Its monsoon time in Orissa, Dad wants me to come over for the Varalakshmi Puja on 15th August; I am scared to journey through all those waterlogged areas, brave the raging elements, and come back to Hyderabad in one piece, by Monday morning. My favorite train, Falaknuma Superfast Express has turned its tail and started detouring from Orissa ever since the onset of monsoons. I am left with just two options - Visakha Express, and the Konark Express. Visakha leaves Hyderabad at 5PM, drags itself with difficulty all the way and leaves me on Bhubaneswar station at 7PM the next day. Whereas, Konark leaves Hyderabad at 7AM, and dumps me at BBSR the next day morning at 4AM.
To top it all, I hadnt even booked my tickets, and the waiting list showed100+. Aaarrrgggghh! Might as well go anyway, since my leave has been approved, and I have been feeling suffocated since the past few days. Tatkal reservation cost me an extra 150 bucks, but atleast my ticket showed waiting list 18. It was reduced to WL 07 by the time the chart was prepared, and I was a goner. To top it all, I contracted a slight fever that evening, and I boarded Visakha Express with a running nose, blaring cough, and high temperature. I had to run the entire length of the train twice, requesting the TTEs for a berth. They were adamant, saying the train was full and it was impossible to get one. Finally, when it was nearing night, and I was fully exhausted, I let it slip that I had a few bucks I was willing to spare; and a berth miraculously appeared, for 200 bucks.
I gave the money with reluctance and cursed the system from the bottom of my heart. I slept throughout the entire journey, and not even gossip in the compartment about floods at Rajahmundry woke me up. The train finally, mercifully, reached Bhubaneswar, and I caught hold of one of those mini buses which frequent the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack highway. Luck seemed to be mocking me, cos with Cuttack just 05 min away, the bus sputtered to a halt, and thick, hot, smoke started coming from the engine, making it unbearably hot and suffocating. Needless to say, the bus was filled to overflowing, and people started screaming and jumping out of windows. I have been reading too many thrillers recently, and in my mind's view I could see the bus catching fire, and exploding, with me coughing and huddled up inside.
I got up, collected my bags, and started elbowing my way towards the entrance. It was a huge relief when I got out into the open, and breathed in huge gulps of air. I was sick and tired of my misadventures by then, and I motioned to an auto rickshaw which was going in the general direction of Cuttack. I finally reached home at around 8PM, and collapsed on the sofa, my fever kicking in big time. Guess my Dad was overjoyed to see me, but that happiness was shortlived. I spent the entire vacation sleeping, sneezing, coughing, and literally making a nuisance of myself. The only good that came out of this miserable experience was that I was able to bag an extra couple of days leave, spent more time with my family than I did in the last couple of years(yes, I stayed for 8 days, guys!!!) and finally came back to Hyderabad on the 20th. I am still coughing away to glory, but a few days of bliss, where I slept uninterrupted, were worth the effort.
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