When I experienced a scene straight out of Jab We Met!

A page from the personal diary of Aanchal Sabharwal I had come to Mumbai on May 15 2006 for the first time with a dream of becoming an actress. I was lucky enough to have bagged Aek chabhi hai padoss mein after have done just two television commercials. So fifteen days after I started shooting for this show I was told that we would not be shooting for the next four days and that it would be a short vacation. I was really happy as my birthday which is on August 29 happened to be during those four days. But since I didn’t have many friends here I wanted to go to Bikaner and spend it with my parents. Also I was feeling a little homesick so it added to my desire of going to Bikaner, Rajasthan. The only way I could reach there was by train. I made some inquiries and was told that there was a train at 4 pm from Bandra which I decided to catch. I took a rickshaw to Bandra station and on reaching there entered the Station Superintendent’s office to enquire about this train. He told me that I was on the Bandra suburban station which is different from Bandra terminus which was where I had to board my train. I ran out of the station and took another rickshaw from Bandra east to Bandra terminus. I was carrying this huge suitcase which was very heavy. On reaching the station I ran in only to see the train moving out of the station! This scene was just out of the Jab We Met film! And the best part is yet to come. Just like in the film there were these two taxi drivers who saw me disappointed and told me they would help me in boarding the train as it stops at Borivili station. They said they would charge me double the fare if caught the train and if I didn’t then I need not pay them anything. I agreed instantly and sat in the cab. The two drivers took the front seat and I sat behind praying I reach in time but I was wondering why there were two drivers instead of one. As the cab started moving I got all my answers. First of all I was scared as the guy at the steering was driving recklessly and the other guy was hanging out of the window and screaming and shouting at people on the road to make way. The speed at which my cab was moving was crazy. After sometime the driver asked me to be ready with my luggage and 600 rupees as the meter was flashing about 300. The cab screeched to a halt and all I could see was the tracks. The guy sitting next to the driver alighted and started running with my bag on the tracks and asked me to follow him. After running a little distance I reached the station and could see my train standing right in front of me. I asked the guy to put me in the AC compartment which he promptly did and he tossed my luggage in. I paid him promptly with a smile on my face as I was glad to have boarded the train. Now for some more adventure! Since I didn’t have a ticket I kept hopping from one compartment to another. Finally I saw a family and I went and sat next to them. One of the women from this family noticed that I was all sweaty and tired so she asked me if everything was fine. I lied to her that my father was not well and I had to go urgently to Bikaner to see him. I confessed to her that I had no ticket and had spent all my money by now. They asked me to relax and told me that they work something out. When the ticket checker came the family chipped in the money for my ticket which I promised to return on reaching Bikaner. I relaxed soon after and when they offered me chips and a soft drink I was ecstatic. As I sat munching with a smile on my face realization struck that I was not supposed to be happy as my father was unwell! The next day I reached Bikaner and called up my father and told him how I had lied that he was not keeping well. Hence I asked him to send my mother to the station to pick me up. When my mother met the family she repaid the money and even thanked them for helping me out. When they asked her about my father’s health my mom told said he was recovering. When I reached home and shared the experience with my family we laughed together for hours. This was the most adventurous and memorable journey of my life till date.