It was evening! The train was to reach around 4 pm which was getting late in a February and ultimately it crawled into the station by 7 pm. It had become dark and cold has set in along with the darkness. Lights were on and a lot of people coming and going and those helping them were on the platforms. The speciality of any platform is that no body cares any body else other than oneself as all are in a hurry to reach their destinations.
My co-travellers had been patient till the train reached New Delhi station but once it stoppled all of them quickly vanished into thin air or that fast they were all gone. Some had people waiting for them, some knew the place and others were the train operators. I did not know the place, did not know any one and was not used to the cold of February evening. That day it was more.! I felt like vomiting. My little thin sweater was no match for the evening as I was coming from a warmer climate in the south!
I waited for a while near a tube light pole to regain my composure and once felt better ..! Then I walked on with my brown leather suit case with the folded umbrella squeezed into the belt of the box which instantly gave me away as an outsider. The autorikshaw fellow spotted me as I came out to the front side of the station and simply came up and took my suitcase and walked up saying "Mere sath aao!" (Come with me).
Once he fixed me in his old and dilapidated autorikshaw he asked: "Kaham jana hai?" (Where do you want to go?). I replied "Karolbagh". I had learned that Karol bagh is a place four kilometres away from the station and one could get a day's stay there in any small guest house! The auto-rikshaw who looked deceptive and in shabby clothes said: "Oh.....this journey has to be completed in two auto-rikshaws, I will take you half the way and the rest another auto-rikshaw will take you ..! I became uneasy at these words as I was surprised at the words of this sleaky guy and told him: "Can you take me to the "Madras Hotel" across the road?" He agreed and took to the hotel across the road opposite the Station! As soon as it reached the hotel, I jumped out with me suit case and went in.
I simply settled at a desk and ordered for a cup of warm tea . They youngster who came to take order seemed to be a guy from the south of India and I enquired of him if he can handle Hindi well. He said: What do you want in Hindi?" I told him "Just go to the front side and there is an autorikshaw fellow waiting. Tell him I do not need his auto! " He said, that is simple and went out and disposed off the guy in a few seconds!
Once he was gone I took a deep sigh of relief. I felt better with the warmth insiide the hotel and wiith the help of the youngster took a room on rent just next door where there were plenty of guest houses with rooms at reasonable rates in Pahar ganj as it was called in those days!
My co-travellers had been patient till the train reached New Delhi station but once it stoppled all of them quickly vanished into thin air or that fast they were all gone. Some had people waiting for them, some knew the place and others were the train operators. I did not know the place, did not know any one and was not used to the cold of February evening. That day it was more.! I felt like vomiting. My little thin sweater was no match for the evening as I was coming from a warmer climate in the south!
I waited for a while near a tube light pole to regain my composure and once felt better ..! Then I walked on with my brown leather suit case with the folded umbrella squeezed into the belt of the box which instantly gave me away as an outsider. The autorikshaw fellow spotted me as I came out to the front side of the station and simply came up and took my suitcase and walked up saying "Mere sath aao!" (Come with me).
Once he fixed me in his old and dilapidated autorikshaw he asked: "Kaham jana hai?" (Where do you want to go?). I replied "Karolbagh". I had learned that Karol bagh is a place four kilometres away from the station and one could get a day's stay there in any small guest house! The auto-rikshaw who looked deceptive and in shabby clothes said: "Oh.....this journey has to be completed in two auto-rikshaws, I will take you half the way and the rest another auto-rikshaw will take you ..! I became uneasy at these words as I was surprised at the words of this sleaky guy and told him: "Can you take me to the "Madras Hotel" across the road?" He agreed and took to the hotel across the road opposite the Station! As soon as it reached the hotel, I jumped out with me suit case and went in.
I simply settled at a desk and ordered for a cup of warm tea . They youngster who came to take order seemed to be a guy from the south of India and I enquired of him if he can handle Hindi well. He said: What do you want in Hindi?" I told him "Just go to the front side and there is an autorikshaw fellow waiting. Tell him I do not need his auto! " He said, that is simple and went out and disposed off the guy in a few seconds!
Once he was gone I took a deep sigh of relief. I felt better with the warmth insiide the hotel and wiith the help of the youngster took a room on rent just next door where there were plenty of guest houses with rooms at reasonable rates in Pahar ganj as it was called in those days!
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