FIRST PART OF MY CHANDIGARH TRIP REPORT
Travelled in 12301 HWH-NDLS Rajdhani Express with my wife by 3AC on 2nd Dec en route to Chandigarh to attend the wedding of her sister’s son. A marriage symbolising national integration of sorts between a Tamil Brahmin groom and a Punjabi Arya Samaji bride. Many of our relatives from the groom’s side did ask the bride “ Tamil teriyumma (sounding closely like TERIMAA) but fortunately she did not respond angrily by saying “Arey oh, fir Punjabi TERA BAAP HAI” 
>The train left Howrah with...
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an extra 3AC coach bang on time at 16.55 and hit full throttle even before it crossed Dankuni (20 kms). Little wonder that we crossed Burdwan at 18.00 hrs (95 kms in 65 mns) before it halted there for 5 mns, the first time in at least 10 trips of mine by this train.
> Later on enquiry I came to know that a senior citizen who had boarded the train at Howrah, hale and hearty, at 16.55, had passed away in between of a massive cardiac arrest. The train made an unscheduled stop at Burdwan so that his body could be lowered. How sad ? May his soul rest in peace.
>The train with LHB coaches and a GZB WAP7 was spick and span with clean toilets. Good food and pantry service and pest-free too. No cockroaches, mice etc. for company.
> A highlight was the LED boards at both ends of all coaches displaying details of the passing station, the distance traversed and other sundry messages of caution.
> Another innovation was a MASTER CONSOLE BOARD above the wash basin indicating the passing station, the name and timing of the next halt and the present speed of the train which never exceeded the prescribed MPS of 130 kmph. Little wonder therefore that I spent almost the entire evening perched on the small seat meant for the AC mechanic near the toilet watching the MASTER CONSOLE BOARD and also helping senior citizens, especially ladies, who were unable to fathom the mechanism of opening the toilet doors of the LHB coach.
> A welcome tea followed by tea and evening snacks. And after the first halt at Dhanbad at 20.00 hrs, the customary tomato soup as a precursor to dinner. There was a bit of a faux pas at dinner. As is now usual, I opted for a veg dinner while my wife close to have egg curry. Suddenly my wife handed over to me a rather suspicious looking object and asked me what it was as she was unfamiliar with the smell. I took a bite and said “ Let me keep it or rather eat it and you can instead take my PANEER CUTLET”. The offending object was the ubiquitous FISH FRY, a source of culinary delight to Bengalis. My wife is a very STRICT EGITARIAN whereas I am a PART-TIME NON-VEGETARIAN.
> We confronted the pantry car staff and they came up with a bizarre explanation. According to them, the IRCTC menu for Rajdhani offered a choice for non-vegetarians between chicken curry OR egg curry/fish fry. If anyone chose to have EGG CURRY, then FISH FRY formed part of the package. Apparently they did not recognize EGGITARIANS as a separate SPECIES of travellers.
> I continued to occupy the AC mechanic’s seat till the train departed from GAYA at 22.45, more or less on time. After that it was time to hit the BED or rather the BERTH.
> The next day morning started with bed tea and a sumptuous breakfast with 2 free extra slices of bread on demand as we had planned to skip lunch on the second lap of the journey.
> Arrived at NDLS just 15 mns late at 10.10 am as against the STA of 9.55.
To be continued………..