Thalys happens to be a super-fast-TGV league luxury train. & bloody expensive as well! 15 €, 1 way! Thalys serves the BeNeLux countries, linking them with France and Germany. Hence, almost all of them, start from Gare Du Nord, which is the northern terminus of Paris. As luck would be, Versailles is in the west and Lozere (from where Avin, Maru, Pandey, DJ & a debutant Das, would come) is in the south. Paris dutifuly works 35 hours in the week and no more & doesn't even think of Saturday dawns.
Waking up at 05h20, was a good idea. Not waking up earlier - was a bad idea.
In anticipation, of failing myself - I had cleverly (ya.. rite) shaved and bathed the night before. Out of bed, dot on the 4th snooze, I woke up Prakhar and was ready to roll at 05h28. Prakhar has, by then dutifully taken his place on the comode. The 5 from Lozere, had by now comfortably boarded the train, that would take them to Gare Du Nord - no change. Things didn't really look bright then. Nevertheless, managed to get along with Prakhar onto the 1st bus of the day. [Ohh! Did I mention that Paris prefers to sleep on Saturdays]. Since, it was the premier bus, managed to drain out some guilt, inspite of the fact that the bus wasn't supposed to be caught anyways.
Reached Versailles Chantiers at 05h56. 59 minutes to the departure .
No train from Chantiers, till 06h15. There was only 1 four letter word, I could think off!
Got on to train for Montparnasse - sans arrêt. Some angel removed a few stops. 06h27 touched Montparnasse. As luck would have it, Metro ligne 4, is farthest from the Grand Lines. By farthest, I mean a few hundred metres, involving a 4 lane walker, as well. When your train leaves from another station, 10 stops away from the subway station abt 250 m away, in 20 mins - you know its a long haul and there is only 1 four letter word you can think off! Apparently, Prakhar can't run/ walk/ or even sit for a prolonged stretch. As a result, he was caught napping, literally, when the metro came & sleep walked into it, only to resume his reclining stable state in minutes.
In Metro at 06h35. 20 minutes and counting. 11 odd stops in between.
Now there was this peculiar issue of Prakhar, having to validate his Eurail Pass. Its done, at a SNCF counter. So when we reached the Gare Du Nord, station, I directed Prakhar to the reservation counters of the train and steamed down the station for Thalys at platform number 8, and up the platform for coach 16.
DJ, aka Bahraini, was faithfully waiting at the gate. I managed to catch hold of him. Climbed aboard the train, and within less than 5 minutes, the train left. Closely made it.
& ya! Prakhar didn't. The only time, I was not with him, he managed to miss the train. Everyone, had to obviously, blame me for it!
7 IITians can't do a thing right, at 06h55 on a Saturday.
There was only 1 way, the other 5 made it - Nightout mara!
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