Help Railways, of course Railway Officers reach you safe.

Hi Friends,

Don’t wonder thinking why I say help railways. I not only say but did help railways, most of the time railway officers. Let them fulfill their needs with our money rather than their salary. First incident happened on the very next day after we had reached Mumbai for our ‘Rozi Rotti’. We were returning back to the guest house after the first visit to our Employer Office in Andheri. Guest house was in Koparkhairane Navi Mumbai. We had to change the local train twice and the rush felt was really strange to us. We got down from bus at Kurla station together but separated due to the rush before reaching the platform towards Vashi. I however managed to catch the train that was about to move once I reached the platform.  Comparatively there were lesser people in my coach. The ticket checker who looked like a normal commuter came and asked the ticket. Like every one who has proper ticket in hand I looked at him with a cunning smile as if he lost a game with me and handed over the ticket. He examined the ticket and returned me the cunning smile with these words ‘Hey dude this ticket is not proper’. I was astonished! This time I looked at him as if I lost the game.  ‘Sir, I have just got the ticket from the counter and I don’t understand what you mean’.
‘You are right my dear’ said he.  ‘But this ticket is for second class commutation, while you are traveling in the first class compartment’.

I didn’t know there is classification in the local train. I feared more because of I didn’t know Hindi than because I was traveling with an improper ticket. I tried to explain him that I was new to Mumbai and I didn’t know the systems and some thing like that in my broken English. He just asked me to follow him towards the door. I thought Mumbai is not for me and if possible I would return Kerala on the very next day. I got a little bit relaxed once we reached the other door of the coach as my friends Vibheesh and Sharafudeen were also caught by another TC. I thought that Mumbai is not for them also. We looked at each other and shared a smile with pain. At the next station -Thilak Nagar- they handed over us to the senior TC.

‘Are you Malloos?’ asked the senior TC. Oh God! We got a Mallu TC here we became comfortable and asked him ‘Yes sir, Are you too a Mallu?’ ‘No I’m not’ said he. ‘You all looked like Malloos with the appearance and slang, that’s why I asked. So you traveled with out proper ticket in the first class, do you know I can charge up to 500 per head and you may pay 1500’. We tried to explain him in half Hindi and half English that we just reached Mumbai yesterday, forgive us as this be the first time, we are not supposed to repeat this  and something like that. He insisted we should pay the fine other wise we would be jailed up to three months. We got panic, as we didn’t have that much money in hand and we were going to be arrested for the first time in life. Pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and other old heroes passed through my mind. That gave me a little bit courage.
The TC finally gave an option to avoid our arrest that we just had to pay him 500 and no receipt will be given back. We agreed the condition and gave him the said amount even though I’m against bribery. We became happy and he became happier. Before leaving us he didn’t forget to give us a valuable advice ‘Don’t travel without proper ticket’. I replied but myself ‘With the proper ticket itself I would think twice to travel in Mumbai Local’.

For a long time after the incident I used to feel electric current passing through my body when ever I see the first class coach or first class indicator.