Surviving to carry on

Nobody can be blamed for this. But it was a question of life and death. On 3rd of July when we were returning from Patiyali, we met with an accident near Sikandara Rau. The vehicle, as is usual, a borrowed one, was moving at a speed of around 90kmph when from nowhere a neelgai (Indian Bluebuck) appeared in front of the vehicle at a meanacing speed.

We collided head on while the neel gai took it side on. Shahid, Gyanendra Mishraji and Sanjay woke up to the reality that was an accident. Shahid smiled and said his affair with Neelgai continues. ( Remember neelgai had kissed the Innova in Jan when Shahid was travelling with Prabhat Bhai).

The stability Innova has as a vehicle saved us for the day. The vehicle was badly damaged, and is yet to get back on road. The journey became quite eventful after that. Gyanendra bhai arranged an Indica from a near by village ( we are impressed Gyanendra Bhai) and we were driven back to Aligarh.

Sabir was waiting at Aligarh with a railway ticket so that we could board Shatabdi. But that was not to be, as we reached five minutes late. We purchased a ticket for Neelanchal Express, and in true Railway tradition it kept on getting delayed. In the mean time Bhaskar who had left for the accident spot joined us at the station. He had met Babu the driver and found that the vehicle could be driven back to Delhi at a slow speed.

Neelanchal never came. We had Mahananda rolling in instead at 2130. Mahananda has a bad reputation for punctuality. Word was exchanged with Rahul Agarwal who told us that after Aligarh all trains are same. One is rarely given a precedence over the other. So we should board whatever is coming earlier in point of time. And that is how we boarded Mahananda.

Having boarded we realised Mahananda doesn't go to New Delhi railway station and it terminates at Old Delhi instead. Himanshu had been requested to pick us up from New Delhi, and Sanjay had requested someone to drop him at Vasant Kunj. All these requests had to be cancelled. Karunendra's presence at Ghaziabad prompted us to get down there. Always ready to help us in crisis he took no time in sending us the vehicle and we finally reached our places by 115 and 2 AM.

The wait was tiresome and frustrating. Only consolation was that Neelanchal didnt overtake us. The Ghevar Udairaj had handed us over at Kasganj helped us fight the pangs of hunger. Those who have not tasted Lala Roshan Laji's famous sweets are invited to join the journey and relish the delicacies.

We are alive and kicking। The stuggle is on. All are welcome on board.

जो घर फूंके आपनो सो चले हमारे साथ।

Team Anubhuti