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SINI-A NEST OF SWEET ‘N SOUR MEMORIES

•                                Sini💫

A nest of sweet and sour memories.

The prolonged battle for the JOINING LETTER at the Garden Reach headquarters finally came to an end. After spending months of desperate wait, date of receiving it extending indefinitely….

Patience lost….

At last…..

The prize we sought was won.

The most awaited ‘appointment letter’, directing us for training at ZRTI.

 A quarter century passed by. It feels just like yesterday we all were dancing,singing, recollecting fond memories of school days, teachers and enjoying every moment inside Howrah Kurla express.

 Destination :SINI. 

 With luggage higher enough to exceed the free allowance.

 The Zonal Railway Training Institute, Sini, a premier training institute of South Eastern Railway imparting training to different categories of employees since 1st April, 1948. Being nervous and proud altogether we moved in to our hostel. The proximity of friends and absence of parents is an invitation to mirth and mischief. Stepping at the big premises of ZRTI life turns out to be dramatically changed.

 From a school life of reaching school  before time, strict teachers, tight schedule, lot to read and write, tiny fights, girlie complaints and lot more….

 To bunking classes,frequent tea breaks, chilling out with friends, talking of all senseless things, breaking rules, noisy nights and not to forget the ‘eleventh hour’ study for post training tests. With daily routine starting with P.T (only for the boys!!) in half slumber, a quick breakfast, training sessions, lunch break in between,  we had fun together in the evenings. We explored the dim lit streets of Sini; gathered at tea stalls or crossed the railway tracks ; enjoyed Sini’s serene beauty. And how can we forget those tempting phuchkas, pakoris, chaats beckoning us every evening! 

 

There was lot of excitement and sense of adventure for all of us when we were taken for practical training at several railway stations under the able guidance of ACM /ZRTI. He made us feel ticket checking, booking of tickets and parcel very new and interesting.  Our field training was a funfare creating bitter sweeet memories. All our competitions and misunderstandings were over. Studying two years together we were bonded to each other, Sini made this bond even stronger. Being a child at heart and smart at work, our schoolmates were a perfect combination of work and fun. Leaving too many great memories which can be cherished forever, those few days passed like the wind. We never realized that we were on a continuous process of creating loads of pleasant memories.

Our posting orders came as a shock; it was 1000 km away from home! Away from the protective shield of parents.  Oh! our dear siblings! Leaving behind our family in hometown we have now created a new family of friends. 

Farewells were the hardest. All these sweet and challenging moments will soon be memories; Knowing we were about to embark on the next chapter of our life. The last two years certainly had its ups and downs.  Its time to make sure we stay in touch with classmates, friends. A mixed emotion engulfed us. Feeing sad about ending an important chapter of life but happy and proud of the accomplishment we have achieved. Embedded through nostalgia, served through flashbacks we were on our way to the the Sini station to move  apart. We didn’t even know who carried our belongings.  With misty eyes, amidst goodbyes, we boarded the train waiting for a new journey. Time to move on as proud VCRCians for a new beginning.

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