'To That Loud Bengali Family...': Man Shares 'Annoying' Toy Train Story With An Unexpected Twist
A travel blogger has shared his experience of travelling with a "loud Bengali family" and how the trip changed his outlook. Read all about it here.
Travel, food, and lyadh (lazy leisure) — the three aspects that define a 'true Bengali'. You would hardly find a Bengali who goes on a diet or doesn't crave that long weekend getaway. When he's not doing the first two, he can be found on the bed with a blanket or sheet pulled over his head. And how does a Bengali react when he gets the first two? He's awestruck at the tiniest of things and is "loud" in expressing his astonishment.
Check out this breathtaking shot of the Kalka-Shimla toy train.
This is not AI generated. This is real.
— Go Himachal (@GoHimachal_) December 19, 2024
Kalka-Shimla toy train - UNESCO World Heritage site. pic.twitter.com/zwtfLpys7g
Bengali families travelling on trains and being awestruck at the smallest of things might be a cliché. Some might even find it "annoying". However, eventually, they would realise that the ability to find joy in the tiniest of things is something we all would cherish, but often lack.
One such incident was described on Instagram by traveller Abhinav Chandel. He found himself travelling with a large Bengali family on the Kalka-Shimla toy train. Sharing his experience of the "loud Bengali family", Chandel said: "So, I travelled by the Kalka-Shimla toy train yesterday. The train departed at around 5:45 AM from Kalka. I was seated in a coach where my co-passengers were a Bengali family of around 10-11 people and two couples."
"As the journey began, their loud noises filled the tiny toy train compartment, annoyed I put on my headphones and started looking outside the window. Who talks so loudly so early in the morning," he asked.
View this post on Instagram
Chandel said he could hear them shouting and droning on with their "endless conversations" over his headphones as the train moved ahead. "I thought I'd probably have my headphones on for the entire journey... until this one moment, when I saw them all, including the two couples just excitedly looking outside the window and screaming," he said.
Chandel took off his headphones to figure out the reason behind the commotion. He was surprised to find: "They were all excited about this piece of cloud above a beautiful patch of valley. A few minutes later, everyone was on the window again, trying to make one of the kids in their group spot the fog floating through the valley down below."
Kalka - Shimla Toy Train Journey ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VGMOkSO6Oc
— Go Himachal (@GoHimachal_) January 26, 2025
The excitement continued as the family spotted a tree filled with white flowers and then about the way the sunlight was pouring through the window. They got excited over something as routine as a tunnel and a bridge. "And whenever the train would stop, they'd all get down the coach, only to come running as the train was about to leave the station," he said.
What wowed Chandel was every moment of theirs was filled with fun and laughter and wonder about the world outside the window. They were all taking turns to get their pictures clicked; these were people in their 30s, 40s and 50s," he said.
"And then, one of the family members decided to stand by the door and get their pictures clicked. Which prompted the TTE to scold them at the next station and fine them," he said.
Check out this photo of the Arch Gallery Bridge on the Kalka-Shimla railway.
The beautiful capture of the toy train passing over Bridge 541, also known as the famous Arch Gallery Bridge on the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Built in 1898, the bridge is 23 m tall and is made of stone and brick. Pic courtesy, Isa Khan! #IndianRailways @himachal_queen @_ShivaniSD pic.twitter.com/Ha7COmWeNE
— Ananth Rupanagudi (@Ananth_IRAS) February 23, 2025
"Now, you'd expect a normal family to sit quietly, and be a little angry or frustrated. But no, they all laughed everything off and even though no one hung around by the door after that, the fun and excitement did not stop," he said. Interestingly, the headphones that came off never went up for the next five hours of the journey as the fun and frolic of the "loud Bengali family" infected even Chandel.
He said it was his 20th journey by the toy train. On his previous trips, Chandel would find half the coach bored to sleep after the first two hours of the slow ride. "Also, when it comes to trains, I'm usually the most enthusiastic one. But this time, I was probably the least enthusiastic one in the coach and it made me super happy," Chandel said in his post.
What a beautiful transformation of Kalka Shimla you train of Himachal
— Siddharth Bakaria (@SidHimachal) May 31, 2023
The new beautiful Coach of Kalka - Shimla toy train
Thank you PM @narendramodi and @AshwiniVaishnaw ji pic.twitter.com/D6z5TZBKLV
He then goes on to apologise to the family for having misjudged their excitement. "Here's to that loud Bengali family on the train — I am sorry that I was so wrong about you. And now I wish, there were more people in the world like you all, who are excited about everything beautiful around us, who get so excited by nature, who'd brush off tiny mishappenings and continue having fun. Thank you for teaching me this sweet lesson."
So, the next time you find a Bengali super excited by a tiny flower, a floating cloud, or even a small piece of maachh bhaja (fried fish), try to share the excitement without judgment.
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