Around 8.30PM I went to college to pick my friend
up along with a bunch of my other friends who came for our send off. And there
in Egmore while waiting for the bus, the person in transport office called us and informed that the seat next to me belonged to a lady but the seat next to my friend's
belonged to a married couple and as they wanted to sit together he (my friend) was asked if he could be shifted to a
birth and we had to accept to it in the end. The explanation what the transportation person gave wasn't
convincing enough but I wasn't in the mood to question him so just kept quiet. My
friend wasn't happy enough to let me alone. (oh! come on am not a 2 yr old).
But yes I did feel afraid to be alone then though I never expressed it to him.
The seat next to me was empty for around an hour or
two and so my friend came and sat near me but then the person from the birth
nearby said it belonged to him and would be coming there. So after half an hour my friend left and that person (a guy) came andsat near me. (So much for that transport
officer's explanation). I didn't have the habit of sleeping while sitting so I
couldn't and I was afraid to at that point of time. And worse, my push back was jammed and the woman
in front of me had her seat pushed completely on my leg and my leg was jammed :( .
I told her and she moved a little immediately (only for 10 minutes
though) and pushed her seat even more than before ( I shouldn't have said her
:(
I was in a very bad mood (completely upset) and I
just felt - what if we met with an accident then? At least I didn't have to
continue my journey in the same bus. Someone did hear my thoughts I guess
because the bus stopped in the middle of the road around 4.00AM in the morning.
And the person near me was a lady not that guy who was there before. I didn't
know whe this shift happend. She just got up and went to the birth. I with
great effort lifted my legs and kept on her seat and closed my eyes again.
There was a lot of chaos going on in the bus. Engine failed, bus wouldn't more
so all had to get down. People were shouting at the driver, some at the
conductor. Some were asking about what happened and some asking about reimbursement.
I was silently waiting for everyone to get down. And once the bus was half empty,
I then woke my friend up and we got down. Took our luggage, boarded the next bus
which we came across. The conductor signed our ticket (a proof during reimbursement) and asked us to meet
them in Chennai (Egmore) office once we were back . Later we
came to know that usually never happens.
It was around 5.00AM then. We were in a place
70kms from Trichy. The bus we boarded took us till Trichy for free. Though we
were standing throughout the journey (till Trichy), the AC bus and the timely
help made us feel better.
Once we reached Trichy, we boarded another bus to
Madurai. The conductor took Rs.100 each for all those who came from our
awesomatic bus and Rs.80 each for others. When some questioned and argued, he
said that extra Rs.20 was his commission to take all of us in his bus. But I
must say this, Madurai people are too good in arguing (now I know from where I
got this character in my blood: p ) they managed to get that Rs.20 back from
the conductor.
At 9.30AM we reached Matuthavani bus stand. And
then another bus to Periyar and another to my home - it was 10.15AM when I
reached my home sweet home after 2 years.
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