Trust

I have earlier narrated a story on “Hobby and Job” as a result of my travel to Bag Dogra Air Force Station. I had to repeat the journey once again after about three months. New Jalpai Gudi (NJP) was the station where you have to alight to or board from Bag Dogra or Siliguri (West Bengal). Travel reservations had to be made at the railway station in NJP. (Then there was no internet). It was literally impossible to reserve for the return journey from the starting point. Immediately after arrival, we (myself and my friend, the same person who had accompanied me in my earlier journey) freshened up at the station waiting hall, stood in the queue for testing our luck for return journey reservation. It was one such journey where we were sure of our date of return. On many occasions, only on the last day we would come to know the return date and eventually end up traveling unreserved.

The queue was pretty long and it was around 3 pm. The sun was sharp and it was humid. Going by the number of people standing in front of us, it would take anywhere about two hours. We were fortunate it was West Bengal. People stood in queue, although engaged in heated discussions, but were disciplined unlike that in Uttar Pradesh.

After about ten minutes of being in queue I saw a foreign lady come and stand in the queue at the back. She was inquiring the guy ahead of her. I could hear them converse. Her English was not great. It appeared to me the guy was not able to help her. I just went back and asked her politely what she wanted to do. She said she is from France and is on tour of India. She wants to book her ticket to Delhi. She told us she missed her earlier train where she had reservation due to a delay by the bus she had taken from Kalimpong.

I knew that Indian Railways has provision for Tourist quota for reservation on specific trains. I told her she need not stand in the queue. She should go and talk to the station master with details as there is a separate reservation quota for Foreign Tourists on specific trains. As I was in the habit of carrying the Railways Time table with me, I showed her the paragraph pertaining to Foreign Tourist Reservation. I gave it to her to show it to the station master in case he says otherwise.

She just left the backpack she was carrying next to me without saying anything and went into the station. I was surprised and at the same time worried. Surprised because she trusted me to take care of her belongings and worried because I did not know what it contained. I had heard of cases of foreign tourists being drug users and occasionally peddlers. I had no choice but to tug along the queue with her backpack. My colleague was enjoying the fact that I was lugging with mine and her luggage in the hot sun.

About twenty minutes later she came out smiling and she hugged me saying thanks. It was a real shocker for me. My colleague was eyeing me. I welcomed her and handed over the backpack. She showed me the tickets and said the train would arrive in two hours and once again thanked me for the help. I Once again welcomed her and told her in a gentle way that leaving her backpack like this might prove costly for her. It’s good to trust but then one must have known the person before trusting. Resting trust on an entirely new person may prove dear at times. She just smiled and said, ""How could I not trust a person who helped me without asking?" She smiled and went into the station.

She just trusted me based on instance. However, for some, it takes time to trust someone. In our organisation we had one Mr Qasim an HR employee whom many trusted for Railway reservations. His main job was to arrange flight tickets for seniors. Journey by air was only for very senior officers and I still was not qualified and had to be content with train journeys. Till the opening up of the sky to private airlines it was understandable, but later I found it as a red tape and felt it contributed more to loss of useful days for the company rather than the financial benefit. I also started taking services of Mr Qasim, for train reservations for official trips after I had risen few levels in my career. A few of us had rapport with him and he used to arrange train reservations also for our journey, mostly official journeys on payment of certain commission. He had lot of connections at the Railway station. Probably he used to grease many palms for his work.

Once I had to travel home due to an exigency, with my family. My first son was about two years old. It was the period of Diwali close to Chhat Puja. I knew I will not be able to get reservations. Fortunately, Goa Express train from Nijamuddin to Vasco was introduced a year before. We have to travel up to Jhansi and then board at Jhansi and get down at Belgaum. The railway track from Miraj to Vasco which was a meter gauge earlier was converted to Broad gauge and I could continue up to Belgaum rather than getting down at Miraj. Indian Railways over the years has improved, albeit slow but gradually and made the travel more comfortable. My native is more easily connected by bus to Belgaum than Miraj. My travels Via Mumbai were now not required.

I talked to Mr Qasim and sought his help. He promised me to arrange the reservation. Those days there were no mobiles and hence only way we could talk or meet was at office or at a designated place and time. Next day, he came to my seat and said he could not get the reservation but he said he will make arrangements and asked me to come with family, travel ready to station the next day. He told us to reach in the morning at 7am, there was a local passenger between Kanpur to Jhansi. It would reach Jhansi around 3pm or so with usual delays. Goa express would depart from Jhansi around 9 pm.

I did not know what to do. But it was a must for me to travel. Well we packed up and next day morning reached the station. He was waiting for me at the station. He took us to the train and made us comfortably sit. The coach was full of people. He had earlier talked to the TTE and arranged for the seats. He came with us to Jhansi. I asked him why is he taking such trouble. He said, he understood the exigency and wanted to ensure that we travel comfortably in the next train and moreover he had an ailing uncle at Jhansi and he wanted to see him 

On arrival at Jhansi, we went to waiting hall and he said he will meet after about two hours. I asked him to join for lunch. He said he will have lunch with one of his relatives later. My wife had packed lunch and food for the journey. The food prepared used to last for two to three days. We, very seldom, used to buy railway meal, when travelling as a family. She was up very early in the morning and prepared the food. The preparation of journey food is different than the normal food and she was good at it. Lucky me and my family. We had our lunch and took rest. The waiting room at Jhansi platform then had become very familiar to us.

He was not to be seen. We had evening tea. It was nearing 7pm and I started worrying. He came around 8pm and told us not to worry, He has talked to the concerned TTE who would be taking over charge once the train arrives. He handed us the tickets. He said he will come just before train arrival and accommodate in the train. Train would stop for ten minutes at the station leaving enough time to board. I saw the ticket; it was plain ticket with no reservation marked. My wife was very anxious and I somehow calmed her and said he will manage.

He came to us just when the train arrival announcement started. He took us to the platform, fortunately it was the same platform that shared the waiting room and there was not much of luggage. There was a TTE at the platform. He introduced me to him and talked to him and asked me to give the ticket. TTE just wrote something on it and asked us to occupy certain side berths and left. Train arrived and we moved in and occupied the berths. Qasim said not to worry, the berths will be for us till the end and bid us farewell. The train started chugging forward. We had finished our dinner in the waiting hall itself. I chained the luggage to the berth leg. We went to sleep. Into the journey, before we reached Belgaum, two TTE changed and both after seeing the ticket did not say anything. Probably what was written was a code or something. We reached Belgaum in the night. The journey was comfortable without any issues.

Mr Qasim ensured that we reached comfortably. I had not paid him for the tickets. On return, I paid him and he did not take any service charge or commission because of the situation I was forced to travel. Mr Qasim had earned my trust and most journeys afterword I used to take his help and I never worried about inconveniences. He retired by the time the internet services started and online reservations began. Changing times and he became history for us. But till day I remember that journey and his efforts to help me.