You might have read the last few unintentionally and inconveniently funny trips I had home. This weekend also the story was more or less the same. With a difference - it was not KSRTC or the rain God made it. It was solely me.
Usually I take the 6:30PM bus. Wednesday, because of the long weekend rush I got ticket for 4:30 bus. Unfortunately the 16:30 time on ticket, I read as the usual 6:30 and planned to leave office accordingly. Only at 5, a casual look at the ticket told me the truth - my bus has left Bangalore ! Misery loves company. And my whole team was in action at once. Teammate Unnikkuttan gave me the brilliant idea of taking it from another point, and we can take a shortcut to reach there before the bus, thanks to the traffic blocks of Bangalore.
We hit the road in an instant and I was trying to call the information center numbers given in the ticket to check where the bus is. One eye was on the ticket and the other on my cell. Expectedly, none of the four numbers were reached. Cursed, I look up to see how Unnikkuttan rides. In the excitement of catching bus, I completely forgot his reputation of being fast and furious driver. He was shifting from left to right and back avoiding potholes, traffic and what not ! That moment I was ready to walk home but to get down from the bike. I didn't want to look chicken, so I kept rooted to the seat and typed 108 and kept the thumb on call button, just in case. So that I can call emergency and tell 'Sir, send an ambulance for us!'.
Within 10 mins, we reached the stop. Unnikkuttan took off the helmet and flashed all 32 admiring his skill! Then I got a call from office saying my bus was through another route ! My going home was necessary. So I decided to go to the interstate bus station, in the other side of the city. Unnikkuttan was thrilled to hear it. Ample opportunity to show his skills ! He flashed 32 again and put the helmet again. I tried to look as sad as possible and told him ' I would love to go there with you, but your skill is very much needed at work. So I will take a bus. Thanks for the ride mate'. He was disappointed and me relieved.
I reached stand around 6:30. I checked a couple of buses and they were full. Thinking of taking the 9PM ordinary bus and was about to leave platform, my angel came. With the footpath aviator and mouthful of pan, he was walking in slow motion with an ear to ear smile. ' You want to go to Thrissur ?'
'Yes' said me.
'Single ?'
'Single, going to be mingled soon'
'No problem. You will get the seat in the 6PM bus.'
'Sir, I want to go tonight and it is already 6:30'
Then the angel told me that the 6PM bus got some starter problem and it is expected to leave anytime. I gave him Rs.500 for a 380 ticket. He accepted it gratefully!
Though I was afraid that the bus may break down in between, it didn't happen. The roads were more or less empty too. The journey was nice, and I reached Thrissur, before the bus I was originally planned to take. And to my surprise when I was getting down angel gave me Rs.70 back. World is not that bad.
I do hope my Sunday journey back to Bangalore will be without any fun. I need some trips that way...
Usually I take the 6:30PM bus. Wednesday, because of the long weekend rush I got ticket for 4:30 bus. Unfortunately the 16:30 time on ticket, I read as the usual 6:30 and planned to leave office accordingly. Only at 5, a casual look at the ticket told me the truth - my bus has left Bangalore ! Misery loves company. And my whole team was in action at once. Teammate Unnikkuttan gave me the brilliant idea of taking it from another point, and we can take a shortcut to reach there before the bus, thanks to the traffic blocks of Bangalore.
We hit the road in an instant and I was trying to call the information center numbers given in the ticket to check where the bus is. One eye was on the ticket and the other on my cell. Expectedly, none of the four numbers were reached. Cursed, I look up to see how Unnikkuttan rides. In the excitement of catching bus, I completely forgot his reputation of being fast and furious driver. He was shifting from left to right and back avoiding potholes, traffic and what not ! That moment I was ready to walk home but to get down from the bike. I didn't want to look chicken, so I kept rooted to the seat and typed 108 and kept the thumb on call button, just in case. So that I can call emergency and tell 'Sir, send an ambulance for us!'.
Within 10 mins, we reached the stop. Unnikkuttan took off the helmet and flashed all 32 admiring his skill! Then I got a call from office saying my bus was through another route ! My going home was necessary. So I decided to go to the interstate bus station, in the other side of the city. Unnikkuttan was thrilled to hear it. Ample opportunity to show his skills ! He flashed 32 again and put the helmet again. I tried to look as sad as possible and told him ' I would love to go there with you, but your skill is very much needed at work. So I will take a bus. Thanks for the ride mate'. He was disappointed and me relieved.
I reached stand around 6:30. I checked a couple of buses and they were full. Thinking of taking the 9PM ordinary bus and was about to leave platform, my angel came. With the footpath aviator and mouthful of pan, he was walking in slow motion with an ear to ear smile. ' You want to go to Thrissur ?'
'Yes' said me.
'Single ?'
'Single, going to be mingled soon'
'No problem. You will get the seat in the 6PM bus.'
'Sir, I want to go tonight and it is already 6:30'
Then the angel told me that the 6PM bus got some starter problem and it is expected to leave anytime. I gave him Rs.500 for a 380 ticket. He accepted it gratefully!
Though I was afraid that the bus may break down in between, it didn't happen. The roads were more or less empty too. The journey was nice, and I reached Thrissur, before the bus I was originally planned to take. And to my surprise when I was getting down angel gave me Rs.70 back. World is not that bad.
I do hope my Sunday journey back to Bangalore will be without any fun. I need some trips that way...
