruits etc, and so travel time seems to fly, although one is pressed and pushed among a melee of screeching females, at every stop.
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