[tscii]
At 2:10pm, I finish work, come out of a building in Borough High Street and call X-man to tell him I am on my way to the meeting point where we were supposed to meet at around 2:30pm.

“Hey, X-man … am on my way”

“Yeah, am leaving office now in 5 mins, will see you at London bridge in 15 mins”

“So where do we meet at London bridge? Which line?”

“I will come from Canary Wharf.. So, on Jubilee line… Will meet at the Jubilee line platform”

“Jubilee line? Ok.. but bound in which direction? East or West?”

“We have to go to Willesden green.. So come to that platform no…”

“Okie.. Will see u at the platform then.. bye”

(For those who are wondering whats this all about, London Underground network is a metro system in London. It is commonly called Tube and if the Tube network breaks on any given day, London will come to a standstill. Tube is such an integral part of London life and anyone who has lived in London even for a very short while would have travelled in it at least once.
There are many lines, similar to the multiple lines in Mumbai train network. London Bridge, as the name suggests, is a tube station near London Bridge and is served by 3 lines – Jublilee line, Circle line and District line. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Underground can give you some more insight about this complex and vital transport system in the largest metropolitan area of the European Union.)

I reach London bridge station, Jubilee line platform at 2:20pm and wait for X-man. I look at the time for next train and I see that the 3rd train from then will reach at 2:30pm. So, lets say X-man gets a bit delayed, he should anyway reach by that train. I watch the 3 trains go by and I can see everyone else in London other than X-man is arriving …

Now, I can’t even call him as there is no coverage in the Tube network when it is underground . I had to believe I am waiting at the right platform and he knew I am waiting here..
Ah!! There comes the next train, may be he missed the previous one by a few seconds, he has to be in this… I try to take a bet as to which compartment he was going to come out of… I don’t mind losing on this bet so long as he comes out of some compartment or other… There you go!!! One more train but no X-man
Doubt starts creeping into my mind.. did I do any mistake.. did he say 15 mins or 50 mins? But Canary Wharf is just 3 stations from here, so it cant take 50 mins.. it has to be 15…
So, did he say he will meet me in the platform where the trains are bound for Willesden Green or at the platform where trains are bound for Canary Wharf? Or may be he said he will meet me at the entrance and not at the platform…. What do I do now? Should I go to the entrance or the other platform or continue to believe it is just a matter of delay and not a mistake…..

2:45 pm
I stopped taking bets now . There comes a train that goes to Stanmore. The train stops, people are getting down and anyway, X-man is not going to be in this.

Is this true?? X-man has indeed come… finally…. Or have I looked for him so much that I am assuming someone else to be him… But no, he is also smiling at me and waving his hand… it is X-man… ‘Hurray!!! It was not a mistake at last’


We immediately get back into the same train as it goes to Baker street where we have to get down to change to another line for the train to Willesden Green

‘Hey! I started on time but a colleague of mine caught me while I was just getting out and that’s why… sorry for the delay’

‘That’s fine’

The train starts and we head to Baker Street.

Yes, that’s the station to get down if you want to go to the world’s most famous address – 221b, Baker Street, the official home of Sherlock Holmes. But no…. we are not going there today!!!!

http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/