Konkan Diaries!

I sneaked past the security guy, as I had no ID that day and entered along with a friend of mine. “What? A whole week?”, said I as we rushed to 9 am lecture at 9.20.
A week long hols with weekends attached to both the ends that stretched it enough to accommodate a mini vacation was in the sight now!
The Innova turned at the curb as we reached Dadar Terminus in the wee hours of the day. I was the man of the moment as I had successfully booked an Uber at 3 in the morning from Bandra!
The train swept past a drowsy Mumbai, as our fellow travellers bundled in warm clothes with the ACs working at full blast.
About 2 hours into the journey, we were now outside the metropolis and the landscapes changed!
The buildings with caliginous windows were replaced with the mighty Sahyadris, which were kissed by the grey clouds that loomed over it . The stagnant drainages were gone and roaring rivers with foaming water gushing through it met us!
Cousin’s DSLR and the mobile network worked only at pit-stops we regularly made owing to the single track that ran along one of most toughest terrain, The Konkan Coast . Other times were spent sipping hot coffee and munching on some foiled food, courtesy of the Konkan Railway!

Gliding through the districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri having gone by ear-deafening electrified tunnels some as long as 4km and towering bridges overlooking abysmal valleys, which included the third highest viaduct in Asia, the train entered Sindhudurg. We detrained as the hour hand had completed a full circle and I looked over our compartment.

This was the same thing that was stationed at Dadar, that went through all the tunnels and bridges and picturesque green fields, all the bright sunshine and the gloomy dark rains and still stands before us, undeterred, unchanged! The usual argument-Animate object with no feelings and cravings! But at that moment, I so wished the living would had this ability!
The ability to go through all that is unpredicted, uncalled for, unpleasant at times with the same mindset. Digging too much into absurdity? Maybe! But that did compelled me to think- What good do these hard times do? I mean why do they even exist? Then the train started, and that gave me a slight glimmer!
We gotta keep going!
And if not for the hard, unpleasant times, we would lose the importance and significance of the good times!
I pulled out the handles of the bags while the engine blew the whistle at the far end. The smoke emerged and engulfed the evening sun before starting to roll its wheels as the train headed towards Goa and I to my destination, rolling the wheels of my bag…