Novel journeys

There was the promise of adventure, surprise, even a meet-cute, built into long-distance train travel. It’s no use even trying to people-watch now, with everyone staring into their phones. What a lot we stand to lose this way

- Poonam Saxena

The last time I was at the Delhi airport, I decided to people-watch.

What kinds of things did groups, couples and families do now, as they waited for a flight? I needn't have bothered. Everyone was on their phones. Ona recent long-distance train journey, it was the same.

I confess, I felt a pang.

I thought back to even 20 years ago, when people would hurry to the railway platform bookstall, with its fragrance of fresh paper, to buy a small pile of magazines and paperbacks before their train arrived. I would invariably pick up (guilt-free, since you were allowed to read frivolous stuff on the train) film magazines and at least a couple of thrillers. Other, more serious-minded passengers would buy newspapers and newsmagazines.

On the train, everyone would freely borrow each other's purchases. (Incidentally, I never saw anyone buy the books on palmistry that bookstalls were so fond of stocking.)