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Boj Boj Local

It was a little after 9.30 at night.I was at Sealdah South Railway Station.Boj Boj Local was scheduled to leave Sealdah at 10:02 p.m. It was the last train to New Alipore. Standing beside the iron fence of the station I saw a man frying "samosas" and my mouth began watering. I just can't resist piping hot samosas. Moreover I had had my lunch over 7 hours ago and was ravenously hungry. I could have eaten the cupcakes on the railway platform but the tea sold on the platform was not to my liking.

"Duto gorom singara deben.. patay korey.." {Give me two hot samosas in a leaf}. The wayside vendor handed me a sal leaf with two smoking samosas on it. I bit a mouthful and discovered that the samosa had stale stuffing in it. It was sour and slimy !!! "Eta ki holo ?? Bashi singara diyechen amake !!! ?? Poisha debona!" [You've given me stale samosas.I won't pay] Interestingly the vendor kept his lips tight without any reply. " Ki holo ?? Poisha dite hobe? Na ki??!! " [what happened? do I have to pay or not ?] "Thik ache jan .. poisha dite hobena.." [Okay.. go you needn't pay]

My tongue now had a sour taste so also my upper palate.I promised to myself for the nth time never ever to have wayside fries from anyone else other than known vendors. But this is me and my character .. Hot fries tempt me like Eve's forbidden apples.. To remove the sourness from my mouth I walked to another vendor and asked for a fresh "bhar"[clay cup] of "chai"[tea]. I sipped happily the brew ,paid with a two-rupee coin and made my way to the booking counter.

I bought a one way ticket for New Alipore and sat on a stinky wooden bench on Platform No.1A. The train arrived shortly and I placed my weary behind on a wooden window seat.The hot tea inside my empty stomach made me feel horrid specially in the stuffy June heat.I willed the train to move. I had a bottle of drinking water with me.I took a few gulps.Then I wetted my handkerchief and wiped my face and neck which made me feel a little better.The train rolled out on its half-hour journey and I enjoyed the cool summer air blowing on my tired face. My thoughts drifted far away...

After three stoppages and an unscheduled halt the train gruntled into my destination. I never use the overbridge so carefully looking to my left and right I crossed the tracks.Someday I may be run over by some train but no point in climbing 63 stairs at 11 p.m. on an empty stomach.Once out I almost ran to the auto stand which was a brisk 12 minutes away. There was not a single auto at the stand.I decided to take a cycle rickshaw home.I sat like a king on the cycle-rickshaw and dreaded the day when the authorities would not allow rickshaws on Kolkata streets.

Arriving home tired and hungry, I got a stiff admonishing from my loving wife for trying the samosas instead of some healthier food.As I settled down to my delicious dinner of "roti" and "subzee" with my small radio tuned into 98.3 FM .. nothing could be better or peaceful.