A train journey without ticket, a small trip to police station, Unforgettable experience
This was in year 2005 sometime. We four friends went to a common friend’s sister marriage to a place called Orai. It is around 115 kms from Jhansi. There was no direct train from Bhopal to Orai. So first we had to go Jhansi by train, then get into another train for Orai. While return also, had to follow the same route. We were there in Orai for 2 days. Second day, marriage function finished late in the night, and we had train for Jhansi early morning. There was a connecting train from Jhansi to Bhopal but the gap between arrival of train from Orai and departure for Bhopal was around 45 mins. We thought we would have enough time to reach Jhansi and buy ticket for Bhopal.
We started our journey early morning from Orai and as it was a local train, it was stopping at every small station. Eventually it started getting late for Jhansi. By the time we reached Jhansi, train was around 1 hour late. We lost hope that we would get this train, but while reaching Jhansi railway station, we could see that train just started moving. It was also late around 15 mins. So, we could see it moving on the platform. We immediately ran towards it somehow got into this train.
We were happy as we could catch this train somehow and will reach Bhopal on time. But the problem was, we could not buy tickets. Now we started getting worried. Usually ticket collector would come and ask for ticket and if we could not show, he will fine us or will call police and take us next police station. We got scared like anything. We were praying that ticket collector should not come to our coach as it was general coach, usually crowded, so maybe he will not come.
After some 30 mins, train stopped at a small station named Bijoli. We could see some movement in people here and there. Suddenly somebody shouted, ticket collector is coming. Immediately two of our friends ran towards washroom and locked from inside. We could not find any place to hide and were there at our place only. Our bad luck, TC came and ask first us only in the whole bogey to show our ticket. We were like speech less as we did not had ticket. We told him the whole story, but he did not trust us. He called police constable and asked us to get down from the train.
He took us outside the railway station. It was a small station only. There was a police bus parked. The police constable asked us to get into the bus. We were kind of requesting him continuously that we are not some criminals and as we were about to miss this train, we could not buy ticket. I and one more friend, along with bus full of people like us were asked to sit in the bus.
Now there some magistrate available. So, this police people taking people one by one and producing on front. This magistrate was putting some fine and asking police to collect this fine.
After some time, our turn came. Police constable took us to the magistrate. He asked why you did not buy tickets? You look like belongs to good family, why you are doing such things? Again, we told the whole story. But it did not help to change his mind. He put some fine on us but asked policeman to club with someone else also. So, our fine amount would be shared. The policeman clubbed us with a monk, who also boarded from Jhansi. This monk was repeatedly saying one thing only, the ‘True happiness is in contentment only’. This dialogue we still remember and whenever we both friends meet, we recall this dialogue. Finally, we paid our part of fine, but now did not have any money left. Police gave a receipt for the same.
Now we could use this receipt for our journey further. It was afternoon, we did not eat anything since morning, as we started early from Orai. We waited there for some time for next train to Bhopal. Finally, around 1 hour the train came, and we boarded the train. We reached Bhopal in the evening sometime. This was my first and last train journey without ticket. We decided never to travel again without ticket whatever may be the situation.