I do have to say that there has been a very good response from many e-pao readers wanting to know if I am going to write more or not. Well, I wont disappoint them. Today, I want to continue with my story of living in Bombay...........!

I landed in Bombay in the summer of '92, scared and not knowing what lay ahead of me! I had boarded the Gauhati-Dadar express from GHY station... very apprehensive and all alone!!!!!!!

People kept asking me all sorts of questions on the train, and I was a little tired of answering them !!!!!!!!!!

They might just have been curious to see a lone 'chink' all by herself on that train !!! I did not see any of our Manipuri people at all on that train on that day!!

Even if there were any, I did not see them because I did not leave my seat at all for fear of my things getting stolen or my seat hijacked by some one. I only left my seat when I had to use the toilet.

I bought only fruits to eat on the train from the vendors, for I dare not leave the train compartment to go out to buy foods from the stalls at the various stations stops!

It is a very interesting to travel on this GHY-DDR train. From the start, a little Assamese boy barely 8 or 9 years old came upto us and endeared himself.

We bought him foods and drinks because he said he was an orphan and was just following that train to Bombay to become a hotel boy or wash 'Chai' (tea) glasses at a street Chai vendor!

Some guys gave him their T-shirts and Gamosha (wash rag) for his use on the train. I was reminded of that little boy in the Manipuri film "Imagi Ningthem" where he was wearing shorts with holes in them and it did not even cover him up proper!!

Some of the men mercilessly teased him no end about his pants with holes!! But the boy seemed very street smart and took it in his stride!!

At some stations,there were "Hijras" jumping in from nowhere to beg. It scared me to death when one of the burly ones came upto me and said" Baby, thora peisa de de..!"

I tried to ignore them but they got so aggressive and started patting me on my cheeks and cursing me and began to wish for me to have kids who are like them.

I did not want their dreaded curse upon me so I had to shell out Rs. 5 but they threw that back at me....saying it wasnt enough for anything!

I was taken aback by their attitude! Here I was trying to please them and there they are, becoming more demanding!!!!! I took my Rs. 5 back and sat put in my seat..come what may! I did not mind having a "Hijra" kid at that moment with their curse!!!!!

Instead of being grateful, they had the temerity to throw such tantrums!! They came back to get the money from me. I just pretended that I was deaf and mute and buried myself in reading the newspaper!!

There was much drama and so much racist remarks passed by them but I did not give a damn!! They rejected my hard earned Rs. 5 and so let them holler and scream all they want, I ain't gonna part with it!! Money dont grow on trees either!

The other Hijras from some other stations were quite entertaining. They danced and sang some Bengali folk songs and I gave them that amount rejected by the previous ones!!

Omigosh! There were more and plenty to come from nowhere.

This time we had to ask for the Railway Police to keep a check on such groups because we needed to rest and get some sleep!! Travelling by Indian Railways is a very unique experience in itself!! Its a whole country on the move.

I had very mixed feelings about my journey to an unknown city called Bombay which I have only known through the Bollywood movies! But it did not deter me from going there!

The very fact that back home, I was not going to get a job, spurred me on to get there..no matter what!!

I had to go look for a job in that city so I could help and support my family!!