Friday, October 16, 2009

The 90 mins bus ride: I survived!

"Acha (means Dad in my regional language) its OK.... I will make it to Trichur myself. I have taken the same route between 1995 to 1998! And how different will it be now", were my words to my dad as he insisted he joins me till Trichur from my home town. But seeing the 'steel' determination and desire for adventure, dad gave in and put me on a bus that looked in good condition, to Trichur. (Gladly dad does not insist. Though he would break into my toddler-age story of how I exhausted my mother's Creme21 by plastering it across the window sill in 5 minutes of meeting him, though very sensitive in cradling my childhood days, dad accepts and realises I have grown up to take care of myself).

After boarding the bus, I settled into one of the 'Ladies Only" seat. I do not want to sound pompous but its been many years since I had got into a bus at my native place or at my current place of stay. I felt nostalgic as the same bus stops passed by that I had seen 11 years back. Did time come to a stand still in these 10 years? I was asking these sentimental questions to myself, when I was jolted to reality as the driver brought the bus to a 'rude' stop! I was shaken to see the bus had just managed to inch past a group of men who were standing by the road to cross it. I was shocked and looked for some agitation from the men who managed to cling to their life, the other passengers who were jostled in their seat like me, for a sense of relief on the driver's face...but NONE! Nobody bothered that the bus was speeding at 80kph speed on a narrow road with life bustling on either sides of it. Nobody were concerned that the driver was rash driving. I was a little embarrassed at my state of shock, as the bus leaped into a next burst of rash driving, with the cleaner of the bus banging to its side....is version of an air horn!

there were at least three more such incidents, couple of times, I covered my eyes, when the people or the vehicles parked got a rebirth! I had a iron handrail to clutch at and prayers in me to keep my body and soul together.

I dare not ask if the driver has a permit, the cleaner has any first-aid awareness, the health-check of the bus etc. I barely managed to ask the cleaner of they would take the bus through a particular road. His answer was "If we need to fill diesel, we will go by the road you want to get down at". I managed to lipread him, as half his words were 'blown away' by the wind thanks to the speeding bus!

After getting down and gathering my wits, it took me some time to feel the road under my feet! My whole being was still feeling the rattling, the wind and the sudden 'rude' braking of the bus!

I had travelled the same route 11 years back...the buses were not very different. I never complained or cribbed as I am doing now. What has changed? Am I feeling elite? Have I aged so early? OR maybe I realised the value of life and the joy to be alive on this beautiful planet. My life is more dearer to me than what it was 11 years back!

City alive at 04:30 AM

I was taking a 05:30 AM train the other day. The car came to pick me up at 04:30 AM. I was a little anxious to be out on the roads when it did look like night time. Yet as the car drove past the lovely stretch of Kowdiar Palace, I was taken aback and at the same time happy!

The footpath was busy. there were people walking, jogging or catching up with friends! Hey! I am talking of that period of time, much before day break.

And what do you think is the age group of the citizens I saw? They were all above the age of 60! :) We and our children can proudly say, "My grandpa wakes up at 04:00 AM. He is an early riser". What will our grandchildren say about us: our generation? "My grandpa misses his laptop even at daybreak. I see him hunched over his old system but not able to do anything due to stiff fingers. Why can he go for a walk?"

All the people I saw so early in the morning looked healthy and happy. They were taking the pleasure of all positive ions and fresh oxygen. They were enjoying the company of their friends while getting the lovely stretch just for themselves and before it got patched by cars and more people!

I felt a pang of guilt. Had it not been for the train, I would be snoozing under the sheets at 04:30 AM. What would you be doing at 04:30 AM on any regular day? Ditto. Snoozing! :)