the_oddnaari: April 2020

Oh Yes! I've been the girl on the train lately.

Trains are hands down my favourite way to commute. They are a window to an unknown world. You can peek into a stranger’s life, share stories with them, exchange food or just be a silent observer. In the confinement of a few seats, there is much to do and see on the Indian Railways.

I still remember the first time I travelled by train. I was hell nervous. Since we don't have railway connectivity back at our place, I wasn't much familiar with the whole process. It's not that I had not travelled on train before, but this time, it was different. I was on my own.

It was some 2-3 years back when I was travelling to Udaipur. My train was to depart at 5 in the morning from Jaipur. I couldn't sleep the whole night thinking how would I find the platform, my compartment and my seat. Everything seems so much complicated then. For first-timers like I was, it can be a bit of a daunting task.

I spent the entire night scrolling through various blogs which explained how to locate your train. Seeing me a little tensed, two fellow travellers at the hostel where I was staying offered to accompany me to the railway station. It was an instant relief. "But it wasn't a solution right? It was just an easy escape. But for how long?", I asked myself. "I will have to face it one day or the other, so why not today?", I said as I left for the station. I reached the station an hour before the train was to depart so that I had ample time to spot my train.

Now when I think about this day, it makes me laugh wondering what an idiot I was.

So much has changed over the years. I am a lot more confident now.

I can now arrive 5 minutes before the departure time at the railway station and still have the courage to say "abhi bhut time hai apne pass, pehle kuch kha lete hain".

I can now walk in confidently in the Upper Class restroom or sit confidently in 3rd AC with a non-AC ticket in my pocket.

I can now travel by the train anywhere across India without even having a ticket and I have now learnt to bribe the TT for a ticket. (not very proud of it though).

I have been asked this question a lot of times if I feel safe to travel by train.

My rough calculations say that I've spent more than 360 hours in the train in the last two years that makes it approximately 15 days (300 let alone in sleeper). To name a few, I have travelled to Bhuj, Gujarat during Rann, to Prayagraj during Kumbh, to Kolkata and Hasimara (a place that touches border with Bhutan) and to Delhi from New Jalpaiguri during holi, all in sleeper coach. So I can proudly say that I have gained enough expertise over these years to share with you all.

Trains, especially the sleeper coach is considered to be highly unsafe for a solo female traveller since sleeper coaches are exposed to continuous intrusion and encroachment of unauthorised people. Various kinds of unwarranted vendors, transgenders, beggars enters the sleeper coach without any fear and often harass passengers. Sleeper coaches are rarely escorted by any police or security staff. Cases of theft, lifting, pickpocketing are highest in the sleeper class which is why it is generally not recommended for a woman specially if travelling alone.

I wouldn't completely deny the fact that traveling by train is unsafe for a woman but I also don't fully agree to it.

I've met all sorts of people in train- some really interesting personalities, some very weird souls, some people so selfless while some so selfish, some won't stop talking while some won't talk, some so indigent yet so warm. From making friends to being sexually harassed I have seen it all. But like they say, every coin has two sides, it is upon you to choose which side to look upon. Every experience I had, made me who I am- strong and fierce.

Initially, I chose sleeper over any other class as it is unbelievably cheaper than the rest. But it was not late before I realised that there's a lot more to it (enough to break the monotony of the AC class) than just being one of the most budget-friendly modes of transport. You will come across a lot of articles on the internet which would recommend you not to travel alone by sleeper at any cost whatsoever. When I booked the ticket to Prayagraj during Kumbh I was slightly apprehensive of my safety since it was UP! (no further explanation required). To be on the safer side, I booked the woman compartment and to my surprise, the experience was completely different than I thought it was going to be.

Solo travelling comes with a lot of advantages particularly when you're a female. Most of the time, people are more concerned about my safety than I am. I have had my share of experiences where people have gone an extra mile to help me. One recent incident was when I was coming back from Bhutan. Due to corona virus, we had to leave Bhutan early. Despite best efforts, I couldn't even get a waiting ticket (forget a confirmed one) since it was holi in the next two days and people were travelling back to their respective homes. The trains were fully packed. I had no option but to buy an ordinary ticket which meant I could travel by train but wouldn't get a seat for 30 hours straight. I boarded the train at NJP. I requested a fellow passenger to keep my luggage and went to stand at the door. I was the only girl in that compartment. Seeing me alone, many other co-passengers happily offered me their seats and made sure I felt safe and comfortable throughout the journey.

NJP TO DELHI FOR INR 380 ONLY/-

I won't be advising you travel tips here (like carrying a knife or a chilli spray). There are plenty of websites to do that for you. I would only say that before you decide to travel in sleeper, you need to be mentally prepared for all the unwanted stares, unsolicited advices, uninvited comments, and sexually coloured remarks that might come your way. I have always believed and lived by the ideology that safety lies in one's own hands. YOU FALL VULNERABLE THE MOMENT YOU ACT VULNERABLE. Believe you me, as long as you are confident from the inside, nobody can dare to harm you from outside.

It has been rightly said, "In any given moment, we have two options- to step forward into growth or to step back into safety." I choose to grow. What about you?

SOME CHILLING

TEA GARDENS IN BENGAL

HASIMARA RAILWAY STATION

ENJOYING FIRST CLASS AC (THANKS TO MY BROTHER)

VIEW OF GANGA FROM KANPUR BRIDGE

CARRYING 11KG LUGGAGE ON MY BACK AND STILL SMILING