Back to Nashik - kids on the train

Picture this: as you walk down the aisle of the train, on the left are perpendicular naughahyde covered benches with backs and a hanging bed above. On the right, parallel to the aile are two stacked covered benches of the same (the top on hanging but affixed to the wall of the train of course).

At night, the people sitting on the perp benches fold up the back that they are leaning against and voila! it's another hanging bed. So six people can be in that compartment sitting/sleeping. Not everyone is related, so can you see how people need to be keenly proper and accomodating to such large numbers of people being constantly around?

Luckily, we had the parallel ones and we could hop up and down whenever. On our way home to Nashik, the perp area to us had two boys - one almost two years old and one 9 years old. Gurmit and Gurung - of course I was an instant hit with the two year old - we played peek a boo, he offered me his cookie, etc. The nine year old was learning English, so we practiced a little - we all shared food and in general passed the time together amicably. Gurung (9 y.o.) enjoyed seeing my pictures the camera - wanted to take pics of me (no thank you) and as he was in his bed sleeping, he kept pulling back the curtain and saying "auntie", "auntie". I made stern "acoban" faces (close your eyes) and he would just laugh.

We all got off at Nashik and said our farewells. I was really homesick for my grandsons.