Trip to Digha Part 1

Continued from here

Just like a scene from a Bollywood film, the last bogie of the train chugged away just as we reached the correct platform.

DISASTER!!

The in-laws had never ever missed a train in all these years!! Even my parents had never missed one. In fact my father’s greatest fear and a recurring nightmare is that he is unable to catch a train! MIL was visibly upset. All the ticket money down the drain!!  Thankfully there was another train to Digha at 2 pm. (There are four trains to that place!! )

So D and FIL went and got tickets in the next train. We had lunch at Comesum at Howrah station. Then we waited at the allotted platform for the train. Just 15 mins before departure, there was an announcement that the platform has been changed!!! Somehow Fate was playing tricks to stop us from going!! Again we hurried. Thankfully it was just the next platform. All of us got into the AC Chair Car bogie and took our seats.

The journey was going to take 4 hours. The bogie was empty and our seats were located around a table!  Making use of the table we played ludo. It was great fun! FIL won Then we had “jhaal mudi” and tea being sold by vendors on train. I was looking forward to eating jhaal mudi ever since  we went to Kolkata. MIL had just tea.

Now one important thing here – my MIL hates outside food, be it anything..even tea…be it on roadside or a big restaurant. Unless there is no other option, she avoids eating outside. And I am a foodie who loves eating outside!! And my hunger increase three folds when I travel especially on train. MIL knows I am a foodie but how much – that she doesn’t know yet.

Now D and FIL went to some empty seats to spread themselves and nap. MIL napped sitting right in front of me while I read a novel.

10 mins later.

Coffee guy comes. I look at MIL. She is fast asleep. I buy one and start sipping, making as little sound as possible.

15 mins later.

Fish chop guy comes. My mouth starts watering. I look at MIL. She stirs a little due to the vendor’s shouts. I drop the idea.

15 mins later.

Chowmein guy comes. My stomach growls. I poke D who was sleeping in the seat behind ours. I figured if D eats chowmein too , then the crime would look less severe. But he refused and continued napping. Grrrrrrr!

I looked at MIL. She was fast asleep. I could not resist the temptation anymore. I bought one. But I couldn’t afford to be caught and worse, be told how bad outside food is!!  So I put the big shopper bag between me and MIL. I bent my head down behind the shopper and ate one mouthful after another.

And this way I ate chowmein on train right under my MIL’s nose

I rolled up the aluminium packet into a small ball and slipped it in one of the netted water bottle holders so MIL wouldn’t notice that.

Later, D and FIL woke up. We reached Digha by 6.30 pm and headed for a rickshaw.

To be continued…

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