A friend told me today that her close cousin is traveling from one metro city to another by train. She lives in a city which in en route. She gave me the train name and asked me to check the time when the train would come to her city. She wanted to meet her cousin at the station and give the cousin a suitcase full of goodies.
I told her it was a non stop train and that such trains wouldn't stop at such a small station as the one in her town. She had forgotten that the train was a non stop train.
I gave her a few ideas: She might ask her cousin to inform her the position of the compartment (for example 7th from the engine) and that as the train whizzed by, without stopping, my friend could blow a kiss to her cousin. That is if she could spot her cousin while the train was moving. And maybe my friend could reduce the number of goodies to be given, so they could be packed in a suitcase that was the size of a wallet. She could aim and throw that suitcase and perhaps her cousin would catch it.
I don't think my friend was very happy with my suggestions.
I let my imagination wander. I assumed that my friend still went to the station in the fond hope that the train would make an unscheduled stop.
She would carry a suitcase (large or small depending on how optimistic she is), go to the railway station and ask someone there about the ETA (expected time of arrival) of her cousin's train and the platform (PF) that the train will come in. That person would shake his head sadly and say the train doesn't stop in that station and hence there is no question of the station making any announcement about the arrival of the train.
Now there are women who are soft, docile, gentle and accept fate. My friend isn't such a person. She would start huffing and puffing. I have often seen smoke come out of her ears when she was a little annoyed. Now if the person she asked the question in the station to also happens to tell her that she must buy a PF ticket to get into the station... I wouldn't want to be in that man's shoes.
Her Majesty is usually not accustomed to such bourgeois behavior. She is used to snapping her fingers. And most people including servants, dogs, family members would snap to attention, click their heels (and almost say "Heil Hitler"). She isn't used to being given the run around.
So when she has decided to go to the station and packed a bag full of stuff to give her cousin, small things like the train being non-stop or that in India one has to be either a traveler or have a PF ticket to get inside the station would have little impact on her actions. She would expect people (and non-stop trains) to make an exception for her.
She may be considerate enough to not expect the train to stand on 2 feet to salute her. But you would be insane to expect any more consideration from her.
To all my close friends: here is my advice. Stay far away from that station tomorrow.
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