Another Shady Mumbai Station!

A five-minute walk from my place leads to Koparkhairne station, which connects to all possible routes in order to take me to every part of the city. But I preferred avoiding it in the past two months of my travelling to reach office. I’d rather take a 50 bucks rickshaw and waste 20 mins to reach vashi station stopping at 5 signals on the way and dealing with all that pollution than to walk 5 mins to Koparkhaine station and take a train from there. Sounds ridiculous, I know but there are some things u just can’t help in life. And for someone like me, who avoids taking a path where the ratio of women on men is less than 1:4. Not really because I am anti-men or something. Simply because I’ve got a little cautious in life which is quite obvious for a girl after spending 4 long years in the crime capital of India. Noida! Exactly.

And the very next day after i left my job comes the day of me having to take a train from Koparkhairne station. I had to get to Thane and the only possible route to get there was Koparkhairne to Thane. Running out of options, I gathered all my courage to get to that silly place. Walked to the station taking that route for the 1^st time even though it was at a mere 5mins walking distance from my home. To avoid unwanted attention I dressed up as decently as I could. All the time I was walking, I kept reminding myself how strong a woman I am and with the latest acquired kick-boxing skills I can defeat anyone. Well, it was just made to make myself feel better.

The moment I reached, I was taken aback with the sight of that place, felt like running back on my toes. Not even a Bird cared to flock its wings there. All I could see were 3 Men at the ticket counter. By God’s grace I have a smart card, wait! Actually by Satish’s grace. Satish, was my colleague in JAM and one of the well-wishers who cared to make my travelling safer in Mumbai (especially after me taking repetitive wrong trains). He taught me how smart people in Mumbai use smart-cards to make their ticketing easier, avoiding the long queues on ticket counters. In this case I was grateful to him that I could avoid standing behind those 3 Doped-looking Men (All three friends for sure).

Very smartly like smart Mumbai people I used my smart-card to print a ticket for myself. I rushed towards the platform expecting some population therein. The way to platform was a rather shady looking passage. The tunnel shaped structure was dark enough and the station authorities didn’t even care to keep the lights switched on. I ran out of my breadth as soon as I entered that thing, whatever it was supposed to be. I somehow thankfully managed to get to the correct platform alive, which for sure was questionable after entering that tunnel shaped thing with no lights.

It still didn’t get any better. The platform comprised of 7 Men in all and 1 policeman for security. Why policeman, why not a police-woman? God only knows what happened to all the women in the world!

The platform had two train-tracks on either side. With no-indicators working I was only left with an option to ask for the right train. I preferred asking that uniform-clad policeman trusting him for my security. This was all I could do that time. He indicated me to one of the sides where the Thane train was supposed to come. I waited with great patience, expecting the train to arrive as a rescue operation for me. Never felt that trapped all my life. Even if I tried to leave that place I’d have to go through that shady passage which was more than a nightmare. So I decided to act unaffected of the surrounding and wait for the train with no idea about the train’s timing. After a long wait of 20 mins I saw train coming on that track coming towards me.

Ah! That was a sigh of relief.

I can still feel it with the same intensity. The sight of the train felt exactly like ‘finding yourself alive with a life saving jacket after a plane-crash’ (exaggerated though but best describes my feelings at that moment). I quickly got into the women’s compartment. I felt so relieved finding myself between women. I just fell onto a seat silently, kind of not responding to anything around.

I didn’t know even if I felt something till the time I saw everyone getting off the train and found out I’d reached Thane station.

Mission Koparkhairne station successful!

Swear on my Alex (My all time buddy, My teddy!), I would never take that station ever, even if it’s about life or death or whatsoever for that matter.