THe road less travelled by Puneet Rajhans

THe road less travelled

Having endured a good deal of physical movement in the past few days, including two consecutive visits to the outer periphery of the city, Shankar Pally (110 kms up and down), i decided to pull myself away from this energy sapping module. What these two consecutive visits meant was a drain on resources and a long outing in the sun drenched fields that couldn't bring me any closer to the pursuit i was committed to. THe academic interest all but lost, the best course was to change the tack. A good tiding the twin city roads brought didn’t dilute my tryst with a different set of wheels.
The following day boarded a train, with familiar tales of pity and permeating down the order looking inevitable. As the train pulled out of Sec'bad, the different approaches to the station wore a confident, tidy look as commuters waited for their next local. The serendipity of discovering the state one desired for had begun to get settled. A landscape no different from the one in Chennai, the bout with a large number of small stations was there as was the punishing schedule to lay motionless at every such spot.
Stations, big and small, have a life of its own, notwithstanding the commotion and clamour that these points of movement carry.
As the train made its way through a chunk of small stations, with none to dispute their cleanliness and neat surroundings, transformed them to objects of desire vis-a-vis the big ones. First and foremost the approach to these big ones was a constant reminder to their tryst with filth and dirt over a period. It didn't looked the small ones were cajoled and coerced to ink their presence, but the big ones despite their boastful names had all-weather riddles trailing them. Looking for a breathing space proved to be as elusive as the need for order in this season of mayhem and melee. There were those who were supposed to board a train (some waiting in perpetuity); there was another lot who collected themselves around a large number of vendors for reasons best known to them. What all this added up to were the platforms seething with a hostile temperament - and the movement in the premises the next big miracle waiting to happen.
As the train passed through Kazipet, Warangal, Khammam, Vijaywada, Chirala, Ongole and numerous other designated halts one couldn't overlook the engaging view of the state. If some had adapted themselves as educational hub, there were others famed for their cement and steel plants. The industriousness nature of the state taking a divided view with some plants folding up and new ones taking shape came another image of trouble brewing in its backyard. For kms together there were patches of land lying unattended on either side of the tracks. With none to attend to, the all-familiar water and power woes had begun to surface.
Prior to Vijaywada, the train was literally on crutches, with halts and unscheduled stops coming at regular intervals. Post Vijaywada terrain, swathes of land had human presence and some form of movement on the ground. Well, it was Vijaywada that played a transformative part as the train seemed to be more at ease as far as movement went, bringing dollops of visibility as well. For kms together there was a national highway running parallel to the tracks, breaking at points to rejoin later.
The onward journey looked no different, with the exception being the headcount in the train had dwindled by the time it reached the final post.