The Longest Journey of My Life
Ever since I have created this blog, I have been thinking hard about what should be my next post. Should I write about some personalities? Or some game I recently watched or should it be something about technology? Then I thought it wouldn’t be a great idea to meddle with these topics. I am sure I will end up screwing it.
Then a sudden thought evoked in me. Why don’t I write something about myself? Some event which happened in my life or some trouble I jumped into. Well if its trouble then I would have plenty of stories to say.
Tada!!! That’s it. The troubles I jumped into!! But… there are plenty… Which one should I mention first!! Hmmm… A tough call.
I thought why don’t I start with the most embarrassing moment in my life!! Yes. That is the one. That’s one thing which I have shared with every other person I met. Biggest foolishness I can ever commit, the one which I always commit.
My college days were nothing special. I was just another normal kid who went to classes, listened to the boring lectures, bunked classes, went to movies, slept and snored in class, cheated and caught during exams and so on.
My college was located in a place which can be the called the former business center of Bangalore. K R Market is one of the dirtiest and crowded places you can ever find in this city. It is also one of the main bus stations from where you could get buses to any corner of this world, at least Bangalore. My college was not exactly in K R Market. It was almost a kilometer away from it. Speaking in a bus commuter’s language it was one stop before K R Market, which was the final destination of the bus which I travel everyday.
One stop prior to my college was Corporation. Corporation can be called the heart of the city as most of the busses moving towards the business and educational centers of Bangalore had to pass through Corporation. This place is one of my favorite because most of the commuters exchange their buses to go to their respective destination. This would bring the head count of the bus from 70s to almost 20s. That means I get a seat.
As usual I was in the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan City Transport) bus, standing next to a sleeping guy, hoping that he wakes up and sees a poor college student standing with a bag which is probably empty, feel pity and ask the student to take his seat. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as that person seemed to have a rough night and had no intentions to wake up. The bus almost reached my favorite place. The person sleeping jumped up realizing that he has over slept and missed the stop he was supposed to get down. He called the guy next to him, who was also sleeping, and rushed to the door. Well it seemed like both had a sleepless night the last day. (No! it was not legalized then!!)
Well well well. That day was a jack pot for me. I got a window seat!!!
A friend who accompanies me to college everyday was seated in front of the seat which just got empty. As any other friend I wanted him to come back and sit beside me. So that we could discuss about the horrible next five hours we had to spend listening to the lectures!!
As I asked my friend to come behind, a person standing next to me started jumping around as if he found a mouse under his table. It was quite natural. He wanted the window seat!! He was casually dressed with a half sleeve shabby shirt which hardly matched his pants. He had thick beards and uncombed hair which naturally gave him “Never bathed for 2 days” look.
I kindly asked him in Kannada.
“Swalpa mundin seat’nalli kuthkollthira? Nanna friend hinde barthane.” ( Could you please be seated in the front row? My friend would like to sit in this one.)
As expected, the answer was rude from him.
“Naanu illi kuthkondre ninge enu problemu” (What the hell is your problem if I sit here!)
I was in no mood to get into a fight with him aware that he is gonna win it anyways considering his well built structure and the strong muscles.
My friend who got up from his seat gradually went back, seeing the desperate guy fighting for the seat. I slowly moved on to the window seat and made him settle on the aisle seat. I didn’t wanna give it away just like that. He can’t win all the way!! Right? Huh!!
After things settled down, my friend turned back to me and asked in Malayalam.
“Enthada prashnam?” (What’s the matter?)
I replied in a disgusted manner.
“Pottanada!” (Nothing. Just a mad guy!)
Little did I know then that next few moments were going to be a moment which I would never forget in my life. A moment, though embarrassing, I would share and laugh about my entire life.
Just as I commented about the guy and turned towards the window, not because I was passing through a beautiful valley and didn’t want to miss the scenic beauty. But I just didn’t want to face the guy who I almost could have had a fight with.
As I turned, someone uttered something in a roaring voice. It was the person whom I least expected to speak. In a least expected language.
“Arada Pottan??????” (Who do you think is the mad guy)
Yes!!! The shabbily dressed guy with the thick beard and strong muscles sitting right beside me, just spoke to me in threatening tone in MALAYALAM. HOLY S#!T !!!
I was dumb struck. My friend pretended as if I was a total stranger to him. I was cornered!! Continues thought flowed through my brain which refused to work at that point of time.Should I book an appointment with the dentist right over? Or should I go for total ayurvedic body massage? Or should I just jump through the window. That was a bit difficult considering the extra pounds I had then. I called the entire list of Gods I remembered at that point of time. I think they were discussing who should go save me first. No one turned up.
I realized that I should stand on my own now. I gave that man a daring “F@#K you” look covering all my emotions and embarrassment. Pretending least bothered about his physique and nothing had happened a while ago I turned towards the window and showed as if I was counting the number of trees on the roadside just avoid any further conversations.
It was taking comparatively longer time to cover the half a kilometer which I travel everyday. The bus stopped in every possible signal. Traffic signal times seemed to have doubled. Irritating two wheelers jumped in front of my bus all the time making it difficult for the driver to pass through.
That day, the half a kilometer I travelled seemed to be the longest journey of my life. A journey which I would never forget. A journey which I would never like to forget!!!!
Then a sudden thought evoked in me. Why don’t I write something about myself? Some event which happened in my life or some trouble I jumped into. Well if its trouble then I would have plenty of stories to say.
Tada!!! That’s it. The troubles I jumped into!! But… there are plenty… Which one should I mention first!! Hmmm… A tough call.
I thought why don’t I start with the most embarrassing moment in my life!! Yes. That is the one. That’s one thing which I have shared with every other person I met. Biggest foolishness I can ever commit, the one which I always commit.
My college days were nothing special. I was just another normal kid who went to classes, listened to the boring lectures, bunked classes, went to movies, slept and snored in class, cheated and caught during exams and so on.
My college was located in a place which can be the called the former business center of Bangalore. K R Market is one of the dirtiest and crowded places you can ever find in this city. It is also one of the main bus stations from where you could get buses to any corner of this world, at least Bangalore. My college was not exactly in K R Market. It was almost a kilometer away from it. Speaking in a bus commuter’s language it was one stop before K R Market, which was the final destination of the bus which I travel everyday.
One stop prior to my college was Corporation. Corporation can be called the heart of the city as most of the busses moving towards the business and educational centers of Bangalore had to pass through Corporation. This place is one of my favorite because most of the commuters exchange their buses to go to their respective destination. This would bring the head count of the bus from 70s to almost 20s. That means I get a seat.
As usual I was in the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan City Transport) bus, standing next to a sleeping guy, hoping that he wakes up and sees a poor college student standing with a bag which is probably empty, feel pity and ask the student to take his seat. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as that person seemed to have a rough night and had no intentions to wake up. The bus almost reached my favorite place. The person sleeping jumped up realizing that he has over slept and missed the stop he was supposed to get down. He called the guy next to him, who was also sleeping, and rushed to the door. Well it seemed like both had a sleepless night the last day. (No! it was not legalized then!!)
Well well well. That day was a jack pot for me. I got a window seat!!!
A friend who accompanies me to college everyday was seated in front of the seat which just got empty. As any other friend I wanted him to come back and sit beside me. So that we could discuss about the horrible next five hours we had to spend listening to the lectures!!
As I asked my friend to come behind, a person standing next to me started jumping around as if he found a mouse under his table. It was quite natural. He wanted the window seat!! He was casually dressed with a half sleeve shabby shirt which hardly matched his pants. He had thick beards and uncombed hair which naturally gave him “Never bathed for 2 days” look.
I kindly asked him in Kannada.
“Swalpa mundin seat’nalli kuthkollthira? Nanna friend hinde barthane.” ( Could you please be seated in the front row? My friend would like to sit in this one.)
As expected, the answer was rude from him.
“Naanu illi kuthkondre ninge enu problemu” (What the hell is your problem if I sit here!)
I was in no mood to get into a fight with him aware that he is gonna win it anyways considering his well built structure and the strong muscles.
My friend who got up from his seat gradually went back, seeing the desperate guy fighting for the seat. I slowly moved on to the window seat and made him settle on the aisle seat. I didn’t wanna give it away just like that. He can’t win all the way!! Right? Huh!!
After things settled down, my friend turned back to me and asked in Malayalam.
“Enthada prashnam?” (What’s the matter?)
I replied in a disgusted manner.
“Pottanada!” (Nothing. Just a mad guy!)
Little did I know then that next few moments were going to be a moment which I would never forget in my life. A moment, though embarrassing, I would share and laugh about my entire life.
Just as I commented about the guy and turned towards the window, not because I was passing through a beautiful valley and didn’t want to miss the scenic beauty. But I just didn’t want to face the guy who I almost could have had a fight with.
As I turned, someone uttered something in a roaring voice. It was the person whom I least expected to speak. In a least expected language.
“Arada Pottan??????” (Who do you think is the mad guy)
Yes!!! The shabbily dressed guy with the thick beard and strong muscles sitting right beside me, just spoke to me in threatening tone in MALAYALAM. HOLY S#!T !!!
I was dumb struck. My friend pretended as if I was a total stranger to him. I was cornered!! Continues thought flowed through my brain which refused to work at that point of time.Should I book an appointment with the dentist right over? Or should I go for total ayurvedic body massage? Or should I just jump through the window. That was a bit difficult considering the extra pounds I had then. I called the entire list of Gods I remembered at that point of time. I think they were discussing who should go save me first. No one turned up.
I realized that I should stand on my own now. I gave that man a daring “F@#K you” look covering all my emotions and embarrassment. Pretending least bothered about his physique and nothing had happened a while ago I turned towards the window and showed as if I was counting the number of trees on the roadside just avoid any further conversations.
It was taking comparatively longer time to cover the half a kilometer which I travel everyday. The bus stopped in every possible signal. Traffic signal times seemed to have doubled. Irritating two wheelers jumped in front of my bus all the time making it difficult for the driver to pass through.
That day, the half a kilometer I travelled seemed to be the longest journey of my life. A journey which I would never forget. A journey which I would never like to forget!!!!
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