Mangalore Memories #2

       I wrote yesterday in Mangalore Memories #1 about how I had ended up boarding the wrong bus. As promised, here is the rest of the story.

       I had boarded the bus at 8:30 am, hoping to reach by 1:30pm. But thanks to my high alertness negligence, now I would reach by 3:30 pm. I wanted to get down and change bus but that was not possible as I had already paid for the ticket (That too 75/- extra as it was a long route) So I sat looking out of the window, trying to think something different. Here is how my time went:

8:30 am

       The bus was going in a wrong route! Was this the right bus? What if I have boarded a wrong one? *Check the ticket* Destination is same! Then another thought stuck! What if these people are kidnapping me! I agree, I have a very creative mind to think like this :P Then a cross checking with mom confirmed what was the mistake.

8:45 am

       As the word of my blunder got out, I started getting calls. Mom, dad, uncle, my brother - they all started calling me. Mom even asked if I was sure I mentioned my destination correctly. I was getting irritated and also was feeling embarrassed.  This incident would be remembered every time I would travel somewhere. 

9:30 am

       Once the initial phone calls ended, I tried t push away the embarrassment and decided to enjoy the journey. Just 2 hours extra; no big deal! I plugged in my earphones and started listening to music. As the rock music played, I could feel my mood brightening slowly.

10:00 am

       Just when my mood was getting better, the bus stopped. There was a long line of vehicles in front of us. After enquiring, we got to know that a tree had fallen and thus the held up. It will be a few minutes before the bus could move again! There went my good mood!! To stop my mood from worsening again, I took out the novel I had brought and started reading it.

10:30 am

       The bus finally started moving. Yay! But within few minutes, we witnessed an accident scene. A bike had crashed with a jeep. Seeing the rider laying in the pool of blood, I felt nauseous! I couldn't read the book further. The murder mystery in it no longer held my interest.

11:30 am

       I had tried to sleep but couldn't. So I was listening to music again. A guy came and sat at the other end of the seat. The seat between us was empty and he had kept his bag there. After a few minutes, he moved his bag to the other end and sat beside me. He tried to make conversation but I refused to acknowledge him, pretending I didn't hear. But he wasn't giving up. So reluctantly I spoke a few words. But within a few minutes, situation had turned so that I had warned him through gritted teeth that if he tried any more tricks, I wouldn't mind hitting him! He left after that. Phew!

12:30 pm

       Something was tickling my left foot. I bent over and to my horror, saw it was a tiny baby cockroach!! One was on my foot and there were three more wandering around! It was a wonder I didn't scream or stand up on the seat. I just moved to another seat and this time, didn't opt the window seat. What had I got myself into!

1:00 pm

       Mom called to ask how was the journey. Now that she had calmed down, she was making fun of me. When I complained, she said "Get used to it. You are going to hear more once you reach Mangalore" That's when I realized the truth. My cousins were going to have fun at my expense.  I started cooking up excuses.

"I wanted to meet at friend in Chikmagaloor. So I took this route"

"I wanted to see which was the other route, you know general knowledge"

"I wanted to roam some more, before coming here"

       I spent the next one hour thinking about various excuses.

2:00 pm

       I was hungry! The bus had stopped for lunch few minutes ago and they had given 10 mins but I was afraid I couldn't make it back and thus had opted not to go. But now I was hungry. I just had one chocolate in my bag and I was opening it when the woman sitting in the front seat threw up. I lost my appetite.

2:30 pm

       The bus was moving in a ghat section. My excuse about taking this route to avoid the ghat section was void now. The driver was driving like a manic. He almost crashed into a lorry, twice! I clutched the rod tightly to avoid falling off and prayed to God, asking his help to  reach my destination alive and in one whole piece!

3:00 pm

       I had no clue where I was! There was no network either. I was feeling so bad. The conductor walked past me at that moment. He smirked every time he saw my face! I was so angry with him for not telling me the truth before. At that moment, the urge to punch his smirking face was the strongest!

3:30 pm

       My uncle had reached the bus stand and I still had no clue where I was. I was feeling entrapped. I wanted to plead them to let me go. I was ready to even crawl all the way to Mangalore, if that was what I should do to reach there. Calls were coming again, asking me where the hell I was; as if I had a clue!

4:00 pm

       Finally, we were close to Mangalore! The sign board said 10 kms. I felt like dancing. 

4:15 pm

       I ran to my uncle when the bus stopped. I had never felt so free in my life as I had felt when I had stepped out of that bus! "Are you hungry?" he asked. At that moment I could have ate anything he gave but all I said was "Just take me home first. I can't believe I was so stupid"

       I swear I am never going to board any bus from now on without checking twice. Yes, I was ridiculed once I reached home but behind that, I could see the concern for me. So I decided not to use the excuses and let them have their share of fun.

Until the next post,

Keep Smiling :)

Love,

Swathi :)

Mangalore Memories #1

       I had one interesting tiring day today. My day started with excitement as I was leaving for my cousin's home in Mangalore and at the end of the day, I am happy that I have reached. But what happened in between is a different story! One that taught so many lessons to me; of course embarrassing me in the process.

      If things are supposed to go wrong, then they will most certainly go so! There is nothing or no one that can stop them from happening. I guess that is the reason I stopped my mother from coming to bus stand to see me off. If she had come, then I would have boarded the right bus and saved some embarrassment. But as I said, things were supposed to go wrong and I told mom that I would go alone. And thus started the series of events I could have otherwise avoided. Here is what happened.

       I took an auto from home till bus stand and as soon as I got off from the auto, I saw a bus leaving for Mangalore. I boarded it hurriedly and the conductor asked 'Where to?' I said Mangalore and there was a slight shock and smirk on his face. I chose to ignore it and took a window seat in a three seat row as soon as he gave me my ticket. The bus started in five minutes. My uncle had asked me to call and inform him by which bus I will be coming and so I did. He asked the bus name and I just said 'No name. It's a government bus' I could sense his hesitation when he said "Oh! Then maybe you will reach late" I just said I will inform him and sat watching the scenery outside the window. I have been to Mangalore many times, so I knew the route. That is why when the bus took a different route, I started panicking.

       The route was that of Bangalore. I asked my brother who was chatting with me on Whats App whether this was the right route. He had left a week before and when he said it wasn't, I started to panic. I checked my ticket and sure enough, it said Shimoga to Mangalore. Then what was wrong? Mom called at that moment, reading the message I had sent saying I have boarded a government bus. As soon as I picked the call, she started shouting. "Don't you know it takes a detour? You will have to sit for few extra hours before you reach! And the ticket amount is more too! Ask the conductor and tell me what time you will reach!" So that was the reason for the different route! I asked what time we would reach Mangalore and the conductor said 3:30 pm! Two hours more than that of a private bus! It was just a beginning of the dreadful series of events that would follow. I braced myself and looked out of the window, trying to find at least something positive in the whole situation.

       What happened next? I will tell you tomorrow ;) Right now, all I can tell you is it will be fun to read!

Until the next post,
Keep Smiling :)

Love,
Swathi :)