It was my first year in engg college and i use to stay in campus boy's hostel. We three friends - me , saxena and jain decided to visit a nearby shrine . We boarded a local train to reach the place and my friends intentionally decided to travel without ticket. Now it was 11:30 PM when we reached the station nearby shrine. When we were about to exit from station, ticket collector caught hold of saxena . Jain manage to escape in darkness . Since i had legal rights to be at station been holding a ticket , i accompained saxena to save him at TC's office . Now i tried convincing TC at his office that only we 2 are there and there is no 3rd person . He had seen a boy escaping . He told me that iam not required here. Also if i bring 3rd person to his office , he will exempt the fine . Later he started asking about me and saxena. I told him a fake name Ankur mahajanHe started ragging saxena as he was the culprit. Since we were in 1st year and where in the receieving mode of ragging , saxena sat in 3rd button posture.( engg guys will understand this term). It was 1 Amand i went for a walk on station platform looking for jain while saxena was being ragged by TC in his office. I wonder if we had mobile communication at that time , it was Feb 2000 . I could manage to trace jain sitting boldly on a seat at platform1 . I was shocked as this was a daring act by him. He told proudly no need to worry , he has purchase a platform ticket. nobody can question him. I told him to run away from station because that TC will recognise him. Later i went back to TC office and again starting pleading TC to leave saxena and take some bribe if he wants. He was very rigid , he just wanna rag saxena and me as he came to know that we are 1st year engg students. It was 2:30 AM now , TC left a RPF officer to keep a watch on us and left to search jain. within 15mins he brought jain to TC office.
Now TC asked me if i recognise my 2rd friend (jain) . I said absolutely No. After all there is no crime to bluff to TC when u are holding a valid travel ticket.
now both jain and saxena were sitting in 3rd button head down position at TC office and he was ragging them. Now TC asked jain does he know me and saxena. He said yes.
TC starting laughing and till 3 AM he ragged us. Later temple opened at 4 AM , i pleaded him to please let us go as we came here for good religious intent. After passing time with us, he asked if we had money to buy tickets for returning back to college. Though we had sufficent , i said no we dont have sufficient amount. He gave us money from his pocket and escorted us till the exit of temple at 4:30 AM.
After visting temple , we boarded 6 AM train for returning back to college and this time also without ticket..:-)
Those were gem days of my life...
