The Ineludible Co-traveller

I bet almost all of the human populace travels at some point or other, unless of course they are already dead. Travel, the quintessential stress reliever, the best wind-down a person can give oneself as one is carried into a different world, away from the rigmarole of one’s mundane life. It is also a doorway to other people, varied cultures, delectable cuisines, interesting flora and fauna, sights and scenes which enrich ones knowledge as well as gives one a sense of fulfillment. In this context I take the liberty to quote Hilaire Belloc, a prolific writer – “We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.”

In course of such travel, it is but imminent that we meet other people who travel and in many cases embark on the same journey as we do. We call them co-travellers and they come in various shades.

There are the Perfect Ones – These offer you a hello and generally mind their own business. They would however engage in a good conversation if you are willing, without touching on personal aspects of your life.

There are the Encroachers – These will be in your face, enquiring or should I say interrogating you on yourself, your family, work, friends, your birthplace, what you had for breakfast and quite likely the colour of your under-garments too. They will also thwart any plan you devise to escape from the “conversation”, like for example, your sudden urge to go into a slumber.

There are the Coccoons – These will not talk to you, acknowledge you or even offer a hello. God save you if you offer them a hello, which will be immediately met with a curt nod of the head or a blank expression, which says “Do NOT enter my territorial waters”. Their expression would make Professor Hannibal Lecter look like a teddy bear!

There are the Caterers – These are mobile fast food trucks and usually move around with extended families and at the least a ton of food. Half of your refusals will go unheard and the other half you will not be able to mouth because you will have an idli or a dhokla stuffed into your mouth.

There are the Bookworms – These read, read and read as if their life depended on it. They will read on a train, on a flight, on the beach, on a drive, while eating, while drinking and even when on the John. They will read as if the act of putting the book down will be an act of personal slander of the highest order to the poor author and his entire clan.

Then there are the Dozers (my favourites!) – These will conk off the moment their mode of transportation falls into gear. They will sleep in the hotel, on the beach even while forking food into their mouth. They will sleep even if Zeus himself invited the wrath of the Gods on them!

Now if I have missed any category, it is purely unintentional and any such category of co-travellers will be suitably rewarded with a can of beer on my next journey with them!

I conclude by posing a question to you. The question is not which category of co-traveller you travelled with recently. The question is -  Which category of co-traveller are you?