LOVE ON THE ROAD

THIS WEEK ZOË MEETS SOME UNWELCOME FELLOW TRAVELLERS

Ah, the romance of the train. It's always been my favourite mode of transport, even before I fell in love at first sight on one.

So I was looking forward to the night train to Jaipur, the capital of magical Rajasthan.

We booked first-class tickets in a cabin of four beds, and I envisioned myself as an Agatha Christie glamour puss with Train Man as my dashing cohort – but with backpacks.

But our carriage looked more old curry house than Orient Express, with peeling flock wallpaper and rusty light fittings. I was gutted.

TM, ever the optimist, pointed out its faded charm and gestured towards the sign on the carriage door. It would be just us for the five hours to Delhi, then we'd be joined by another passenger.

"Brilliant!" I said. We hadn't been alone in three weeks.

But minutes after setting off, a mouse shot across the bunk opposite.

"There's a mouse in here!" I screamed, making TM jump. Then I cried for the second time in a fortnight. TM looked shocked and, to be honest, I was being a bit psycho.

Even worse, he couldn't get the mouse out of our cabin.

He tried for four hours – a Calvin Klein-clad builder's bum poking out from under the bed while he turned into Frank Spencer chasing the mouse. Resigned to our fate, we huddled up on the top bunk.

Inside, I was angry at TM because a) he hadn't caught the mouse and b) India had been his idea.

Worse still, when the man from Delhi got on, he peppered the cabin with booming farts and the loudest snoring ever.

It was even less funny getting off at Jaipur at 5am. The mist, the dark, the beggars, the stench... I cried into TM's scarf.

"Things will look up when it gets light," he said. No it won't, I thought, until I remembered Jaipur is the gem capital of India, and how he could really cheer me up if he wanted to...

Miles covered: 273

Terse sentences exchanged: 5, on one horrific night

Love of mammals: Minima

Next week: Zoë is surprised by a romantic proposal