Life is a journey, so enjoy the ride

One’s lonely, two’s company and three’s a crowd. But we were slightly more than a cricket team. Seventeen in all—from infants to adolescents and adults. We were saddled with heavy baggage too, 22 items to be precise. In other words the whole thing was the opposite of less-luggage-more-comfort principle.

It was August 2006 when we set out from Anantapur on the golden triangle circuit—Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Ajmer. We had undertaken the first trip in 1983 with char aadmi, char bacche, char saman. And this became a sort of chant in the family like the famous sea song. Fifteen men on the Dead Man’s Chest. Again in 1985 we retraced our steps with more numbers. A perfect recipe for disaster one would think. But it wasn’t.

In a pleasure trip the more the merrier is the thumb rule. A journey is best measured in terms of the bonhomie it creates rather than in miles. And it was a memorable one—with fun, action and drama.
Travel by train is a front-row ticket to entertainment. It’s an opportunity to see nature and life in varied hues. The rhythm of the train is music to ears, especially when it trundles over bridges and culverts. Beautiful vistas and lush fields flash by while jerks and jolts break the train of thought. The slowdowns and the bursts of speed are such fun. So is the call of the vendors—thanda pani, cool drinks, biscuits, chips. Travel is often an educative experience—a reminder that life is just a journey and not the destination. Most importantly it creates a better you as it takes you out of your comfort zone.

What’s a tour sans excitement! And there was plenty when my son went missing in the tourist rush at Delhi’s Jama Masjid. As everyone searched frantically, he emerged coolly much to our relief. Early in the day there was a scare at the A P Bhavan where we stayed. My nephew was placing luggage in the lift when suddenly its doors closed. Given the heightened security, everyone panicked on finding only baggage in the lift when it touched down.

But they were relieved when we rushed and were explained about the situation. The most thrilling time was when my brother was virtually gheraoed by beggars at the Ajmer Dargah as he started giving away alms. He had to be whisked away with the mendicants in hot pursuit.
The return trip proved more exciting as the vehicle taking us to the railway station broke down. Somehow we reached just in time to catch the train. A photo finish. Some journeys begin with the impossible and turn into unforgettable.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated March 23,2018