Pain a Day Gain a Life

8/3/2019 Pain a Day Gain a Life

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It's pain now and gain life long

8:10 AM both the trains are destined for Mumbai one is via Allahabad while the other

one is via Nagpur. The Kolkata Mumbai Duronto express is about to leave from

Platform no:21. My fellow passenger came running & entered the A1 compartment.

After sitting on my front seat he was panting for breath. The taxi driver dropped himwrongly at the eastern railway platforms whereas his train was due from South eastern

railway platform. Inwardly he was still cursing the little known taxi driver for causing

this extra running from ER to SE platform.

Meanwhile the train started moving. The passengers getting settled for the next 26 hours

non stop journey to Mumbai. Now I have a close look to my fellow passenger. He is a

35+ angry young man, smart and from the English pronunciation he seem to be convent

educated. Ever since he has entered the compartment he is continuously speaking in his

pair of mobile phones. Most of the conversation is one way and our man is shouting for

the mistakes committed by the other end. He must be a very tough task master.

Since train is non stop upto Mumbai the Ticket checkers are not in hurry to check the

tickets. The first TT came after Khragpur at 9:45 AM. The angry man meanwhile

cursing the catering staff for not giving him snacks. The TT checked the tickets, at his

ticket he told him that his ticket was not valid for this train Duronto Express.

'What nonsense ? See this is A1 and berth no 5' , protested the man with his print out.

'But it's not for this train, the other train that left same time from the eastern railwayplatform and that goes via Allahabad', the TT explained coolly .

See the train number yourself, The TT is now on offensive mode.

The man apparently got very angry and upset at the stark reality revealed by the TT.

I took the ticket from him and found what the TT had said was right. The ticket was for

the 'Kolkata-Mumbai special train on the same date at same time.

Suddenly the color from his face was turned away and with a frown face he sat down onthe seat. His pair of phones buzzing continuously but he briskly cut them all. The TT

now failed to get a puzzled response from the man tried his next level of pressurization

technique threatening.


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Please vacate this seat & get down at Tatanagar , The TT told the man sternly.

The man now really looked very upset and started biting his nail. Seeing opportunity the

other passengers now started giving him free advices , as if like vultures they were

eagerly waiting for the final word from the TT. With pleasure now they started tellinghim what he should have done & should not have done before boarding the train. Their

eyes looked like that of hyena glowing in the dark.

It clearly shows the mediocre mentality of these poor passengers. I promptly discarded

them and asked the TT if he could manage another ticket for the poor fellow. The man

certainly now looked very distraught but he did not pursue the TT with me. So I stopped

mid way and asked the man to pursue with the TT for another ticket if he likes.

The man now got up and went in the direction of the TT. After half an hour he came

back and sat down.

'What did he say ?' , I poked my nose.

'He is asking for RS:3500 all inclusive , I don't have so much cash with me now', he said

ruefully.

Don't worry, you are coming to Mumbai ?, I have money, take it from me now and after

reaching Mumbai you return, I tried to be straight-forward.

I'm certainly very grateful for your kind hearted nature, Sir. Please give me some timeto think , He is no longer an angry man now.

After half an hour he got up , packed his luggage and was about to move out of the

compartment.

So what did you decide , I am a habitual intruder...

Sir, I must get off at Tatanagar now because this is not just a mistake, this is a lesson

for my life and I must feel the pain now to get the mistake rectified for whole life , He

is very poised now.

Anything serious ? , I asked like a stupid.

Yes , All my life I have searched for others fault and emotionally I have thrived on

theirs mistakes. My teammates never liked me as a good project leader but they still

followed me as they don't have other choice and I continuously digged out their

mistakes and made their life hell. Of course we all have thrived very generously as


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software engineers but only now I have felt how miserable I've made their life. Now I

have made a mistake of my own. I must feel how bad it feels and worse still how bad it

feels if pointed out by others , He said at a stretch.

Ok, if you think so, but what you will do at Tatanager, I am still curious.

I will find out a way back to kolkata. Then I will catch a flight to Mumbai, He was

very poised now.

The train was approaching Tatanager .

Ok, one last question, How do I fit myself in this life story of yours? , I was curious.

Well, Sir, you are like my real well wishers , who really loves me and likes to see me

happy & comfortable, he told very gracefully.

It's because of people like you I'm what I'm but I instead went after finding faults . I

need to change this attitude for ever. I need to feel it intensely to get it over for ever. ,

He was holding my hand now. We exchanged our cards.

As I saw him off at Tatanagar station I find tears in his eyes.

Next day at 9 AM he called me and told that he had landed Mumbai airport.

So, what was the total cost of the mistake?, I am curious.

Little less than 10K but the gains are life long, I assure you, Subhas replied jokingly.

Few months later he called me again and told me that he is no longer having that fault

finding attitude and he is becoming a wanted project leader among team members. He

then invited me for joining him as special guest at a project kick-off party at hotel Leela.

So that I can check him out on my own...

I have to decide now...

S. Bera

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Pain a Day Gain a Life