Dear, Railway has to be run on tracks…!!!

My journeys on the train known as Life Line of India – are countable on
fingers as I have not travelled too much, especially since the purchase of
my car in the 90s. But sometimes I have to travel a long distance, say
more than one hours’ journey, I prefer to go by train as it is more
comfortable, convenient particularly in the old age when you face the
number of physical problems.
For short distance travelling on the train, one has to board in the general
category compartment and even in mail trains, there is unreserved
compartment to accommodate the general public to travel without any
reservation.
A few months back, I had to visit Bathinda – a two hours journey from
my hometown Ferozepur – for putting my thumb on the biometric device
to link with the family pension from Provident Fund office as a proof
that I am still alive.
It happened so that at the second station, there was a raid by Ticket
Checkers in a group of around ten officials and I felt frightened when he
demanded from the other two co-passengers a fine of Rs. Six hundred.
Despite making a number of excuses like that we have boarded hurriedly
when the train has just started from the station, to which the checking
team refuted that since you boarded from Ferozepur. One of them said
you could have changed at the next station and ultimately, the couple
had to pay the fine and there was no bargaining by the young inspecting
officials of the railways, well dressed in their hard thirties.
But Thank God! I was not asked for the ticket, perhaps presuming that I
might have the reservation as kept myself busy on my laptop finalizing
for my write-up for the newspaper, magazines lying on my left-hand side
and beautiful bag on my right side.
Frankly speaking, travelling without reservation is risky even for small
journeys. I was so petrified, worried and horrified by the last incident of
raid by the TCs – Ticket Checkers that during my next visit for the same
purpose to prove myself as alive in the Provident Fund office at
Bhatinda, I boarded the general category compartment which was too
dirty lying the waste material, empty bottles, buds and giving a foul
smell.
I had hardly sat there for ten minutes and the moment I thought of
travelling by bus or shifting to the Sleeper coaches by paying the fine,
the checker’s team entered the general category compartment and
nabbed few passengers without the ticket. Meanwhile, they shouted
loudly to other passengers to show the tickets. But this time, I was
confident by travelling in the general compartment with the valid ticket.
I, however, asked the TC, if I could sit in the sleeper coach and get an
instant reservation. He agreed and issued me the reservation slip for
Rs.100 with a word, Uncle, it is a good decision, and otherwise, you
would have been charged ten times of the ticket if caught unreserved in
the reserved compartment.
However, after issuing the reserved ticket I shifted to the reserved
compartment, where TCs came and one of them recognized me and other
one said, Sir, he has purchased the reserved ticket. Then he said you
could have given a reference but I said, “Dear, Railway has to be run on
tracks”. To which he said, Uncle, thanks for helping the Line of India.