Middle Berth Conundrum

Unlike football field the middle portion of the berth in Indian trains are not the favorite piece for the travellers but it does contribute in orchestrating the drama in a train journey. 

When I entered the train 5mins before the journey started, little did I know about the fun waiting for me. I had to rush from office to get home, grab my things and get into the metro station. No appreciation is ever enough when we talk about the metro trains which are also feeders for the long distance train stations which was my first destination. I just can’t stop admiring how metro flies above the normal roads on those metal tracks like a king when the whole city is stuck in traffic going nowhere. Metro keeps gliding carrying a big chunk of office goers back to their little abode across the town. I didn’t want to miss my train back home and was continuously running various complicated algorithms on my mind based on various time sensitive parameters on how to make it on time. Long story short with good amount of calculated guesses and quick decision making, I did get into the train to Kochi from Bangalore.

Little bit about this train would give you clarity about the train layout which plays a pivotal role in this story. This train often mocked as poor man’s chariot, has a layout of 3 berths and yes even on sides which normally has only side lower and upper. I was prepared for the first surprise that even though it was the layout as I said above for a decade it had changed a bit and no more berths on the side middle. Earlier a day back I had cursed my bad luck in getting the side middle during the Tatkal ticket booking, my colleagues and family who had traveled recently in this train did tell me about the new formation our railway football manager is playing. Interestingly enough, nobody else in my compartment know about it which made me start off from a pedestal. 

I had entered the train running in gasping for breath after taking the stairs and hopping through platforms as nowhere it was written or my eyes managed to skip it with all the fuming algorithms already running from metro train and beyond to make me reach the “Garib Rath” on time. I took a full minute for myself to get back to my normal heart rate attested by Fitbit. I could hear everyone wondering whether they are in the right train as this one is well lit with no side middle while the earlier one was a shadowy dungeon compared to new chariot. Few of them asked me to clarify when they saw I was not awestruck seeing the train like others. When I noticed that instead of the allotted side middle where no air reaches in case you need to breathe to stay alive but every passerby’s breath reaches effortlessly with an occasional touch, I won myself the much coveted lower berth. I was prepared for next half of this game. I proclaimed let’s just play by the books and follow the seat numbers we have. My intentions were genuinely selfish and I am sure everyone understood that as the very next question was which was my berth. When I said it’s lower people started complaining that they had booked lower months back but now they found themselves allocated the upper or middle berth. 

One middle aged lady was most upset in particular, but she kept faith in the system. She insisted let’s talk to the TTR who is the designated referee for this game called train journey. Others started their sob stories leading to the main part which explained why they can’t sleep in the middle or upper. I knew TTR can’t change the berth for whole train and playing by books, I started preparing the berth to sleep. This led to a protest lead by folks who wanted to get those lower berths at any cost. Trust me, these were not the needy ones but greedy for sure. Rest of group which was around 7 people reasoned with me to wait to prepare the bed until TTR settles this. I had by now started to enjoy the game as now that side middle is ruled out, I was okay for any berth but did wanted to enjoy whatever was in store. I continued preparing berth which I know is not a popular action after the confusions in the coach. I was wondering this problem that we are discussing is definitely there for the whole train but my coach and particularly my berth area there was this agitation. 

Many of them had settled down in seats and was now waiting for the arrival of TTR while I was the only one settled in the berth all set to sleep. As I had forgotten my book at home, and didn’t want to keep watching mobile, I had decided to sleep as soon as possible to be fresh for the next day. Many had brought dinner and some got tea from the train and were busy with their regular routine of spilling and contaminating the train. Being in a new train definitely would have motivated some and some might have felt at home and hence the need to not keep it clean. As there are no regular cleaners and my problem with cleanliness, I did some volunteering to clean up the mess around me. I had gone to throw the cups that others threw around where I was seated, and TTR arrived exactly then. By the time I was back I understood TTR had almost given up explaining in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English in that order. He asked me which one was mine for which I replied with the number and I noticed every one else chose to say berth allotted too with the number. Like kids saying their division too when others ask which class are you in. The officer of railways once again said, all the allotted berths are not relevant and you need to follow number and if you want a change, you can discuss among yourselves or I can come back and tell you where free berths are there so you can use. While others continued to show their disagreement, I got into my lower berth, lying down on side keeping my eyes fixated on the wooden walls on the train. TTR was long gone but the negotiations still continued and I don’t know when I dozed off but when I woke up the lady who had told will wait for TTR had managed to get the only other lower berth in that area and the young man who had got it was now enjoying a good nights sleep on the upper berth.

We all wished each other in the morning as we were all together on a picnic. Few of them got down before me and I am sure when they all look back, they would laugh about the evening drama. And we all know this is not a rare sight but it keeps repeating every night in every train in some way or other. The love for lower berth continues in every Indian train travelers except for kids who loves upper berth. Until Indian government comes up with all lower berth trains which is something that will never happen considering the population, this story will repeat and keep our lives fun filled.