The train journey even in local trains is a great learning experience. If one is traveling in Mumbai local trains, particularly in second class with Mango people then you quickly learn the norms of adjustment for fourth seat and chance to stand in gully etc etc. Comparatively the first class guys are bit snobbish unless you are part of their regular gang.
However, the long distance train journey by cattle class or second class is totally different cup of tea or you prefer coffee. Let me share my experience.
Boarded the train in Thane at 6 am and we settled in our reserved seats. One window and the next seat with isle seat occupied by a lady who had no reservation. After train left Panvel the adjustment activity started. People started saying to each other that this stupid irctc does not our sitting arrangement and computer allots seats randomly. We want to sit together and gossip and eat and sometimes play cards too.
So as a part of the adjustment in my compartment the lady without reservation was shifted to another compartment and a guy who was sitting in front row was shifted as my new neighbour. I was occupied with reading the Economic Times and discussing with my partner which shares to buy more and which ones to dispose off etc, when suddenly I realized that my new neighbour took deep interest in the headlines of the Economic Times.
I established a friendly eye contact with him and returned my gesture with a smile. He was a smallish fair skinned guy nearly 60 or so with few teeth missing and not much money to replace them. He took next step of making some comments based on the headlines of the paper and we started discussion on this and that.
For security reasons I will not disclose his name but continue reading. His family historically belongs to Junnar which is famous for Shivneri Fort the birthplace of Shiwaji Maharaj, but he has been born and brought up in Shindewadi, Bhoiwada, Mumbai. For those who do not know this location, this is opposite Chitra Cinema. Now, you will ask me where is Chitra Cinema? The answer is it is few minutes walk from Dadar Station if you start walking towards Parel. If you ask me next question: I am not going to answer it. Just read on.
He passed out from High School when Shiv Sena was born. Rather guys like these who gave birth to the Sena. These were the times of 1970 when Mumbai (then Bombay) was populated with huge Marathi Manoos population without jobs and if jobs of typist and stenographer were taken by young Tamilians and Keralites who arrived fresh with good skills and ready to work hard.
My new friend started his career with a small job in a small Electrical Work Shop in Thane and then moved on to few odd jobs till he finally fulfilled ambition of parents and got a job in Indian Postal Service. This made him eligible to get a good wife and improved his market value in his community.
But our friend was not normal but he was abnormal. He had an eye for beauty and art. He thought in order to truly discover the meaning of lie he must pursue some kind of art. He believed this was part of his DNA and his destiny too.
He saved and borrowed money with all his energy and passion and bought a good imported camera and other equipment to pursue his hobby of photography. Now, as said earlier, our guy was abnormal so he had a strange concept that he was born to do not only photography but wildlife photography. This passion took him to various places in Maharashtra while he continued his job with Indian Postal Service in different post offices in Mumbai issuing stamps and accepting money orders and some other stupid clerical work. He continued his job because it gave him cash to pursue his photography.
Here the life of our Hero took a turn and in today;s language the TV serial moved on a different and unique track.
He had to be married and parents had selected a suitable girl for him. The problem was cash. It was imperative for him to buy a Gold Mangalsutra for the new bride. He had no cash in hand as all his savings had gone in his photography. Just like you see in many TV serials he had to make sacrifice in order to see the happiness in eyes of his parents and grand parents.
He sold all his equipment and camera in order to buy the Gold.
Our man is not an ordinary man, he is a Hero. What he did was start saving money and buy a good camera and a Video Camera as well and started part time business of covering weddings and other function. The problem was he had to do this while carrying on his postal job so income was not much but he got some satisfaction from it.
Today his daughter is nearing her graduation in a reputed college and intends to take up a Banking job. He said with great difficulty I have managed to give her a Lenovo Laptop and a Digital Camera. She is a brilliant girl and carries my genes and passion for photography. In order to fulfill her desires he has again sacrificed and sold all his equipment and has nearly stopped photography, but, he continues to visit exhibitions and keep in touch with latest equipment and technology.
As we both were to get down at Ratnagiri we exchanged pleasantries. Then with a shy smile he opened his wallet and took out his visiting card and proffered it to me. I accepted same without seeing what was printed and put in my shirt pocket.
After reaching the Resort as we were enjoying a beauty of Arabian Sea and enjoying excellent Tea with my favourite Parle G (by the way Sunil Gawaskar too copies this habit of mine) I took out the card and was utterly shocked.
The card obviously had his name and mobile number but it had a beautiful painting which he had made with a small village house and trees and birds. The card spoke million words about this man, our Hero. He was not a Marathi Manoos, he was not a Postal Employee but he was an Artist and a Painter who saw beauty in everything he saw with joy and wonder.
A unique human being like you and me in Search of Meaning of Life.
March 20, 2013
However, the long distance train journey by cattle class or second class is totally different cup of tea or you prefer coffee. Let me share my experience.
Boarded the train in Thane at 6 am and we settled in our reserved seats. One window and the next seat with isle seat occupied by a lady who had no reservation. After train left Panvel the adjustment activity started. People started saying to each other that this stupid irctc does not our sitting arrangement and computer allots seats randomly. We want to sit together and gossip and eat and sometimes play cards too.
So as a part of the adjustment in my compartment the lady without reservation was shifted to another compartment and a guy who was sitting in front row was shifted as my new neighbour. I was occupied with reading the Economic Times and discussing with my partner which shares to buy more and which ones to dispose off etc, when suddenly I realized that my new neighbour took deep interest in the headlines of the Economic Times.
I established a friendly eye contact with him and returned my gesture with a smile. He was a smallish fair skinned guy nearly 60 or so with few teeth missing and not much money to replace them. He took next step of making some comments based on the headlines of the paper and we started discussion on this and that.
For security reasons I will not disclose his name but continue reading. His family historically belongs to Junnar which is famous for Shivneri Fort the birthplace of Shiwaji Maharaj, but he has been born and brought up in Shindewadi, Bhoiwada, Mumbai. For those who do not know this location, this is opposite Chitra Cinema. Now, you will ask me where is Chitra Cinema? The answer is it is few minutes walk from Dadar Station if you start walking towards Parel. If you ask me next question: I am not going to answer it. Just read on.
He passed out from High School when Shiv Sena was born. Rather guys like these who gave birth to the Sena. These were the times of 1970 when Mumbai (then Bombay) was populated with huge Marathi Manoos population without jobs and if jobs of typist and stenographer were taken by young Tamilians and Keralites who arrived fresh with good skills and ready to work hard.
My new friend started his career with a small job in a small Electrical Work Shop in Thane and then moved on to few odd jobs till he finally fulfilled ambition of parents and got a job in Indian Postal Service. This made him eligible to get a good wife and improved his market value in his community.
But our friend was not normal but he was abnormal. He had an eye for beauty and art. He thought in order to truly discover the meaning of lie he must pursue some kind of art. He believed this was part of his DNA and his destiny too.
He saved and borrowed money with all his energy and passion and bought a good imported camera and other equipment to pursue his hobby of photography. Now, as said earlier, our guy was abnormal so he had a strange concept that he was born to do not only photography but wildlife photography. This passion took him to various places in Maharashtra while he continued his job with Indian Postal Service in different post offices in Mumbai issuing stamps and accepting money orders and some other stupid clerical work. He continued his job because it gave him cash to pursue his photography.
Here the life of our Hero took a turn and in today;s language the TV serial moved on a different and unique track.
He had to be married and parents had selected a suitable girl for him. The problem was cash. It was imperative for him to buy a Gold Mangalsutra for the new bride. He had no cash in hand as all his savings had gone in his photography. Just like you see in many TV serials he had to make sacrifice in order to see the happiness in eyes of his parents and grand parents.
He sold all his equipment and camera in order to buy the Gold.
Our man is not an ordinary man, he is a Hero. What he did was start saving money and buy a good camera and a Video Camera as well and started part time business of covering weddings and other function. The problem was he had to do this while carrying on his postal job so income was not much but he got some satisfaction from it.
Today his daughter is nearing her graduation in a reputed college and intends to take up a Banking job. He said with great difficulty I have managed to give her a Lenovo Laptop and a Digital Camera. She is a brilliant girl and carries my genes and passion for photography. In order to fulfill her desires he has again sacrificed and sold all his equipment and has nearly stopped photography, but, he continues to visit exhibitions and keep in touch with latest equipment and technology.
As we both were to get down at Ratnagiri we exchanged pleasantries. Then with a shy smile he opened his wallet and took out his visiting card and proffered it to me. I accepted same without seeing what was printed and put in my shirt pocket.
After reaching the Resort as we were enjoying a beauty of Arabian Sea and enjoying excellent Tea with my favourite Parle G (by the way Sunil Gawaskar too copies this habit of mine) I took out the card and was utterly shocked.
The card obviously had his name and mobile number but it had a beautiful painting which he had made with a small village house and trees and birds. The card spoke million words about this man, our Hero. He was not a Marathi Manoos, he was not a Postal Employee but he was an Artist and a Painter who saw beauty in everything he saw with joy and wonder.
A unique human being like you and me in Search of Meaning of Life.
March 20, 2013
