Hampta Pass Diary – Chapter-9 : The return journey – Part-2
29-June-2025 - Chandigadh onboarding
The alarms went off, and we all woke up. After freshening up, we packed our bags, paid for our stay at Gujarati Samaj, and began trying to book taxis to the railway station.
That
turned out to be more difficult than expected.
It had
rained heavily throughout the night, and while Chandigarh is a well-planned
city, we hadn’t anticipated the extent of waterlogging. Many roads were
flooded, and no drivers were accepting bookings. We even increased the fare
amount in hopes of getting a confirmed ride. A few bookings did go through—but
either the drivers canceled, or the wait time was too long and we had to cancel
ourselves.
Eventually,
one taxi arrived for my cousin, his wife, and my uncle. The three of them left
for the station while the rest of us continued trying. About 15 minutes later,
I finally received a confirmation. The driver reached in another 10 minutes.
He warned
that the usual route to the station was flooded, and he’d need to take a longer
detour, which would cost extra. With no time or better options—it was already
around 4:45 a.m., and our train was scheduled for 5:40—we agreed.
We loaded
our bags into the cab and started our journey to the station. Many roads were
flooded, and we saw several cars stranded—likely stalled due to water damage.
Some had their hoods open, engines steaming or wet. We were worried whether
we’d make it on time.
Thankfully,
we reached the station around 5:20 a.m.
We
assumed the first taxi had already arrived, but when we called them, they were
still stuck in traffic due to waterlogging. A few minutes later, they made it
as well, and we all walked to the platform together.
We found
our coach—3AC—and went to our seats. Though we were all in the same bogie, our
seats were spread out. The train departed a few minutes late, likely because of
the continuing rain and possible delays in passenger arrival. As soon as it
moved, most of us dozed off again.
The Journey Home
After a
few hours of sleep or scattered naps, people began waking up. Tea vendors
started making their rounds, and with general movement in the coach,
uninterrupted sleep became difficult. Once we were all awake, we gathered in a
compartment for breakfast.
We spoke
to a few fellow passengers and managed to swap a couple of seats so we could
all sit together. As it was now daytime, we passed the time playing card games.
I gave Mr. Vikram a call to check if he had boarded—and he had.
We spent
the late morning and early afternoon chatting, scrolling through our phones,
and playing more games. Lunch was followed by some downtime—more naps or simply
relaxing with our phones.
Mr.
Vikram came by to visit us and shared how challenging their overnight journey
from Kullu to Chandigarh had been, as the rain had affected much of the region.
The rest
of the day passed quietly. We continued with our games and conversations into
the evening, and had dinner a little after 8 p.m.
Midnight Departures
My
cousin, his wife, and our nephew were scheduled to get off the train around
midnight. Since we might not wake up during their departure, we said our
goodbyes before going to sleep.
Sleep,
however, remained light and intermittent. The train made frequent stops, even
at places not designated on the route—likely due to signal issues.
At one
such stop, I overheard that we were nearing a location that would be more
convenient for my cousin to get down, rather than the scheduled station which
was farther from their home. I woke up our nephew, who checked the location,
confirmed with my cousin, and the three of them got off after our final
goodbyes.
A few
hours later—around 4 a.m.—my uncle was supposed to get off. But I slept through
the stop, and only realized it had passed when I woke up later. He had
deboarded quietly, not wanting to disturb our sleep. In the morning, we saw his
message that he had reached home safely.
Final Leg
Now it
was just the two of us, with the last stop scheduled around 7:34 a.m. I woke up
a bit earlier, and as the train neared our destination, I gently woke up my
wife. We gathered our bags, got down at the final stop—and just like that, our
long and unforgettable journey came to a close.
30-June-2025 - Bandra offboarding and Bandra to Dadar
The Return Journey: A Different Experience
Our
return journey unfolded quite differently from our onward one. After getting
off the train at our first stop in Mumbai around 8 a.m., we needed to head to
another station to catch our connecting train home. While we were aware that
the local train could take us there, we also knew that traveling during peak
morning hours in Mumbai could be challenging due to the rush-hour crowd.
So
instead of heading straight to the local station, we returned to the same
general waiting area we had used during our initial journey. However, with
several hours to spare before our next train—scheduled around 1 p.m.—we decided
to explore a bit.
While
walking around, we noticed a paid AC waiting room operated by IRCTC. It
looked clean, well-maintained, and far more comfortable, with sofa seating and
a peaceful environment. We went in, inquired about the charges, and decided it
was worth it. The fee even included breakfast and tea. Once we paid, we were
served a simple meal, freshened up, and spent the next hour or so relaxing and
scrolling through our phones.
Around
10:45 a.m., we began walking towards the local train station, which was roughly
800 meters away. On the way, we purchased our tickets. As always with Mumbai
locals, the train frequency was excellent—one arrived within 10 minutes. We
boarded, even though the compartment seemed to be meant for porters or luggage;
it didn’t matter much as the journey was short.
In about
15–20 minutes, we reached our destination and got down. We instinctively
returned to the same bench we had sat on during our earlier journey, then made
our way to the platform from which long-distance trains depart.
Since we
were early, we had over an hour to wait. We placed our luggage down and stood
nearby like the rest of the passengers awaiting their trains. While mobile
phones could help pass the time, we were cautious—being on a Mumbai railway
platform isn’t always the most secure or comfortable place to use devices.
My wife
pulled out her phone and began reading her usual novel, while I just sat observing
everything around me. I found a spot on a railing—not the most comfortable, but
a welcome break from standing in Mumbai’s sticky, humid weather. After a while,
a space on the railing opened up for my wife too. Eventually, as a couple of
trains came and went, a bench was vacated. We quickly moved there with our
luggage, settling in to wait for our train’s arrival.
The Final Stretch - Dadar to Pune
About
15–20 minutes later, our train arrived. We boarded promptly, found our seats,
stowed our luggage, and settled in. The journey ahead wasn’t very long, so
although we felt a bit drowsy, we didn’t really sleep. Instead, we passed the
time snacking, chatting, scrolling through our phones—and I even managed a few
short naps while sitting upright.
As the
train moved through the outskirts of Mumbai, we watched the waterways give way
to the lush green hills of the Western Ghats. The rain had started again by
then, and soon we were passing through a series of tunnels, a familiar and
scenic part of the route.
After a
couple of hours, we reached Lonavala station. A group of youngsters seated
across from us got down there, and the journey entered its final leg.
Roughly
an hour later, we arrived at our final destination station. Just one last
"adventure" remained—navigating our way out with the luggage.
Thankfully, the bags were lighter now, as we’d consumed most of the snacks and
other packed items during the trip.
Outside
the station, we faced the usual challenge: booking a cab. With ever-changing
taxi union demands and the tug-of-war between central and state transport
regulations, it’s rarely straightforward. But after a bit of effort, we managed
to get one.
About 40
minutes later, we were finally home—home sweet home—closing the chapter
on an incredible and unforgettable journey.
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