My Cousin’s Wedding @ PATNA Chapter 1 : Mom’s voyage to PATNA

 

When the plan for attending my cousin’s wedding @ PATNA had conceived, one of my colleagues had sarcastically commented “it was different if it were about shifting to Patna, but a to-n-fro visit becomes a complete IT project; until one reaches the destination it’s a POC ( Proof Of Concept, shows feasibility of obtaining desired IT product), and when one reaches back home its only then that the project is successfully complete”(this had come from the guy at my office whom I call the Excuse-nist).

Back then I took it as a joke and exaggeration (they are expertise to this colleague of mine) and instead was certain about my seemingly perfect-possible-planning as all our return tickets were already confirmed 2months in advance (sometimes we confuse our own ignorance with confidence !!!!).

So after the train reservations, shopping and packing had taken over our concerns.

Who’ll wear what? Who’ll carry what? Number of baggages! Gifts!

There was a lot to do and was being done too. I and Mapa had assigned ourselves respective tasks to achieve the goals in time, so as to not to miss an item in the checklist before boarding our trains.

Di’s (elder sister) marriage was scheduled for 20 February, 2011, Sunday. Mom was reaching on 17^th (Wednesday) morning by departing from Delhi on Tuesday evening at 1730hrs, and I and Dad on 19^th (Saturday) morning by departing from Delhi on Friday evening at 2015hrs, (because I and Dad had professional commitments and Ma’s early presence at Patna was seeked ).

By 15^th (Monday) evening, I was done shopping for everything on my checklist; Dad was done packing everything on his list; Mom was done preparing half/pre-cooked food for our next 2 days without her.

And then suddenly, Dad’s phone rang aloud, disturbing us while striking off items on our ‘things to do before I board the train’ lists; on the other end of the telephonic conversation it was shared with us that Dad had an urgent meeting to attend at Agra, so by no means he could help Mom board the train so ‘make mom board the train’ was added to my ‘things to do before I board the train’ list.

Now started the planning for dropping Ma to station (yes we had to plan because my beloved city,Delhi’s traffic is too erratic). So it was decided that I would take a half day’s off from office and we shall leave for railway, station by 1515hrs so as make mom board the train comfortably (I was little conscious as mom hadn’t travelled on train for years, lest travelling alone).

With all that strategized mindset the next day started quite early with Dad leaving for Agra at 0500hrs in the morning. Then as expected, I left for office at 0800hrs and accordingly left for back home at 1300hrs.

On reaching home, I found mom anxiously doing last minute things in hurried manner and to calm her down started helping her do small things like locking up the bags and wrapping up the food for the travel. At around 1445 I realized that we could enquire about platform details by calling on 138 (Railway Enquiry: released only 3hrs before trains scheduled departure timings).

As only a score of minutes was left for us to leave for station I kept phone on loudspeaker mode and continued wrapping up all that had to be wrapped up. The automated enquiry system was listing details of all the trains scheduled to leave in next 3hrs, so I heard carefully and patiently and then finally, the till-then-seemingly sweet voice of the operator said ‘train number 12394, Sampoorn Kranti Express, from Delhi to Patna Junction, scheduled to depart from New Delhi Railway Station at 1730hrs is running late by 8hrs 0min and is expected to leave from New Delhi Railway Station at 0130hrs’.

Now what? How? Who? Why?

Mom had already cursed Ministry of Railways, Mamata Didi (our Railway Minister), Ticketing System, Railway Engineers, Trains and even James Watt.

I had my own concerns; my half day was wasted and Dad who’s been travelling whole day will have to stay awake for whole night for understood reasons under present scenario.

Now we had nothing to do; anger and tire has taken me and Mom over, and in our exasperation made us hungry and we binged into the wrapped food cussing no-one and anyone who could be blamed for our irate.

I was continuously checking for the status of the delayed train, wishing/fearing for the ‘cover-up’  of the expected delay of our awaited train, but in vain as with every passing couple of hours the train kept getting further delayed for half an hour more.

Now I wished for it to get so late as to let us sleep atleast (as better was worse or worse was better was out my scope of judgment).

Well! With all the confusion, irritation, anger and tension, finally mom boarded the train on 17^th (Wednesday) at 0830hr (yes it was 15hrs late, this was the time she had to reach Patna) and left Delhi for PATNA.

Our day’s ordeal was over, but Mom’s patience was tested even more as the train finally got further late by 9hrs during its go and Mom reached PATNA 24hrs late against our planning.

Partial POC was managed to be dragged to success, next was I and Dad to reach……

(to be continued)