The very me in me

"The Journey should be as interesting as the destination."not sure whos quote it is but what if that very "interesting" turns into a adventure or rather a mis-adventure !!

Last month I was on my way back from India to my foster home out in Matsumoto. Since we(I and Amit) couldnt get a decent mode of transportation that evening from Tokyo, we booked our luggage with a luggage service, which was destined to be at my residence the following day at 1500Hrs. Then we made it to a friends room close to shinjuku station. We freshened up and then at 2300Hrs hit the road, had a quick dinner and as the rest planned to venture into the night life of Tokyo, I was pretty much tired as I been hopping flights from Vizag - Hyderabad - Bangalore - Kaulalumpur -Tokyo and also needed to take the early train the next morning to Matsumoto.So I checked online :if I take the 1030Hrs train I will safely make it in time, but preferred the 0900Hrs, and finally it was 0200Hrs when I slumbered.

At the 0800 Hrs alarm, I gave my self to some snoozing which resulted in an unsettling 0920Hrs. I jumped into my trousers and ran like Glenn Cunningham to the local station and at 0950hrs was in the `Q` to buy a ticket for the Azusa Express(shinjuku-matsumoto).I asked for 1030Hrs Azusa, but was prompted by the travel assistant to take the 1000Hrs as Azusa starts from Platform No 5, to which I hesitantly nodded. I ran in a hurry when I noticed that I hardly have 2 minutes to make it. I was getting down the stairs when I heard the all familiar buzz that turns up before the express train doors lock. I was swift and put my right leg into the Express Train with the other on the platform, when the door slammed in.I tried pulling my leg out but it was in vain. Neither I can push myself in nor pull myself out. I went into a shock, how come the anti lock system not work. I turned my head to my right only to add to my agony that the platform was empty and when I turned to my left only one man stood crossed the yellow line and he was my last hope.Helpless as I gestured that I was not able to move. Totally in a shock not a word came from my mouth.My last ray of hope did the needful and the door opened. I pushed myself in and the doors closed behind me. I just took a heavy breath just to come in terms with what transpired in the last 3 minutes. I started a root cause ananlysis which lead me to: the error(~2 mintues) that crept in when I set the time from IST to JST at the Narita Airport.The trained pulled out of the station and was gaining speed. I was trudging towards my coach when the electronic marquee in the coach read "The Next Stop is Tokyo".

I could hardly recollect that tokyo comes on the way from shijuku to Matsumoto, I queried and there I was on the wrong train. Cursing my self of all the bad calls I made from the morning I stood helpless. Cleared my head of all the fuss and started the mitigation plans. If I can take the return train from Tokyo to shinjuku and be in time for the 1030hrs train, then I will be home as planned. It was 1015hrs when I ended up in tokyo station, took the chou line and was back in Shinjuku by 1025hrs. Made sure I was on the right platform with Azusa heading for Matsumoto and hopped in. The ticket collector directed me to an unreserved coach, elated that I finally managed to get on to the right train.