I have always been fascinated by this commuting system in our country.The Bus.For some reason, I feel the bus is so much more than just a chassis with a roaring engine,much more than just an auto mobile.For me it is more of a means of non verbal communication.Feel free to argue with me, but I have been planning on writing this blog post for quite some time now.So here goes...
In the olden times, people were fascinated by The Bus.People in the rustic,rural areas found it as their only source to travel to the city, a place which offered new hopes for dreamers like me.So yes, it seemed something brilliant to them, something as a tool that provided opportunity. And hence they would wait with so much anticipation and enthusiasm for The Bus.And for spontaneous people like me, it was the means of going on an adventure.
I recall this short story we had in class 8th, where a girl of 8 years,Valli, is so taken at awe by this bus that travels through her village everyday at regular intervals of 2 hours.I can put myself in her shoes and say that it indeed fascinated me when I was younger.
And that feeling when you are sitting and quietly observing out the window and deeply contemplating life...exquisite...
Travelling almost everyday in the local bus during my schooling years, has been a joyful ride.For me it was not just about going from point A to point B.Everyday was a new day in the bus. Everyday I would see new faces.Every face had a story to tell.And me being the person who stands on the sidelines and observes, enjoyed this experience very much.If you watch your fellow passengers closely, you see that they are most of the times, if not always, themselves.You come to know so much about these passengers when you travel with them.
For example a pompous lady,who is dressed really to her extents, might be attending a wedding or some other religious function.Oh and the way she would talk to her friend/neighbour...as though she has all the authority to boss over other's life!!!One could say that she has her way with her husband!
Or look at the old man sitting there on the seat saying senior citizen.When I look into his eyes, for some reason I see sadness.I see him not being able to get the love of his child that he deserves.I see him not regretting all the sacrifices he and his wife made for their child, hence forgiving the child's mistake and moving on.
Then I see a simple man dressed in simple clothes carrying the weekly grocery.I see his enthusiasm, because he is pretty excited and happy to give his kids some new fruits that they enjoy.This makes me so happy,because despite not being rich, the man is at ease an satisfied with his life, which I wish we all were.
Sometimes I see the girls with the kohl draped eyes,typing away on their pesky little cellphones with their posh manicured hands, or the boys dressed in a way as if they had fallen into a big cauldron of paint, trying to seek the girls' attention.Trust me, these scenes are hilarious!!
So travelling from my place to the heart of the city was really an adventure.This may seem a bit of an exaggeration to you but honestly one must experience The Bus.The passengers and the ticket collector, or as we say, the conductor, have a different kind of language which is unique in its own way.Even if you are a rare bus passenger, the conductor somehow knows where you want to go.I call it intuition.And it is something I find subtly beautiful.
I have found myself having a nice conversation with some people who are new in the area.It is really nice how two people can share their thoughts over a small distance journey.And then I realised that in spite of saying the world is a small place,I may not meet these people ever again.I treasure the few minutes I shared with them.Because I realised that it takes less than few minutes for someone to impact your life, and the fact that you may not meet them ever again, makes you realise how small and insignificant we are in this big cruel world.
Alas,of late, The bus that I travel through now, to come to college, is full of people who enjoy the morning slumber.The bus feels so lifeless everyday.Its like people are just exhausted of their lives and are just mooted there, going on with life for the sake of it,having lost all their avidness in the daily travails of life.Makes me wonder, would I become like them eventually?Shudder...
Added to that is the worst tragedy this country faced on 16th December 2012.This same bus that fascinated me, took as well as gave something important to us,the women of India.That night was every girl's nightmare.Even while writing this I have goosebumps all over my body.That night, that bus, those men, that place, took away our security.It took away our safety.It took away our trust.It took away our freedom of being a woman in this free country.But it also gave us an important aspect.It invoked in each and every woman in this country a NIRBHAYA...
Just like how Valli's enthusiasm was doused when she saw the once gleeful cow lying dead because of a road kill, The Bus has become an intimidating factor for me and I no longer look at it the same way...
In the olden times, people were fascinated by The Bus.People in the rustic,rural areas found it as their only source to travel to the city, a place which offered new hopes for dreamers like me.So yes, it seemed something brilliant to them, something as a tool that provided opportunity. And hence they would wait with so much anticipation and enthusiasm for The Bus.And for spontaneous people like me, it was the means of going on an adventure.
I recall this short story we had in class 8th, where a girl of 8 years,Valli, is so taken at awe by this bus that travels through her village everyday at regular intervals of 2 hours.I can put myself in her shoes and say that it indeed fascinated me when I was younger.
And that feeling when you are sitting and quietly observing out the window and deeply contemplating life...exquisite...
Travelling almost everyday in the local bus during my schooling years, has been a joyful ride.For me it was not just about going from point A to point B.Everyday was a new day in the bus. Everyday I would see new faces.Every face had a story to tell.And me being the person who stands on the sidelines and observes, enjoyed this experience very much.If you watch your fellow passengers closely, you see that they are most of the times, if not always, themselves.You come to know so much about these passengers when you travel with them.
For example a pompous lady,who is dressed really to her extents, might be attending a wedding or some other religious function.Oh and the way she would talk to her friend/neighbour...as though she has all the authority to boss over other's life!!!One could say that she has her way with her husband!
Or look at the old man sitting there on the seat saying senior citizen.When I look into his eyes, for some reason I see sadness.I see him not being able to get the love of his child that he deserves.I see him not regretting all the sacrifices he and his wife made for their child, hence forgiving the child's mistake and moving on.
Then I see a simple man dressed in simple clothes carrying the weekly grocery.I see his enthusiasm, because he is pretty excited and happy to give his kids some new fruits that they enjoy.This makes me so happy,because despite not being rich, the man is at ease an satisfied with his life, which I wish we all were.
Sometimes I see the girls with the kohl draped eyes,typing away on their pesky little cellphones with their posh manicured hands, or the boys dressed in a way as if they had fallen into a big cauldron of paint, trying to seek the girls' attention.Trust me, these scenes are hilarious!!
So travelling from my place to the heart of the city was really an adventure.This may seem a bit of an exaggeration to you but honestly one must experience The Bus.The passengers and the ticket collector, or as we say, the conductor, have a different kind of language which is unique in its own way.Even if you are a rare bus passenger, the conductor somehow knows where you want to go.I call it intuition.And it is something I find subtly beautiful.
I have found myself having a nice conversation with some people who are new in the area.It is really nice how two people can share their thoughts over a small distance journey.And then I realised that in spite of saying the world is a small place,I may not meet these people ever again.I treasure the few minutes I shared with them.Because I realised that it takes less than few minutes for someone to impact your life, and the fact that you may not meet them ever again, makes you realise how small and insignificant we are in this big cruel world.
Alas,of late, The bus that I travel through now, to come to college, is full of people who enjoy the morning slumber.The bus feels so lifeless everyday.Its like people are just exhausted of their lives and are just mooted there, going on with life for the sake of it,having lost all their avidness in the daily travails of life.Makes me wonder, would I become like them eventually?Shudder...
Added to that is the worst tragedy this country faced on 16th December 2012.This same bus that fascinated me, took as well as gave something important to us,the women of India.That night was every girl's nightmare.Even while writing this I have goosebumps all over my body.That night, that bus, those men, that place, took away our security.It took away our safety.It took away our trust.It took away our freedom of being a woman in this free country.But it also gave us an important aspect.It invoked in each and every woman in this country a NIRBHAYA...
Just like how Valli's enthusiasm was doused when she saw the once gleeful cow lying dead because of a road kill, The Bus has become an intimidating factor for me and I no longer look at it the same way...
