Darjeeling Mail - উত্তরবঙ্গের ঐতিহ্য - Joydeep Roy

An interesting tale of Paisa bachao gone mainly right and slightly wrong.
People like me who like to feel rich by being miser or saving money everywhere.
So it all started on 6th September when I after 2 day a week office decided to go back to hometown Dhanbad. I checked all trains and found availability in most of it. Seats available in Rajdhani, Duronto and less waiting in Poorva.
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saw 150+ current availability in 3A and 0 in Sleeper in train 22858 from Anvt-Gmo but given its 13.25 departure and overtake from Rajdhani gang didn't feel right as I wud have to leave office before lunch.
So instead I decided that given the lean period let's try our sabse sasta and acha 12878 RNC Garibrath from Ndls-Ddu and catching 22858 from there from Ddu to Gmo.
I booked at GNWL 72 and hoped that it wud be RAC atleast. I also selected 12302 and 22824 as #VIKALP option.
Looking at PNR status it was B5 and Not G5.
Luck by chance my seats got confirmed in not Garibrath but Bbs Rajdhani.
Seeing the grand luck at my side I booked Sleeper class from Ddu to Gmo hoping to ride my luck again with an Auto upgrade to 3A.
I had my doubts regarding food but staff asked my food choice as veg and hence enjoyed a Rajdhani journey with food at Garibrath price

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Well I did have free snacks, dinner and ice cream though
In evening my 22858 ticket got confirmed in Sleeper itself and it felt I pushed my luck too far.

The Rajdhani run in 22824 was fab as usual with it overtaking my connecting train at Chunar. It arrived at 2 am at Ddu followed by 12310 Tejas Raj and then my train at pf 1.

It was not that hot in Sleeper class and neither the usual toilet smell that is the only turn off for me. But the LHB coach hit 130 MPS from Ddu to Gmo and it was very loud indeed. It made unauthorised halts at Sasaram and DOS but reached before time at Gomoh before time at 7.34 am where I got down at wrong side to catch the connecting train 03556 Barkakana Asansol passenger that had already started moving slowly from Pf 4. Luckily I captured a last pic of my train that ran well. I waved at my Wap 7 loco driver thanking him and he surprisingly waved back at me. Leached Kmme at 9.20 am.
All in all full paisa vasool journey. Thanks for reading