When you’re not late but too early for a trip

Afew months ago when I was waiting my turn to enter the gate for boarding a plane at Chandigarh airport, there was a commotion. Two boys came running and requested to go first as they were late for the flight. Everybody obliged and they showed their e-ticket to the security personnel. He looked at the ticket and after a brief pause said, “Sir, you are not late but too early. Today is February 17 and your ticket is booked for March 17.” The boys looked at each other in stunned silence. Their pale faces transported me to another era.

Once I booked three tickets on the evening Shatabdi Express from Ludhiana to New Delhi. My wife and I were to board the train from Ludhiana, while our son, who was at Patiala, was to join us at the Ambala station.

On the scheduled date, we boarded the train, adjusted our luggage and occupied our seats. The train chugged off the platform and we were making ourselves comfortable when a couple approached us. “Excuse me, these are our seats,” the man said, holding the printout of their ticket. There must be a mistake, I told myself. But the couple was confident that we were sitting on their seats and pointed at the seat number. I took my ticket printout, it was also the same seat number but when I saw the date of journey, I was in for a shock. Instead of booking the ticket for January 25, 2016, by mistake I had booked it for February 25, 2016.

It was too late to change anything. I could see embarrassment turn to anguish on my wife’s face. We vacated the seats for the lawful occupants. By that time, the train had left Ludhiana station and our pulse rate was gaining pace along with the train.

I went to the ticket collector and explained the mistake. I requested him to allot me the seat after paying a penalty. The ticket collector was considerate and told me that as per his record, there is no vacancy. “Still, if you find any vacant seat in the train, I’ll allot it to you,” he said.

I made my wife stand in the passage between two compartments and headed to the next compartment in search of a vacant seat. I may have crossed two compartments when I heard a familiar voice, “Good evening, sir.”

I turned back and saw one of my old students, now a major in the Remount Veterinary Corps, travelling with his wife and two children. He introduced his family and asked me our compartment and seat numbers. It was too embarrassing to tell him that I was travelling without a ticket. I told him that my seat was in the last compartment.

As I moved to the next compartment, I met one of my postgraduate students going to Delhi with her parents to get a visa to the United States. All three stood up courteously to greet me.

Oh God! I could not get a single vacant seat but met many acquaintances whom I didn’t want to meet in this situation. I told my wife about the full occupancy of the train, she asked me if I had checked properly. I was wondering how to tell her that I couldn’t possibly go seat hunting for a second round when the phone rang. It was my son. “I’ve reached Ambala station. Which compartment are we booked in?”

Sometimes, it’s better to be late than too early.

IT WAS TOO LATE TO CHANGE ANYTHING. I COULD SEE EMBARRASSMENT TURN TO ANGUISH ON MY WIFE’S FACE. WE VACATED THE SEATS FOR THE LAWFUL OCCUPANTS