Death on the Rajasthan Express

I was interested in returning to Kota because I had volunteered at an orphanage there back in 1995. I hadn't returned since and wondered how things had changed.

The train left only about 5 minutes late so I felt good about the journey to begin with. The train cars were the type I like with all chairs facing one directions and none of those closterphobic compartments. The downside is that they pack 6 seat across rather than the usual 4. I of course was given a middle seat. Fortunately, I was only forced to sit in the middle for half the trip until people reached where they were going. One poor soul never reached his intended destination.

After about 20 minutes into the trip, a tall man, with a green/grey uniform looking outfit staggered up from behind me and tried to take the empty middle seat in the row in front of me. The man on the aisle would not let him sit down either because it was taken or because the man appeared drunk. (At least I thought he seemed drunk although I didn't smell any alcohol.) The man then swayed forward a few more rows and sat in an aisle seat next to 2 ladies. They didn't appear pleased with his decision. After 10 -15 minutes the ladies tried to get someone to have him removed. Shortly before the conductor appeared, I noticed him making a jerking motion with his arm and the people around him were all staring at him, many laughing. Could he have been doing something obscene? I couldn't believe this type of thing would be allowed to happen especially with all the children nearby. Later, I realized he must have been having a seizure. When the conductor came, he tried to force him from the seat but the man appeared to be unconcious, consequently, was dragged out of his seat and onto the floor, and pulled through the aisle until he rested on the floor near my seat until the conductor caught his breath. With a little extra help the man was pulled back to the area between the train cars where he layed. I thought- wow, drunk people really get no respect here. I assumed he'd get up in a bit or he'd be thrown off the train at the next stop for being unticketed. After about an hour or so, I got up to use the bathroom and noticed he was still laying there, now with white foam coming out of his mouth. He was still breathing because there were bubbles popping with each exhale. Is this normal for really drunk people? I remember puking when getting really drunk but not expelling white foam. Again, I guess I trusted that everything was under control and sat back down in my seat and waited for my stop. After another hour or so, the conductor brought a passenger (doctor?) to examine the man. I saw the man check his pulse and I no longer saw bubbles popping with each breath. The passenger then got on his cell phone and made a call. At the next stop, a stretcher was brought on to take the man off. As he rested on the platform a man pulled up his eyelid. It really didn't look good. Within the Hindi around me I could clearly pick out the word 'poison'. Could he have been poisoned? Would he have acted drunk? Would he foam at the mouth? Could he have been saved if someone would have responded as if he was sick rather than just drunk? Afterall, it did take him about 2 hours to die. The strangest thing is that other passengers didn't seem to be that affected by the whole thing. Within minutes of him being pulled off the train, you'd never know they'd just witnessed a death. I sure hope they would be more concerned with a sick or injured foreigner. Ultimately, I arrived in Kota unharmed- physically at least.