The Mumbai Lifeline

Its a monday morning. The time shows 7:41 and some seconds ticking on.
The indicator is set to 7:39...There is a hush, there is a honk and people start gathering in all from all sides. Wonder where all of them were 10 seconds back. It was as if the Pied piper played his tune and all the rats came crawling out.
Well I am one of those rats!
Dressed in an impressive rich full sleeve Park Avenue blue shirt , some nice comfy trousers and those typical office goers black leathered bag with a clean shave,hair gelled and combed, smelling all musky with the cologne, I get prepared with all the other similar looking rats as me, to board what is called the lifeline of mumbai.
Trust me everyone in that first class department looks the same with the dress code being formal and yet rats is the word that best comes to my mind to describe them.
Crawling down from the stairs, the sides and from wherever my vision could go does everyone come out.
The train approaches and I say my usual prayer. People set their body position as athletes do when they are sprinting for the 100 m race. Tighten their belts , roll the sleeves,blow their noses(dunno wat for though!). The first class compartment approaches.
I peacefully board when the train is at a decent pace with just some thuds and bangs and some polite curses and stares.
Like hungry wolves people swarm in looking for food ,oops a seat i guess, and then like a dejected wet hen settle for the best available space for standing.
Well it would be appropriate to say they look for the available place to stand rather than for a seat which would be like water in the desert.
I scamper through and reach my best spot of the train, under the fan and where there is support for the back.
Roll my bag forward as if a woman protecting her breasts from hungry beasts but its all done for better manevauring around and not letting your bag go away from you when another gush of rats come in from the next station.
The air ventilation is pretty decent at this spot. Hey its the First Class!
With a feel in my pockets for my mobile and wallet once in with everthing set, my head phones on, the train honks and the journey begins.
You try to look around but really cannot see much except for the people hanging along in front of you.
If you look at the scene from a distant it looks like a kindergarden class being punished with its hands up for some reason.
Just pray everyday that none of the people who board my compartment do not forget to put on their deo's or watever that smells good. I sure dont ,for them and myself and expect the same from them!
The crowd is a mix of all age groups. But one thing among them apart from the dress code that is common is that all of them are pretty well off. Yet everyone chooses this means of transport to travel to their destinations.
Its funny to look at people who couldnt help but fall asleep. Its even funnier when they have no control over their heads. Its like crazy hand banging. With rock goin on in ur headphones its the funniest.
The train moves on from station to station. The minor stations pass by drawing in major crowds(rats!). The major station is on its way. Two stations previous to its coming, people start piling on the exitway. Kurla is the word.Sends a chill down the spine whenever I hear its name.Its like the entire universe wants to get down at this station. And be sure that you are not the one who doesnt want to get down at this station and you are not standing on the way. If you are on the way you surely will get out of the train with how much ever you resist! You will fly baby!

I had never thought I would ever be writing so much and that too on a topic like a train. But there is something into this. Some thing in this way of travelling that you experience. Not a experience everyone should experience but yeah surely a weird one!

Its the best way a person can reach his/her destination. Pollution free and traffic free.
Just wished the government would really do something about the manner in which people travel.
Hey we are not rats here that we deserve to travel like this. We are the major working force of the city and the country. We all can afford to take our vehicles till our destination, but be thankful we dont else what hell shall break loose on the road, God alone can help. Its a good thing that the government has made this means of transportation but atleast see through it that people travel like normal human beings.
Give the citizens a more respectable way of travelling cheap and fast. Else our country will surely loose out on the youth and the best brains to a more advanced and luxurious countries like the US or UK.
Please then dont say that we have been influenced by the west and dont give a damn about our country.

Peace!