To Pune in Train - June 2018

Finally got to live the childhood train travel again – Thanks to Saroja, could go to Pune on the 15th of June in train reaching there on 16th morning, be there that day, and returning the same night via train.



The thrill of finding our names in the list, Getting into the upper berth and enjoying swinging and sleeping-secretly looking at people going around, and TT asking looking at my length is that a male of female; a mandatory game of hide and seek with my chappals as we get down; the sweet alarm that sang – ‘Chai, chai, garam chai’, window view worth fighting for though we have booked upper berth – looking at various rivers overflowing, windows with no bars and drizzling rain entering in, putting paste on brush in the moving train, checking weight, our wobbly knees between two bobbing compartments, the book station on the platform and all its irresistible comics, tasting various local food and buying things for people back home, getting down at each station and clicking selfi – being at Madgao/Kandala/Lonavala; clicking pics and sharing in the Thrimorthi group – were all fun, with Jisha's remarks like:

Londa junction mein wo peeche wala londa pataya kya?😂
Nice! 👌🏼😊 Par please ruki Hui train par hi stunts Karna! 😜 Saroja...Zara nazar rakhna....
Nahi we r talking abt shadi😂
Wo theek hai. Par jab ghoomne jaayegi to mujhe bhi le jaana padega. " pati, patni aur woh" 😜😄😄

Jisha was virtually travelling with us.


Pune kha Raja Suraj and his family played a perfect host, took as around, prepared yummy food, arranged a two wheeler for us to go around; and we selected the third house that we saw, which saved our day. All could see the office, Earwada jail and schools. So we could go to meet Rajshree –wow. Finally could meet her after almost 20 years. She was now married and mother of two sons. Could try most of the food from the wish list too – Vada pav, sabudana vada, bakri, and Pav Bhaji all in a day – though had to break my timings.



Wishing Saroja’s actual stay in Pune is as eventful and happy – and we are able to go and meet her often.

Jisha was greatly missed all through the trip.