Bus Chronicles

We take a lot of things for granted and we assume too. I am so guilty of this. We decided to travel by the bus back to Chandigarh from Jalandhar just to avoid the driver making an unnecessary trip and to save fuel, do the bit for environment and more so I had travelled for the last few years on the private buses which were comfortable, saved time even if they drove like a bus possessed or like the Knights bus from the famous iconic Harry potter series. They can squeeze themselves from all sorts of spots and the drivers drive like as if they had just come from the grand prix circuit. Well, enough of them, so I wanted to travel by the same bus but that for some reason was delayed and was going later, but the same make, government luxury bus was leaving in five minutes.

And it was 1/3^rd cheaper too! My son and I sat down thinking we would be in time for tea. The interiors all seemed the same and it had similar finishing done inside to look just like the super fast swanky bus service I was talking about. But, that is where the similarity ended, it was so dirty that it was not funny; the glass windows had streaks to resemble the houses shown in Ramsay horror movies. Dark long streaks of encrusted dirt resembling some sort of architecture. The poor bottle holder had long lost its elasticity and was loose, limp and just there. The seats were comfortable, I must give you that and I mentally prepared myself that it is all Ok and its no big deal, nothing was touching me directly so I could bear this.

We thought, the bus would start on time as promised but no; no I was in for a surprise. First comes in the bhel puri wala, street food, yummy fresh out of a steel bucket with tomatoes, onion garnishing done for you, there and then. Then comes, in the pingalwara man asking fro donations to save the poor orphan, the special child and he shoves the black box under your nose, promising the best for you, your children ad promising a son to you! What if I wanted a daughter? I guess  that is not on the cards for the Punjabis.

You think, after all this he bus would start, no no, we get a walking talking Panditji, an astrologer who would fix your shani, rahu and ketu so that you get married, get a job, and sohna munda! No wonder, the society isn’t moving forward, we all just want sons. .

However, the bus wala, is in the meanwhile testing the bus engine, in splutter, splatter and you get all shaken up, breaks are tested (of which I am happy about). Look at the conscientious driver who checks all safety features, thanks to an over efficient bureaucrat babu sitting gin his warm cozy office in Sector 9. Oh, by the way, windows have two holes near your ear so that one gets whistling sounds of air, piercing cold mind you in this winter.

We start the bus journey and all I know is the speed at which we travel is so safe that even the cyclist or as my son sarcastically says, Oh look Mama Milkha Singh is faster than us! It trudged along and we were so slow that all one could do was look out of the window which one misses when whizzing by. Punjab is indeed beautiful and the names of the villages!! Interesting by the minute, in fact every village has a neighboring one that is of the opposite gender. Figure that one out, if the fore fathers didn’t believe in discrimination, why did we start?

The bus also stopped after a couple of hours at a designated stop where we were given fifteen minutes to do your business and to have the famous chaa-shaa. It takes a courageous person to go to the toilets; this is where the swacch abhiyaan needs to start. The person sitting up front takes 2rs, a paltry sum to clean but the stench can just kill you sitting in the bus. I wish the politicians who so claim to be with junta, public would go visit one such place. This was an eye opener.

However, as all journeys go, there is always magic somewhere for the jaded me. Near Kharar, a young boy of 15 or so climbed up and started strumming a song on his toombi with ghungroos on one side, the raw voice belting out a romantic song touched one and it brought a smile.

All was forgiven, for the live entertainment that won hands down over the loud Punjabi movie that is always played in the other buses.

Oh, did I mention the bus driver was so courteous, we stopped for everyman ,woman , child on the road and the famous Punjabi chivalry was there , alive and kicking and very much in force !

His, huni leo ji is what resonates and the bus chronicles continues. Try it , it is infectious for us jaded city folks . Please keep in mind that with the rolling speed and the breaks, every part of the body is tested and massaged!!!

A new year awaits us , we all are busy in our lives but some where to slow the pace of our lives and to enjoy the small things give us the best memories .