the train will not move until the station master has had his biryani
In search of Biryani at Cuddapah railway station
Bade Naidu and Chote Naidu were at what they did the best as always. They were seated at Cuddapah railway station watching the long-distance trains go by through the day and night. They were fascinated by the arrival of these trains and hustle and bustle of people running about on the platform. They just sat on a cement bench and watched. They had no other life but this isolation amidst the crowds delighted them.
On one such day, nearing dusk, the Bombay-Madras Express stopped on its southward journey. An obvious city fellow came running up to them and asked, "Biryani? Where? Where?" Bade Naidu pointed towards the very easily seen display board of the railway canteen and said, "Biryani! There! There!"
The man ran towards the canteen.
Chote Naidu stood up, very upset. He said, "Abhi kya karen so dekho tum! Now you have spoilt it for us. I never knew that there was a railway canteen very nearby and that we could get biryani! We could have sat here, eating biryani and continue doing nothing else!"
Bade Naidu exclaimed, "Main bhi abhich dekho karen! That passenger asked for Biryani and I looked around and spotted the display board. I had never seen it earlier."
[27 May 2019]
chilled beer on long distance train from Cuddapah to Guntakal
It was a very hot and extremely sultry day in Cuddapah, as always. Bade Naidu and Chote Naidu were at their usual cement bench at the Cuddapah railway station, doing nothing and watching the long distance trains arrive and depart. It was too hot to even comment on the various passengers who would rush out of their respective train compartments to purchase eatables or cold drinks.
They noticed a rather different looking vendor, someone who had not been seen earlier. The vendor had come to sit alongside them. He had alighted from the Down train that came in from Guntakal and was about to board an Up train going from Madras to Guntakal. He was taking vending requests from passengers, very secretively, near the air-conditioned compartments and passing on the chits of paper to his helpers who were waiting for him at the railway platform.
Very soon they realized that the vendor was taking orders for supply of chilled beer bottles to select clients in the air-conditioned compartments. The supply boys were operating as single persons and thus the vigilance or railway police staff could not track them or catch them at their work.
Bade Naidu heard the vendor assure a client that he could also supply ice cubes in a plastic packet and that they would last longer inside the air-conditioned compartment. The vendors also assured the clients that he would personally pick up the bottles and dispose of them safely before they reached Guntakal, which was a four-hour westward journey.
Chote Naidu remarked lazily, “Arre, dekho kitna progress hai. Air-conditioned compartments will not get wasted in the afternoon. At least some passengers will be able to enjoy their chilled beer even if it is not legal or permitted. This man is doing social service, na?”
Bade Naidu was very dismissive. “Kya social service, re? Beer waste hota. He should also serve biryani and boiled eggs with the beer. Aisa hota tho, we could also travel to Guntakal and return daily. It’s too hot to have biryani here, in this sultry platform. I am getting very hungry and thirsty, sitting here daily, doing nothing.”
[29 May 2019]
the many arguments at Cuddapah Railway Station
There seemed to be some sort of an argument or a fight going on in front of a 2AC compartment of the Chennai Mumbai express at Cuddapah railway station. All and sundry were rushing or walking across to stand around the ticket collector and the arguing passengers. They would not be contributing anything to the argument but there was nothing else to do at this midnight hour.
“This is one of the most important trains that passes through Cuddapah
railway station, the one from somewhere in North India to Kanya Kumari,” said
Bade Naidu as a matter of fact. Chote Naidu heard him in silence, for he knew
it to be true and there was no purpose in arguing that point. It would have
been too much of an effort for the two of them to discuss something so unnecessary
while they sat, as usual, at their regular cement bench in front of the
non-vegetarian restaurant on Platform No. 1 of the Cuddapah Railway Junction.
The train was obviously late and
had now been taken off the morning routine of the other trains that were
running on time from Guntakal to Renigunta via Cuddapah. This Kanya Kumari
train would be allowed to leave after an hour to avoid delaying the other
trains. The passengers were moving about, lost and wondering, curious and the
not-so-curious travellers trying to figure out any useful aspect at the
Cuddapah platform. This railway station was very unlike the ones that they were
usually familiar with and did not have the regular gang of vendors that they
knew from the ones in north India. There was nothing here that could be sought
after for the north Indian passengers. The ones returning to South India were
much at home and went rushing about getting parcels of idli-vada and masala
dosa, curd rice, pongal plus chutney and tamarind rice. The well prepared South
Indian passengers were also busy getting their thermos flasks filled up with
filter coffee and the local excellently brewed tea.
An obviously hassled North Indian
gentleman came up to Bade Naidu and Chote Naidu and made himself comfortable on
the cement bench that they were seated in. He had a shoulder bag containing a
bunch of newspapers, magazines and two plastic water bottles. He placed this
bag on the cement bench and looked pleadingly at Bade Naidu. “Janaab! Can you help me? I have to rush to
the telegraph office to send a telegram from this railway junction. My train is
delayed and I have to inform ahead at Madurai that I will be late for the
interview that I am to attend.”
Bade Naidu nodded lazily. But
notwithstanding the acceptance, was inherently curious as was his nature. “What would you have me do? The telegraph
office is right there, within twenty metres from here. Subbanna, the telegram
man will be there. He is always there. He will help you. He knows some English
also and some Hindi. He pretends to, but he makes do. Do not worry.”
The northerner gestured anxiously.
“No! No! I do not need help with the
telegramwallah. I am worried that the train will suddenly pull out. Can you
call out if the train gives a signal that it is about to leave? I am very
scared. I will lose the interview if I do not get on the train.”
“Arre, tum daro mat. Do not be scared.” Chote Naidu stood up and
pointed at the station master and the railway signal guard. “See, those two are the ones who will give
the signal. The train will not move until then. They are just now, see, they are
just now going to the dining hall. Woh biryani wallah hall hai. Non vegetarian
biryani milta wahan. That is a dining hall that serves Biryani. You can get non
vegetarian Biryani there. They will not come out for another forty minutes. We
know. Your train cannot move until they finish their Biryani.”
13 October 2019
In search of Biryani at Cuddapah railway station
Bade Naidu and Chote Naidu were at what they did the best as always. They were seated at Cuddapah railway station watching the long-distance trains go by through the day and night. They were fascinated by the arrival of these trains and hustle and bustle of people running about on the platform. They just sat on a cement bench and watched. They had no other life but this isolation amidst the crowds delighted them.
On one such day, nearing dusk, the Bombay-Madras Express stopped on its southward journey. An obvious city fellow came running up to them and asked, "Biryani? Where? Where?" Bade Naidu pointed towards the very easily seen display board of the railway canteen and said, "Biryani! There! There!"
The man ran towards the canteen.
Chote Naidu stood up, very upset. He said, "Abhi kya karen so dekho tum! Now you have spoilt it for us. I never knew that there was a railway canteen very nearby and that we could get biryani! We could have sat here, eating biryani and continue doing nothing else!"
Bade Naidu exclaimed, "Main bhi abhich dekho karen! That passenger asked for Biryani and I looked around and spotted the display board. I had never seen it earlier."
[27 May 2019]
chilled beer on long distance train from Cuddapah to Guntakal
It was a very hot and extremely sultry day in Cuddapah, as always. Bade Naidu and Chote Naidu were at their usual cement bench at the Cuddapah railway station, doing nothing and watching the long distance trains arrive and depart. It was too hot to even comment on the various passengers who would rush out of their respective train compartments to purchase eatables or cold drinks.
They noticed a rather different looking vendor, someone who had not been seen earlier. The vendor had come to sit alongside them. He had alighted from the Down train that came in from Guntakal and was about to board an Up train going from Madras to Guntakal. He was taking vending requests from passengers, very secretively, near the air-conditioned compartments and passing on the chits of paper to his helpers who were waiting for him at the railway platform.
Very soon they realized that the vendor was taking orders for supply of chilled beer bottles to select clients in the air-conditioned compartments. The supply boys were operating as single persons and thus the vigilance or railway police staff could not track them or catch them at their work.
Bade Naidu heard the vendor assure a client that he could also supply ice cubes in a plastic packet and that they would last longer inside the air-conditioned compartment. The vendors also assured the clients that he would personally pick up the bottles and dispose of them safely before they reached Guntakal, which was a four-hour westward journey.
Chote Naidu remarked lazily, “Arre, dekho kitna progress hai. Air-conditioned compartments will not get wasted in the afternoon. At least some passengers will be able to enjoy their chilled beer even if it is not legal or permitted. This man is doing social service, na?”
Bade Naidu was very dismissive. “Kya social service, re? Beer waste hota. He should also serve biryani and boiled eggs with the beer. Aisa hota tho, we could also travel to Guntakal and return daily. It’s too hot to have biryani here, in this sultry platform. I am getting very hungry and thirsty, sitting here daily, doing nothing.”
[29 May 2019]
the many arguments at Cuddapah Railway Station
There seemed to be some sort of an argument or a fight going on in front of a 2AC compartment of the Chennai Mumbai express at Cuddapah railway station. All and sundry were rushing or walking across to stand around the ticket collector and the arguing passengers. They would not be contributing anything to the argument but there was nothing else to do at this midnight hour.
That was not so with Bade Naidu and Chote Naidu who were seated as always at their regular cement bench in front of the non-vegetarian railway restaurant on Platform No. 1 of the Cuddapah Railway Junction. Watching the argument and the growing crowd from this distance of more than 50 meters also seemed like too much of an effort for them.
They waited until one of the onlookers had returned from the argument and sat on the cement bench alongside them. Bade Naidu looked at the ex-onlooker enquiringly. The traveler started talking voluntarily, wanting to get it all out.
"It was all about the delay in the train journey north from Renigunta. The passengers wanted to change trains at Guntakal and now they would miss their connection. They wanted the ticket collector to write the delay remarks on their railway tickets. The TC refused since it was not his problem. They could ask the Station Master at Guntakal."
Chote Naidu remarked, lazily, to Bade Naidu. "Woh kabich kabich travel karte so. They must be occasional travelers. I can tell you about a bigger fight and argument between passengers of another train and the TC at Cuddapah. It's a long story. Mehnat hai, story bataane mein. It will take a lot of effort to tell you the story."
Bade Naidu was upset. "Phir kyon zikhar kiye tum? Then why did you remark so? Now, this traveler will be consumed by curiosity."
He turned to the traveler and pointed at the non-vegetarian restaurant behind them. "Wahan Biryani milte, garam. You can get hot Biryani there. Get some for you and some for us. I will tell you the story. Such fights are daily here, at Cuddapah, but let us talk of them while eating biryani."
They waited until one of the onlookers had returned from the argument and sat on the cement bench alongside them. Bade Naidu looked at the ex-onlooker enquiringly. The traveler started talking voluntarily, wanting to get it all out.
"It was all about the delay in the train journey north from Renigunta. The passengers wanted to change trains at Guntakal and now they would miss their connection. They wanted the ticket collector to write the delay remarks on their railway tickets. The TC refused since it was not his problem. They could ask the Station Master at Guntakal."
Chote Naidu remarked, lazily, to Bade Naidu. "Woh kabich kabich travel karte so. They must be occasional travelers. I can tell you about a bigger fight and argument between passengers of another train and the TC at Cuddapah. It's a long story. Mehnat hai, story bataane mein. It will take a lot of effort to tell you the story."
Bade Naidu was upset. "Phir kyon zikhar kiye tum? Then why did you remark so? Now, this traveler will be consumed by curiosity."
He turned to the traveler and pointed at the non-vegetarian restaurant behind them. "Wahan Biryani milte, garam. You can get hot Biryani there. Get some for you and some for us. I will tell you the story. Such fights are daily here, at Cuddapah, but let us talk of them while eating biryani."
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