Orange City – Revelation.

Yes! I am back to my original self. I have again started talking to myself.

This is my third trip to Nagpur (the orange city). This time my mother has asked me to get Nagpur’s famous Orange Barfi (sweetmeat)and like always I was too busy with my work and after work I wanted sometime to relax back in my hotel room. The hotel I usually stay is Dwarka at Sitabuldi, Nagpur. Looks absolutely shady! But what to do, I am here only for a day. (Thankfully not night). But I remember, Last month  I had to spend a night at Nagpur, coz. I didn’t have train reservation for Raipur nor could find any buses to Raipur, thanks to the threat from Naxal’s, many buses from Nagpur to Raipur have been terminated. The night experience was not so bad, had a pleasant sleep but next day I had to travel from Nagpur to Jabalpur via Bus. They said it takes 4 hrs in a Volvo Bus service, but mind it, it took the entire day. At the end of the journey, I was dizzy enough to puke. But yeah that was last month.

This month, this trip, every thing was pre-planned. All tickets booked and reserved in advance. I had planned it so well that there would not be any chance for deviations. But as it is said, if God wants certain things to happen, they will surely happen. I usually take a 11:35PM intercity express train to Raipur, which reaches Raipur at 5:20AM, so that I have atleast 4 hrs to rest at a Hotel. Everything was well planned. I arrived at the platform at 11:15PM, 20 mins before scheduled departure. After waiting till 11:30, an announcement was made that the train is delayed by 30 mins. I thought that is fine, not much deviation. I waited, thoughtless, blank, doing nothing till 12:00 midnight. 10 mins past 12 midnight, another announcement was made, that the train is delayed by 1hr 45 mins.

Here I was, thoughtless, blank, with nothing to do, for another 1 hr 45 mins. I did’nt know what to do. I didn’t have a mp3 player, not even a book to pass my time. Just could look around at people of various backgrounds, waiting for the train.

I have always loved to be left alone to think about whatever I could. But that is ok when you are not fatigued. Here I am fatigued of whole day’s work, standing at the stroke of midnight, with eyes filled with sleep, no entertainment, no companion, no friend to talk to, nothing at all.

As I had nothing to do, not even a proper place to sit, I started thinking of my position a year back. This time a year back, I was sleeping in a Five star hotel, in New Delhi. Had come down to attend an executive education program from Haas Business School, University of Southern California, Berkeley on Economics of Business Strategy. And see the irony, same time this year, I am standing at Nagpur Station, waiting for a stupid intercity express which almost 2 and a half hours late. To add spice to the situation, its raining, the platform roof is broken, its water everywhere and its time past midnight.

I thought, why the hell am I even here in the first place? Utter stage of frustration running through my mind. Is it the right job I am doing? What is the benefit of all this circumnavigation of the globe that I am doing (not literally, understand my frustration) ?

Then in a while it struck me, it is the first hand experience, the exposure, the freedom that you get from this job which matters. And above all, you always loved travelling and now it is the job that makes you do that, so where is the problem? Try enjoying the trips, you will gain something from them.

Also, these trips have now re-ignited my passion for writing. Thus I am back to Speaking Me.