Moved from Alwar, Rajasthan to Alwarpet, Madras. It took the usual 40 hours aboard our superfast trains. I shared the cabin with a family of three that boasted of a military background. They didn’t need to explain, for I was able to gather that little nugget of information on witnessing two soldiers arranging their luggage. For a background like that, they were pitiably insecure. I watched them as they tied up all their baggage with chains one would normally use to contain and pacify wild elephants from Tanzania. The gentleman was kind enough to ask me if I wanted mine secured while help was available. That was an offer I politely declined citing perfectly valid reasons like the obvious fact that I wished to disembark with my belongings when we reached Madras. Some people just don’t get the humor. This gentleman was one of them. He looked the other way as though I had only said a plain ‘No.’
The journey was eventless. I assumed my place on the top berth and was fast absorbing the James Hadley Chase I had brought with me before nodding off. I was reminded about where I was only next morning when I was woken up by the carriage attendant for breakfast. The three below were already munching off the last few bits of their omelettes in absolute silence. Singularly boring chums. By mid day I was through with reading and began texting some friends, helped myself to an ice cream or two, and listened to some music.
The train reached Madras Central surprisingly early. The authorities were taken so much by surprise that they deliberately halted the train just a few hundred meters from the platform until it was delayed by ten minutes. This is standard practice for trains that keep good time.
I now am wide awake at 0520 hrs to catch the bus to factory where I’m engaged in reducing effort in the shop-floor. Updating trolleys for the lines so that the associates don’t find it too arduous a task to operate a group of machines that load by themselves, machine, and unload the finished components. Funny what? My superior tells me that it really isn’t a waste of time so I keep at it.
Before I forget, I did find the names of the birds of Alwar. Search them on Google Images when you can.
Black Drongo
Nilgiri wood pigeon
Nothern Lapwing
Intermediate egret
Blyth’s reed warbler
Red-vented bulbul
Koel
Goose
I’m still looking for the names of some more that I had spotted. I am considering a book.
