Day 2 - Travel in style

When my parents got married, they lived in this then small town called Coimbatore for about 2-3yrs... i dont remember much about the place, or the house we lived in, but mom says it was a good bunch of years... Apparently, gramma's cousin's kids were studying nearby and would come visiting over weekends; an uncle lived in the same town ;another aunt was also around the corner[ she apparently helped mom fine tune her cooking as well].. All this was before i was born... so, well, what i know is from what they've told me...  

I was born and then they moved to Madurai, and then to Tirunelveli and back to Chennai eventually....

I visited Coimbatore [also known as Kovai] recently, about 2yrs ago, no Nostalgia but did have a few sweet memories from the family trip we had taken and the drive/visit to Dhyanalingam.... 

This time, i was there for my best friend's wedding...Jk and i have known each other since 3rd std, and top it off, i was the only girl friend at the wedding!!!  Was one hell of an experience, his parents took me around to introduce to their relatives, beaming that they had known me since i was small ... 

Fun started after the wedding was over.. I grabbed my bags from the room, had lunch and headed off to my [late uncle] aunt's house to say hello to her and the boys before taking the evening train back to Chennai... I had a ticket which was Waitlist1, and what i dint know back then was that if you are holding an e-ticket, that too one that was WL, it gets cancelled automatically and is null and void, unfit for travel.. I thought it would have been confirmed and happily hopped on the train, only to be reprimanded by the TTC that it was a void ticket... Not knowing what to do, i called my uncle, who in turn spoke to his friend,G working with the Railways!! The TTC literally stood up and spoke to G with respect and asked me to be seated.. After a few minutes, he came over to where i sat, asking me how i knew G.. Honestly, i dint know who G was, but couldnt let on that... The TTC promised me a ticket, but when i said am headed to Chennai, he shook his head saying "not possible ma, no seats to chennai available on this train" .. 

Damn.... only option was to get off in Erode, pick up an unreserved ticket and travel on the next train.. My uncle meanwhile spoke to an excolleague, who came received me in Erode station, took me home, fed me dinner and dropped me back in the station... Within this time span, G had pulled some strings, and thereon asked me to meet a particular TTC who'll help me with a berth!  Walked the length of erode Station, found the TTC in a coach all the way at the other end, he asked me to go sit in S10 or S11, dont remember!!

Sat in the TTC's seat for a while, with cops and others passing by staring like i had the Rabies... a cop even paused to ask where i was headed, etc and then would smile everyt ime he walked by... The TTC was grumpy as he sat for dinner,, barking at me while he asked about "how i knew G" and after about 2hrs called me aside, instructed me to go to A2, which is a good 10coaches away... Made my way to A2, where i met another TTC, who said  "i have an upper berth here , its all yours"... I travelled in 1st class AC for the rest of the journey... Finally landed in Chennai and live to tell the tale of my train adventure!!  when i narrated this to my newly married friend, all that schmuck told me was " woman, you should have called me, am now married to a gal who's dad is a Cop in Coimbatore..". haha... 

What is even more amazing is that about 7months back i was travelling to Blore- i saw the TTC approaching and he was none other than the TTC who gave me the A2 berth!!  He remembered me and  asked if i remembered him..!!

Looking fwd to making another trip to this land, and explore some places around!!