On Diwali eve.

I have realized that posts on this blog are arranged in no particular order. Neither chronologcically, nor thought wise. I have been told before that my thoughts are all over the place. I agree that I have a lot of half baked thoughts in this lame excuse for a brain, but I think talking has helped channelize, and aggregate them into another even bigger mass of confusion. But then again, who the fuck cares.... So, here goes another rant that you may not particularly be interested in, but are reading it because you:
[a] Have nothing better to do.
[b] Want to get away from it all.
[c] Love me[ooooh!!!!].
[d] Have nothing worse to do. :D

I was returning home from Pune from Dadar stn. at about 11:00pm, when we had to buy tickets. Since I am the only one who lives on the central line, we needed 1 ticket on that line, and about 4 tickets on the western line. So, I decided to take on the daunting task of standing in the line. After waiting for about 10min, and with just 3 people ahead of me, the ticket issuer decided that it was time for him to leave, and just shut shop and vanished.... grrrrrr.... I decided to keep my cool, and just move on ahead and repeat the whole procedure of standing in the line all over again. This time though, my turn did come, only to find out that this ticket window would issue tickets only for the central line. I bought a ticket for myself, but went back with a small face to tell the others the bad news. By now, I was not only very tired, but was feeling frustrated, angry, and guilty for the fact that the others didn't yet have tickets. Even though it really wasn't my fault, I felt that I would be leaving them out in the cold if I just left them at that point in time. Hence, with a heavy heart, and a clear conscience I went along with them on the Dadar bridge to see if we had any better luck at purchasing tickets.
We reached the ticket window on the bridge only to find out that it was shut. So much for trying to be honest and buying tickets before travelling. We now began the long walk down the bridge[with me knowing that I would have to climb back up and down again] so that we could ping the ticket window below.
On reaching the ticket window below, we found out that that one too was shut.... Now it was a case of when even God wanted them to travel ticketless. Would then succumb to the situation? Would they travel ticketless? Would they fail to purchase tickets, and compensate the railways for their losses? Would they be victorious in their fight against honesty? Well, I found out when I saw two of them climbing yet another bridge in an attempt to find a ticket window and attending staff that would be willing to oblige them. After a while, they returned with guess what!!!! Tickets in their hands, and smiles on their faces. It was as if seeing a pair of mountaineers coming back after conquering a himalayan peak.
Thus, they went their way, and I started my long climb back up the bridge to the train that was supposed to take me back home.
Once in the train, I was speaking to a friend who asked me if everyone was pleased because the following day was Diwali!!!! I was so engrossed in trying to get back home, and the struggle for the tickets that I had absolutely lost track of the people around me, and had failed to notice any such thing even it it did exist. Not that anyone had been explicitly nice to me, but gererally if people around you are in a good mood, then it kinda rubs off on you too. I took a quick glance around me, just to find out that everyone else -- just like me was engrossed in their own little world. I'm sure they too were just eager and relieved that they were finally going home to their near and dear ones.
Anyways, I finally reached my station, and began the short(but what felt like a long) walk back home. It's pretty funny because I used to use the same road for four years in a row when I was in college, but now the roads seemed a bit different now. They seemed to call out to me, and I could notice things about them that I hadn't before. Just as I left the station, a guy walked up to me and seeing the haversack on my back must have thought that I was from out of the city. Probably one of those hitchhikers looking for a cheap place to stay and eat at. [Yes, I do have that cheapo look about me, but let's save that for later]. So, we went on to tell me that he knows a lodge/inn where I can get accomodation for as low as Rs 250/- per day. Since I wasn't looking for any in the first place, I just ignored him, and continued walking. However, he persisted, and went to 200/- and then 150/- and finally 100/-!!!! I was a bit bemused at how fast one can get to less than half the originally quoted rate. When such things happen, you wonder that if you were to strike a deal at that rate, would the other party still be making a wholesome profit? However, I think in such cases I think it's best to have the worth of the material you want to buy pre-decided(at least it's worth or importance to you at that point in time) and the if the other person's quotation is in agreement with what you have thought, give it a go, since you were prepared to compensate the other person that much in the first place. Getting back to the incident, he just kept walking quietly behind me since I was showing no particular interest in any of his supposedly miraculous offerings. Just as I thought that that had died a natural death, he sneaks up to me, and in a very low vice asks me if I am interested in [deleted] (certain mood altering substances). I was quite amused at this since I'm not a doper by any yard stick that one may use. Looking back however, I think that the beard did me in ;-)