The Water Compartment at the Kalka Shimla Train
I was showing my Barog story to Brat 1 and Brat 2 and I wanted them to pay particular attention to the last photograph where Steve has written the following caption-
Mridula Dwivedi with Dilip and Sunil, also known as Brat One and Brat Two
The brats reacted, we will give Bua (aunt in Hindi) a name on our Face Book!
Then on this Barog trip we were taking a train back from Solan to Barog where we barely had standing space. Brat 2 had put his hands against the wall over me in aisle and he could so easily place it over my head. Brat 1 was standing next to Brat 2 quite close to the door.
I mean it feels only yesterday when they were knee high and just by standing in front of them I could block them effectively from taking a basket ball shot.
Then I remember the younger one standing in front of a guy who was six three with his hands raised to prevent him from taking a shot at the ring and his hands would not even reach the other player’s shoulders.
And today they are polite to me and me take my shots at the ring or else they just have to stand in front of me!
PS. There is a coach on the toy trains that takes water to Shimla from other stations because there is a shortage of water at Shimla. When the train gets full people travel in the water compartment too!
Anything can happen in India!! People can travel in, over, the train.
Mridula, Coming back to your posts is always fascinating! Yes, I agree with egha – this country permits it all, including goats in the Sleeper class in Bihar and please to note, dare not you speak anything against it, the TC will fine you Lallu istyle!
Incidents stirring up nostalgia, yeah it happens…all of my neighbor kids are grown up…seems like just yesterday when they were of such heights that I would have kicked them out of my view.But now they are upto me or tower me. It seems like yesterday when my cousin sister came home..and now she is four and getting naughtier.. ah nostalgia…:)
So true Megha :DJulia that is unfortunately true.Tarun my niece is also almost four and she is so naughty now!
Wonderful post.Everything is possible in India.It is so crowded everywhere that its really funny to see how people travel by bus and train and also very surprising.
Thank you Babli.
Er, just how is the water transported in that coach? I really, really hope those guys weren't standing in the water. Were they?You know that old proverb,'necessity is the mother of invention'? I think whoever wrote it had travelled to India at some point of time. Isn't it amazing how we will innovate and adjust to almost any situation? I must tell you about my friend who was travelling by a very crowded train in Europe. Fed up of standing for a long time, in true Indian spirit, he plunked down a newspaper and squatted down. Wouldn't you know it, after giving him astonished stares for about 15 minutes, every single person in that compartment followed his example! Adjust, innovate … 😀
No Sunita they were not standing in the water tank, they were standing around it!And thanks for sharing that Europe story 😀
I enjoyed reading your recent story. I've got a handful of nieces and hope to travel with them someday. I'd love to show them the world and encourage them to be adventurous, strong, independent women travelers!
Kelly apart from these two brats we also have a young niece of 4 years. We just can't wait for her to grow up a little more!