My First Journey in a Luxury Train in India

Traveling in trains in India is no less than a luxury, and you have to be quite bold to do that, at least alone as a women. I had heard quite a few nasty stories about solo woman travel in regular trains, so I thought of going by a luxury train called Shatabdi Express since it was my first time in the trains. It was early in the morning. Like everybody else, I was eagerly waiting for the snacks and food that are served in the train.

I was fortunate to have two elderly ladies on my both sides of seat. They were busy in their world, and so was I. I started reading a book and the music on my phone was not so pleasing, yet I had no other option. I listened to it for a while, and removed the earphones only when the first serving of snacks arrived at the time of morning tea.

The morning tea

The lady on my right and I made the tea with tea bags and milk, and gulped down our favorite drink in the morning. The lady on the left did not feel like having tea, so she took the biscuits and kept the biscuits in her bag.

The morning snacks

The next set of snacks was interesting comprising cutlets, eggs, bread, and butter. I gobble down everything in just a few seconds while paying a little attention to what my kind neighbors are doing. The lady on the right also ate the snacks, except the eggs. The woman on the left kept everything in her bag again; maybe she did not feel hungry at all. And like every other Indian, she would keep everything in her bag rather than refusing it altogether.

The soup

Two hours later, we received the next serving of soup, which I shamelessly finished again as I like to have tomato soup any time during the day. I noticed the two ladies on my sides and both of them did not drink the soup. The one on the right refused to take the serving, and the one on the left took only soup sticks and kept them in her bag again. Maybe she ate one cutlet during that time; I am not sure.

The last meal  

Just before the train reached Bangalore, we were served lunch. Without saying much, let us say that I ate and the lady on the left kept everything again in a lunch box in her bag.

Then, she called someone and said, “Beta, have you brought car hire in Bangalore? I am arriving the station in half an hour. When will you come?

I felt so small in that moment of pure selflessness that this lady had for her son, who must be an adult as he was coming to pick her up. She did not eat anything at all just because she wanted to share everything she had got with someone.

Only Indian moms can do it!