A journey in a Metro!

                       

Its after almost 7 years i traveled in Metro alone... Though I traveled with a friend once two yrs back... And she had a fair idea of metro routes...

I had this phobia of travelling in a crowded bus and metro from quite a long time...The fact was it was never actually required. MBA college was close to the place i stayed and from job i started driving...

Today was the day where this came to an end... It takes courage to face your fears... Although, for many its a very normal thing to use metro or bus... in fact, my mom, dad, bhai & people around me all are comfortable using public transport... I somehow find myself phobic to it.. It scares me... I dunno the reason… May be I don’t wanna come out the comfort zone I created for myself over the years...

In the morning, I reached my office on time and started calling people to fix up meetings for the day... A senior colleague asked me to come to our Chandni Chowk branch...

Chandni Chowk.. The most crowded place of Old Delhi... And its somewhat similar to Aligarh & Meerat. 

I asked people around me about how I can reach Chandni chowk as I never went there alone or never took my vehicle towards that area.

A generous colleague helped me by calling his friends and guided me... He told me there is no parking in that area so better take metro..

I was upset and reluctant.. I called up few more people to ask for route navigation…. I wanted to hear that 'yes' I can take my car but all suggested public transport...

After losing all hopes of going by car.. I told myself... “Dear girl, you have to travel the world... Entire country.... There you cannot take your car and you may not be able to hire a taxi always... So if today you are not comfortable using public transport of your own city, how will you do it while travelling the world?” And i realized, I am so right sometimes... :-P

This gave me courage and pumped my morale... I asked the guy which route I need to follow he guided me... And the journey began... Woohoo... :-)

Weird & funny me... I asked the way to metro station from 3 people... Still got lost... Finally entered and saw a long queue fr tickets... I saw a small queue for metro card lane... I chose to take a metro card... Got card, recharged it... And went towards the entry where the guard shouted, "yahan kahan ja rahi ho", I shouted back "toh aur kahan jaun mera purse scanner me le liya aur mujhe jane nahi de rahe"... He stared angrily and guided me towards female entry gate... I stared back very badly and walked fast towards platform...

Now, I followed instructions and waited for my metro... Metro stopped, I decided I’ll go in female coach but unluckily it was too far and I was standing away from it... I tried running towards it but realized gates were about to close so I quickly boarded in whatever I got…

Real bad people... Real bad crowd... Some people stare you like you are not wearing anything and its embarrassing...

I was standing in the middle holding a hanger... I counted stations... I was 11 stations away from my destination... I saw my watch multiple times... And passed my time by looking at watch... And counting stations...

I came out of metro station just like a lost girl in new town... Following instruction boards... It was so crowded.. I tried clicking a picture of crowd but a guard saw me and stopped me... He asked me to delete that pic in front of him... It was strange but I did it...

As told by a colleague... I knew I had to take rickshaw for Masjid from there our bank was near.. I did the same... I clicked pics from my fone sitting in rickshaw...

The place is so different... I really wish to come here for photography sometime... In the meanwhile i was thinking i have to come here this Saturday too for my friend's shopping for his wedding... :-)

I somehow feel.. if I’ll delete this from my mind what kinda people travel in metro and stop bothering about how they stare... it’ll b easier for me to travel... So, I m not giving up here... I faced my fear and it was not that bad what I used to think... I’ll do it again and till the time I overcome it... Though it’s not at all difficult to do so...

While going back I’ll try to take up women's coach... As I am still sitting in our Chandni chowk office and writing this while waiting for the meeting to get over and meet the person concerned...

Let’s see... What’s lined up now for going back…. I am quite optimistic about the journey back to my office... :-)

Chandni chowk 

***

I finished my meeting, it was a nice interaction and headed back towards market to take a rickshaw… This time I was feeling more excited, confident and happy… As if I was enjoying the moment and waiting to travel in Metro to repair the bad experience…

I took a rickshaw and started talking to the rickshaw wala… bhaiyya, yahan kis din sabse zyada bheed rehti hai.. saree market kaunsi hai… lehenga market…. Suit market… jewellery market… gray market... what all are famous here to eat and so on…. And I reached metro station… After gaining the market knowledge I entered in to the metro station…

I was feeling happy… This time I took female specific coach and it was neat and clean… It was good and I was feeling safe... This time the journey seemed shorter and in precisely 25 mins I covered the distance which otherwise would have taken more than an hour by car…

Overall... I am happy and feeling comfortable for the next time… :-)

A good start for the month…! May Love :-D

God, Thanks for being there for me… I love you... Take of my people :-))) Muuaaah