The NIMC Times [13 part]

‘Train Tracks’

Just as you all thought the end of the NIMC era had given way to the AIMK, came yet another train tracks from the dormant doors of the NIMC Times.

Well by now, you were aware that the world is round and that there existed something or someone beyond the confines of your lives, at the portals of NIMC for which you travelled far beyond the calls of an alumnus. And only if you read the Mystery of the Kalka Mail, would you travel to NIMC to decipher the goodness of times and immortalizing your own unknown experiences.

Bookings were never confirmed and reservations were the wait-listed ones even at the hour of the 60 day period. And even with your best efforts to avail the MCO quota, only a few were lucky to accommodate your loved ones. In fact, jokers found it an eerie in realising that at least a couple of berths were there that gave way to sharing your bumps with your buddy off course, all who were already swayed away in all liquid states of happiness. And of course sleep was important during journeys too. Only a few berths were enough for dozens ‘Outstanding…Standing Out’ to travel in the sleeper coaches during the scorching summer heat with the heavy cases that adjusted to fine tune your baggage that confined to your new desktop machines, countless knick knacks and your mom’s homemade cookies.  

And when Delhi went on strike and Calcutta in floods and trains hardly plied, was the only Kalka Mail that departed on time and was the one to catch on to, a priority train that we familiarised since the early days as jokers. Notwithstanding the modes of conveyance to reach the Howrah station including the ferry from Babughat, packing in throng to get a ride in the Ambassador taxi and thinking for the entire route who will be this one person to pay for the meter and divide that bill that had a forlorn conclusion considering their luck to get the last minute confirmation with jokers making it just in time to catch their ticket to go home.

But with the importance of ‘Dependant Card’ did you realise when you normally hooked into the Military boogie that seemed your birthright and savior during times of traveling alone, considering the fact the TTE hadn’t had the audacity of entering this coach.

Traveling to Calcutta offered a kaleidoscopic view of life. If on one track it was the incessant chatting and jabbering amongst fellow people, it was the chatterbox that gave way to a thousand more pranks. On occasions when you found yourself in the company of an amiable old friend and realised that you did share a room in AWWA boy’s hostel or the same APS or your dad’s old regimental centre. All tracks did converge into Mughal Sarai junction that had times on roll to take a bite from outside the railway station or a pint that you might catch on to. This one station had always kept you long waiting as it provided umpteen eats to handpicked souvenirs. Times to unwind on the platform and share the tête-à-tête sitting in the forsaken but yet adjusting II^nd sleeper, you did yearn for the NIMC Times, with your privileged buddy snoring in the air-conditioned coach.   

Just as the tracks increased you were confident of having entered Bengal and were you woken up to breaking your drunken fast or the night long hangover to the infamous but fulfilling Jhaal muri. But only if you traveled in this lonesome coach of Sealdah Rajdhani, were you sitting for the entire journey in that Chair Car! Well if you missed the one time experience, you well by now be in AIMK.