Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Hungarian

We were on the way to Paris. The train was wobbling away from Munich at a slumber pace.
As exciting are the train journeys in India; as much boring they are elsewhere.

I realized (sadly) that there was not going to be any 'chaiii chaiiii' (Tea) selling attendant in the train.
I eventually decided to explore around a bit. Took a left and started moving forward (opposite to the direction of the moving train). The doors at the end of each coach were opened on the press of a red button near the side of the door.

After some 5 coaches the next door refused to open completely. I tired some 5-6 times and it opened just one third of the frame.
Can i squeeze through it? Let me see...naa...if only just a little more wide perhaps.
With nothing else to do I went back to my coach for some shut eye.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Woke up around 7.....what happened in the night you ask??? That’s a total new blog entry!!!!

Took a right and continued my search for 'chaii'. Paris was still some 2 hours away. After some 3-4 coaches was obstructed by a lady who was struggling with her luggage. I stood behind her and didn't even mutter as much as an 'excuse me'. (For the pathway was only big enough for one)

After a while she looked back, saw me and apologetically said "Bocsánat" (buchaaarnot?)
 [Pronounced "bochanot", Hungarian word for 'Sorry', 'Excuse me'].
Immediately my mind went to the sitcom "Mind your language" to the character of Zoltan Szabo. Sooo lost in thought at hearing this was I , that I didn't even noticed that the lady was nearly hugging the side of the train and lifting her luggage over her head so as to let me pass.

"Sorry", I said.

"Bocsánat", she repeated.

"That’s what means isn’t it ....Hungarian aren’t you !" and for some strange reason , I made a action on eating when I said this ! (Dunce)

"Bocsánat", she repeated.

"Bocsánat", I beamed (my feet going nowhere).

"barg gargb wubber wubber ding a along" said a man suddenly appearing beside her.

Instinctively, I turned and headed back to my coach. I thought I heard some snickering behind me.
To this day I do NOT know whether I could have got hold of some tea in the later section on the train.

My head was full of Hungary, Bucharest and buchaaarnot, no sooner did I see my friends, I started mumbling

‘You know what just happened.....mind your language ....Hungary ....buchaaarnot.......!'.

The look on their faces and the mismatched wavelength was enough for me to stop my mumbling, though I still remained lost in Hungarian thoughts.

After a while, got up, took the left and wandering ahead. Again crossed some 5 coaches and came to the door that was not opening the night before. What I saw through it made my heart skip more than a couple of beats. That was the last coach of the train and had I managed to squeeze through it last night , I , no doubt would lie clobbered on the tracks on Nantes.

I went close to the door and peered at the fast disappearing tracks outside, my heart was in my foot now.
After gazing through it for a few moments, I recovered slightly and turned back.

As I did so I nearly crashed into a lady coming out of the train restroom. Taken aback, I stumbled backwards towards the door.

Then I saw who that lady was,

"Bocsánat", she said!!!

P.S : She still haunts me .............