Q Please

Winter season is back scaring me with continuous dip in temperature. I never like winters, as it makes my teeth chatter now and then. Also it lets my hands go half numbed making me unable to hold my pen.

Today I had to go to the railway station to book my tickets for Nasik. Though I reached half an hour early from the time of opening of reservation counters i.e. at 8 am, I saw a long queue waiting ahead to get their tickets booked for reaching their respective destinations on time.

I saw people were already standing in five queues. As they called “it was fully packed”. I moved forward. I did not wanted to miss my chance and so humbly became the part of it.

People were standing there from 7^th hour of this chilly morning where mercury dipped to 5 degrees. Yet I saw people around me relaxed, for getting the tickets soon for their place. On the other hand people like me who were standing right at back was a little worried for time it will require to reach up to the counter.

Waiting in queue, I looked around thoroughly. I recalled how last time when I came for booking my tickets, just because of ‘jaan-pehchaan’ (knowing someone out there); I got an easy access to the reservation counter. And then in not more than five minutes the ticket was in my hand. With that printed piece of paper in hand, I walked feeling high as if I have conquered the world (which certainly I did not; a disappointing fact for me J ).

Today, I stood there in a long queue waiting the spokes of clock to strike 8 so that the reservation counters get opened and of course for my number to come after ten to twelve people. Again waiting and looking around, this time my eyes stuck on 

'Q'

                                                                                                  

P

L

E

A

S

E                                                                                                                                          (as it was written there).

Since, it was written thrice on the counter, I was wondering all the time about its meaning. At a glance, I really did not get what it indicated. Later, repeating the word ‘Q Please’ in my mind, I got it. It surely meant Queue Please. This reminded me of modern day text as used while chatting via internet or sending a simple ‘SMS’ on mobile phones.

People say it takes time and space while typing the correct spelling so they use ‘d’ in place of ‘the’ or ‘U’ instead of ‘You’. But here at station ‘Q’ instead of ‘queue’; Why? I wondered.

Till then reservation counter got opened. With that ‘Q Please’ in my mind I proceeded further to get my printed piece of paper in my hand.