#Metro Diary 16: Communication

Delhi metro sees a lot of brand new passengers every day. They come from all corners of the country with their bags, boxes and gathri or potla (bundle or a parcel in English but I don't think it conveys well). These seem like clothes gathered in colorful clothes. 

The moment the metro announcer announces Anand Vihar ISBT, the whole compartment gets ready to take in 100% more passengers and 200% more luggage. I did not notice this so far I traveled in the women’s compartment. These travelers come to the city in large group of families or men. And they are confused about how to navigate the system. I remember in 2009 I had decided to roam alone in Paris. I asked my French friend for details of trains in the city and almost mugged them up! I still got lost twice in a city that did not speak the languages I speak. I had to use gestures, ask random passerby for help. In the same manner the people reaching Delhi stand outside the doors of the metro train with all their bags and baggage and ask, “Can I go to Peeragarhi in this train?” The passenger sitting inside tries to quickly wake up from a sleep induced stupor and look around. He quickly tries to think. The pressure performance in 20 seconds makes him even more nervous as he tries to think where is Peeragarhi! Which side of Delhi! Which line is going there? Colours flash in his head like bulbs. Red? Or Yellow? Violet? Or Green? “It’s green!” Another passenger shouts. “Come on in but you have to change train in between”. He gestures wildly to make the one standing out to hurry. He on the other hand, looks uncertain. He probably changed a few trains to come to Delhi. He probably thinks he may get a train that goes directly to his destination. At times he boards any way, at times he misses the train, which is better than missing the proverbial bus because a train comes every 4 minutes. 🙂 

Then the other day I met a group of 4 young women who boarded the women’s compartment with huge potla/gathri and announced, “pet-wali ko seat do!” The pregnant woman got a seat quickly and the rest of them sat comfortably on the floor and started chatting in Mewari about the day. Pet-wali or the pregnant one did not like being left out at all and tried to participate as she looked through standing women. They were like the women I meet in Banswara, Dungarpur, Udaipur. They were wearing saris in Delhi though, not their usual skirts. One of them looked at me and smiled as I tried explaining how they could go to Jhilmil. Gestures helped when languages prove to be of limited help. Someone wondered don’t they check the maps! And as if on cue, we met a French national who was brought near a map in the platform at Rajiv Chowk by an Indian couple and three of them tried hard to communicate through gestures so that the French man reaches his intended destination.

So you see, be it Bhojpuri, Mewari or French, gesture rules!