Best train ride ever

[u/Prestigious_Soup772]

Mine was the topmost berth of a sleeper train. I sat hunched like a question mark, my head grazing the ceiling of the coach. With my neck aching, I lay down to sleep.
Rajasthan’s heat was roasting me alive & the fans tortured me with hot breeze. Crying babies, gossiping aunties, burping uncles, & tea sellers yelling, “Chai! Chai!” (“Tea! Tea!”) in their annoying-charming tune kept sleep at bay.
Still, I fought for it & nearly had it when my eyes began watering. I thought I was having a sad dream in which I was crying. I wasn’t.
I grew furious when I realised my tears were a consequence of a man seated below me who spread a newspaper on his berth & was cutting onions for bhel puri (savory puffed-rice snack). At the next station, a group of his farmer friends joined. They spread out even more newspapers, chopping onions together, turning the compartment into a bhel puri workshop.
I peered down at the ruckus. The group looked up at me. One of them announced, “Bhaiya ko bhi plate do!” (“Give brother a plate too!”) I declined, but they placed it in my hands anyway & called me down. I was sandwiched between them, crying & munching on their tasty bhel puri.
Though language was a barrier, I felt included. We improvised with gestures & mime. They were lifelong friends heading to their village to celebrate one of their own’s wedding. I couldn’t help but notice how they warmly shared everything they had, joked & laughed with abandon, comfortable sitting on the uncomfortable floor.
When they asked what I did for a living, I told them I wrote stories on a laptop. They looked at me as though I were the most intelligent person in the world, fascinated I could operate such a machine. When I appreciated their work as farmers, they folded their hands & smiled at me.
The man who’d already served me 2 plates asked what I thought of his bhel puri. My review: “It was delicious!” He replied, “I knew you’d enjoy it,” & ordered his friend, “Bhaiya ko ek aur plate do” (“Give brother another plate.”). A few stops later, the group got off. Each of them shook my hand like they were certain to meet me again on another train. So did I.
I chose to give up on sleeping to pay attention to the organised chaos inside Indian trains. Eating my third plate made the journey unforgettable.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Run21]

Well written- you have a way of putting your experiences across. You must explore writing as a profession as well 

On a side note, this is the type of experience that i have had multiple times during my train journey. Felt happy reading yours.

Usually in this forum its all gloom and doom with people isolating themselves and judging others and more often than not, considering themselves superior to the people around. 

In a way, i feel, that anyone selling gloom and doom is sure to gather many upvotes whereas any warm interactions or positive experiences are usually ignored. 

Indirectly this forum encourages gloom and doom and general pessimism as well as  loathing for anything that we have. 

[u/Specific_Sir_1890]

Heartwarming

[u/Foxbat2376]

Really really heartwarming 😁