My two-and-a-half year old daughter, perhaps, had the inkling of the trauma that awaited me on way to office on Monday. Just when I was about to leave home, she pointed out that the car keys was on the sofa. “Papa chhabhi (keys) liya nahi,” she asked
. I kissed her on the forehead and replied, “Papa aaj train se office jayega”. It was 12.30 pm. little did I know that it will take me nearly two hours to cover the distance that takes just about 30-35 minutes on normal days.
When I reached Kaushambi Metro Station (on Vaishali-Dwarka line), the audio system announced the arrival of the train. I sprinted to catch the train, but the doors closed before I could make it. I took a deep breath and looked at the message board.
The next train was to arrive seven minutes later. Roughly around 1 pm, a train entered the platform. A frequent Metro rider, I know how to “strategically” position myself so that the gate of the last coach opens just in front of me.
There were a few vacant seats in the last coach, and I was fortunate to get one. The doors closed and the train zoomed past Delhi-UP border to enter Anand Vihar Metro Station. Dozens of passengers with loads of luggage entered my coach. This is a familiar scene as Anand Vihar too has a railway station that caters to East-bound trains.
The train crossed Karkarduma Metro Station and then halted at Preet Vihar — one of the few stations with less footfall on this route. Then, there was a sudden automated announcement: Is yatra seva mein thoda vilamb hoga, asuvidha ke liye hume khed hai. “There will be a short delay to this service, inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.”
The doors remained open for at least 10 minutes. Then came another announcement , asking the passengers to wait for the next announcement.
“Remember, next stations are Nirman Vihar and laxmi Nagar,” a turban clad youth cautioned co-passengers, as he hurled choicest of abuses on the “system”. For those not familiar with this route, Nirman Vihar and laxmi Nagar are the “most dreaded” station on Vaishali-Dwarka route for the sheer number of footfalls.
I took out my BlackBerry. The battery had drained and I was left “alone” in the midst of strangers. The train started and the worst fear came true. People jostled with each other at Nirman Vihar to enter the already jam-packed coach. The train remained stranded for another 10 minutes or so at this station.
My fellow passenger was panicky. He had to reach Chawri Bazar to ‘recover’ a two-year-old due of Rs 60,000 from a businessman there. “Don’t go. I am coming,” he yelled to the person on the other side of the phone line. “You have been making such excuses. One cannot do business like this. I will be there in no time.”
We left Nirman Vihar after some security men pushed back the panicky passengers, who were not allowing to close the door. Before we reached laxmi Nagar, a lady screamed. Someone had stepped on to her toes. "Can't you watch your steps," the lady shouted at a young guy carrying a bag on his back. "Madam, you need to hire a taxi if you need space," he replied.
Shortly after we entered laxmi Nagar station and the turban-clad guy --- who had sounded caution --- started sounding like an astrologer whose prediction had come true. "See, what I had said. Nothing could work in India," he said, pointing at the sea of humanity standing on the platform. Not many of them could board the train. We remained stranded here for another 10 minutes.
Our train and another from Noida entered Yamuna Bank, simultaneously. Some jumped out from our train to board the relatively empty train standing on the other side of the platform. Finally we had some breathing space.
There was not much delay at the next two stations --- Indraprastha and Pragati Maidan --- but the train stopped again before entering Mandi House. An electronic message board just outside my coach read, "Dwarka: 1400".
Then the announcement about a "short delay" was played out again. Two young girls walked out of the coach, cursing the Metro system. Another man sitting next to me started snoring. When we left Mandi House, it was 14.18 pm.
There was no delay at Barakhambha station. But, no sooner did I rise from my seat to get down at Rajiv Chowk, two men jumped to grab that seat. The younger guy was victorious. The other one was left red in his face.
Getting down at Rajiv Chowk was another struggle, as more number of people tried to get in than those who tried to get down. People sprinted to board their next train. This time I walked slowly to avoid a collision in the melee.
The train to Huda City Centre was standing on the platform and I got in to position myself strategically next to the door. "Is this train also running late," a lady asked me. "I would also like to know that," I replied. She did not smile and walked away.
Soon, I was at Patel Chowk. It was around 2.40 pm. When I drank a bottle of water at a shop outside the INS building on Rafi Marg, I saw my journalist friend Shivesh Garg walk towards me. "Metro service was badly hit. I took train from Mayur Vihar and finally gave up at Mandi House. I had to wait quite long for the bus. Then finally took an auto," he told me while trying to gather his breath. It was my time to heave a sigh of relief.