Insignificant train journey (part 1)

Part 2

It was a beautiful evening and I started from Egmore in Chennai Express to Mumbai to meet my brother. It was just an usual train travel with nothing unusual or special. I forgot to take my Ipod and I just had one novel with me which I completed in a matter of 3 hours - this made the journey even more boring. But the reason why I still write about it is my co-passengers. 

There were 3 other girls who looked to be in early 20s and there was a guy who also looked to be in early 20s. One elderly man maybe in late 40s along with his family, two ladies in early 40s.

It was time for lunch and then I came to know that the whole compartment was filled with that elderly man's family and they had brought every possible food item and they insisted (actually forced) us to share along with them. The food list started from salads, roti, pappad, paneer butter masala, gobi masala, gulab jamun and the list went on till bananas, apple etc. 

One of the ladies was the headmistress in a school in Andra. And the other lady was a palm reader. She just started palm reading for the Jain family aunt then for the other lady and then for the other 3 girls and then it ended with me. It was interesting, funny and a good time pass. 

All the elderly ones got down in Andra and we the younger ones were left out in the train. We never knew each other's names but then suddenly the talking started and stories started flowing.

The girl1 was working in a MNC in Chennai and she was in love with her cousin. Her cousin was working in Nagpur. Her parents had started searching alliance for that girl so she was going to meet her cousin (who was 2 years younger to her) to explain her scenario, convince him and bring him to talk to her parents. I was asking her whether he parents would accept, why she took such a sudden decision of travelling so far for someone with whom she never had contacts for more than a year, how would he react when she tells all this. She said she was confused regarding the same too but her parents would accept. I urged her to call and inform him that she was coming to see him (on his birthday) and the reason behind the same. She was reluctant at first but did at last and the response from that side was positive. When she got down he was waiting for her in the station (he didn't look like he was younger than her) and they said me bye and thanks because the guy had spoken to their parents by the time she reached.

The girl2 was a Hydrabadi girl studying Engineering final year in Chennai and her engagement was over. Her marriage was to happen the next month and so she was going to the guy's home (In Pune) for the maangalyam shopping and her parents were waiting for her there. She sounded very much excited but she was a little afraid because that palm reader lady said that there might be some issues if she got married this soon. When I asked her why she is bothered about what some one in the train telling her and she replied me by telling that was exactly what her own astrologer said but her parents were not ready to listen to it because of some family rivalry over the assets and if she doesn't get married within that year to that guy they may lose all the assets. I didn't know what to tell her, was simply listening to her concerns and issues.

The girl3's story was even more different and I couldn't comment a word on it
- http://kriti-mylifemyway.blogspot.in/2012/03/why-am-i-like-this.html

The guy who was in the side birth was listening to all the stories which these two girls were telling me and once they both got down, he asked me if he can talk to me. He said he was confused and didn't know whom to trust or what to do. He asked me if he could trust me. I said yes go on. And he also said he didn't feel like telling his name to me neither does he wants to know mine and in that way we would be just stranger. I said ok. And this is where the story starts - the story in an insignificant train journey.