It happens only in Kurla...

I start to think about having dinner, when the phone rings and I am told that the train arrives in an hour. I get ready and leave. Me and Jigar somehow find the Kurla Terminus which is located in some "khopchi" of Mumbai. At the Terminus, the first thing that I see is millions of people. At least it looked like millions. There was no road. There were people walking, people spitting, people sleeping, rickshaws parked, rickshaw drivers arguing, taxiwalas abusing each other left and right. There was a hint of a terminus, and five platforms. People camping on the floors, the toilets looking like gutters, the stalls looking like toilets, the telephone booths looking like stalls. From Illinois Terminal to Kurla Terminus. Wah!

I see an old man walking in the middle of the 'road' with a stick. I put an arm around him and took him to the side, saying, "Uncle, side mein aa jao. Gaadi lag jayegi." (Uncle, please come aside. You might get hit by a car). His smile was worth millions.

We tired to look for the ticket office. Supposedly we needed a platform ticket. The queue went on for miles. There were approximately 235 people standing in the line. It would have taken us about an hour to get to the counter and purchase the 2 rupee ticket. The train was scheduled to arrive in 25 mins.

Jigar said, "Ab kya?" (What now?)

"We'll go without the ticket onto the platform, what else?" was my answer.

"Paagal hai kya?" (Are you mad?)

"No other option, boss. We'll pay the fine. Whatever it is. 100-120 rupees."

Suddenly I had a wild idea. I told him to wait while I bugged the station master. I knocked and entered. He was on the phone but entertained me. "Yes?"

"Sir. Yahaan par ek hi ticket office hai platform ticket ke liye?" (Is there only one platform ticket office here?)

After his affirmative answer, I asked, "Kitna fine bharna padega ticket officer ne pakda toh?" (How much fine will I have to pay if caught by the ticket officer?)

He smiled. Kept the phone down. "Usko bolna ke Mishraji se baat hui hai. Mai hoon Mishra. Batai do usko", he said in his Bihari accent. (I am Mr.Mishra. Tell him that you have spoken to me)

Problem one solved.

Then the train arrives. My sister jumps on me, literally. She hadn't seen me for 5 months. We decide to hire some help for the bags. The coolie starts loading the bags and when he is almost done he names a price near 120 rupees. We all look at him in bewilderment and instruct him to unload the bags. We keep negotiating. Another man arrives on my right. He asks, "Taxi?"

I start negotiating with him about the taxi price which he thinks should be 250 rupees.

Typical bhendi bazaar scenario. Dus ka beees, dus ka beees.

Finally, after some hilarious numbers are thrown around, I manage to get the services of the coolie for 80 rupees and the taxi for whatever the taxi meter says plus 70 rupees(baggage). I ended up paying the taxi driver a total of 200 rupees. Money well saved I'd say.

God, I love bargaining. Just love it. Mumbai rocks!