``I knew about the ban and so I came prepared,'' says Sahoo, a cadet at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.

Archana Rao, who is going to her home in Hyderabad, had half a pack and was planning to buy more at a station further down in her journey. ``I thought the ban was just in Delhi,'' she says, but praises the ban. ``It is going to be very effective. If I knew I would not get cigarettes throughout, I may still buy only one packet. I may just decide to smoke less.'' Over 15 trolleys that were selling cigarettes on the New Delhi Railway station have now switched to biscuits and mango juice in tetrapacks. In the Old Delhi station stalls have switched to vending humble chai, while in Nizamuddin, the two exclusive bidi trolleys may soon be selling puri bhaji.

Mahinder, a vendor at New Delhi Railway Station, who stands near the ticket counter at Ajmeri Gate says nobody is even looking at his bottled water, cold drinks or fruit juice except those who are still unaware of the ban and come asking for cigarettes and go back disappointed. He is absolutely disgusted with the ban, especially as his rival selling cigarettes outside the station is minting money.

The vendor outside has definitely hiked his rates; Wills for instance costs Rs 19 at his shop, which is over a rupee more than the retail price. ``They do not even look at what I have and no one likes fruit juice. Earlier they used to stop here for cigarettes, and then on second thoughts pick up other things. Now there is nothing to pull them here,'' Mahender says. His daily sale figure of Rs 2,000 has plunged to Rs 600.

There was no surreptitious selling as this reporter could not buy a single packet off a vendor at the New Delhi Railway station. Pitying an apparently frustrated customer, one of the vendors offered his personal pack of Wills. Another in Nizamuddin charitably offered one of his two remaining Red and Whites.

In Nizamuddin, only two trolleys were for cigarette sale. Ashok, the owner of one of the trolleys, says that nobody will risk flouting the ban as it may result in forfeiture of the stall. ``We may now sell either fruits or puri and sabji,'' he says.

At Old Delhi Railway Station 18 cigarette trolleys are awaiting allotment of substitute wares but three of the stalls which were selling cigarettes alongwith cold drinks and biscuits, have started selling tea. And the owners are stoical about the ban. ``Even I am a smoker, and it is almost a substitute for food and drink for many commuters. But whatever the government decides is fine,'' says Ranmurat Pandey, a vendor.

Subedar Mohan Lal who was waiting for his train to Gwalior at Nizamuddin railway station said he had brought cigarettes from Jammu and said the ban and the general opposition to smoking did help as it made him smoke less in train than he used to.

Niti, who works in a software company in the Capital, has additional advice for the government. ``The pantry boys must be empowered to fine those who smoke in the compartments,'' she says.