Bus ride

We all travel by buses regularly and lots of other people travel with us too. So, whats so special about that? Its the moments, memories and sentiments adjoined with the ride. Sometimes the bus ride feels like the journey of eternity, we want it never to end. Just go and go on, never to stop. We feel like its the best time. Scenes changing, feelings and emotions along with it. We feel like we are so different.  Ya kid you are day dreaming due to long journey. Sometime we want the journey to end before it begins. We feel like cursed and worst thing happening to us that we are climbing into that moving box of people. I have walked a lot due to this feeling and when I am tired I let this feeling to let go. Sometime the bus is empty, can take any seat you like but we feel sad and lonely and sometimes the bus is like  a beehive of people, a moving hive of people,  no place to put the feet, smelly people all around, chattering and pushing each other and over that all the jerks bus make. We stumble over one another, catching another when we fall and bring him down too. But we laugh in each jerks, in each stumble. We make new friends and talk with them all over a long journey until they are tired, irritated and frustrated and sometimes we remain silent with our close friends. Not only while we are inside the bus but sometimes we have lots of fun when we are getting into or off the bus. Like, running after the bus when we are late and waiting for hours when the bus is late. I can't tell you what comes in my mind during those situation.  And I can tell by my experience that those are the days when we are supposed to reach somewhere really important, in time.
I have lots of memories of bus ride, let me share some with you:
The bus was not fully packed. There were unoccupied seats. Two kids were in front of me. One kid was a handicapped,  he had some problem with his leg, the other was ok. The ok kid was sitting and the disable was standing. I felt strange so tried to listen what they were talking. The seated kid was asking the handicapped kid to sit but the handicapped kid replied, "you pay, you sit, I don't,  I don't". I didn't understand but later came to know that, that kid gets a free ride to his school. So he thought it would be immoral to occupy the seat by which the bus owners earn. I know it's sad but I must say all other people in the bus would have stood if they would get a free ride. Na, I wouldn't.
One day the bus was fully packed and I was sitting. Really lucky day it was and I was feeling like I am the king and all other were my peasants. I saw a women struggling with an infant in her arms, among the people. She was really having a hard time. War of thoughts started in my mind. Should I offer the seat to her? Why should I? There are 32 other people in 32 other seats, if they don't then why should I?  I tried to convince myself but my conscience made me to let go the seat. Finally I stood up. The bus halted, she moved towards me, passed me and got off the bus. It was her stand. I looked down to my seat. I had lost it. Some geeky guy was smiling. He was the new king and I was demoted to peasant directly from king. Then what, I stood next five kilometers.
One day I climbed on an empty bus. I was so overwhelmed. I thought this journey is going to be the most comfortable and enjoyable.  I chose my favorite seat. Last seat at the corner of right side with a large window. Slowly the bus got filled and the journey started. I was happy, smiling inside I was slowly feeling the air. Slowly long inhale and long exhale.  My lungs were so happy. Suddenly water drops started to tickle in my face. The window was a wreck. Ya only mine, others was ok. And I was in the last corner seat, with no where to go.  I fought with the rain for a while and let it win. I was soaked as if I was just thrown into a river. I cursed and cursed myself and my decision and promised myself that I will never again sit on that seat even if it was the last seat in the world. Next day when I climbed the bus I found only that seat empty, I jumped into it. It was my best seat remember!
During long journeys by bus, the bus halts in several places. Somewhere for food and refreshments and somewhere in the middle of jungle for refreshments,  if you know what I mean. Where it stops hawkers with their bucket attack the bus. I have no idea how they sense the bus. It was a similar incident.  The bus was at halt for 15 minutes and was surrounded by hawkers from all sides. You can say there was a hawker in each window. There was a guy sitting next to me. He didn't buy anything just sat and watched. But when he saw the driver climbing on the bus suddenly he asked the hawker for almost everything.  When he got all the items in, the bus went on. That poor hawker guy ran behind the bus for a mile. Everyone laughed and the driver didn't stop the bus.  Maybe he had a share.
These are the few memories I am able to remember.  Maybe at those times I had forgot my headphones home and maybe I wasn't day dreaming.  Now you understand what I do in bus. I stand with the bunch of people in crowded passage of the bus and I am somewhere you don't know.

(If u find it fun, do share your bus stories too.)