When I started from home to office, I was praying that I should get a direct bus, which is actually a rare. After reaching the bus stop, within 2 mins I got the direct bus and I was so happy. But the bus stopped nearly 50 metres away from the place where I was waiting (many were waiting). I was not prepared to run and get into. As it was a rare bus, no one chased it. Only later I saw a board saying bus stop moved to 50 metres away from the old location. I was wondering then why so much crowd waiting there, no one read the notice board or what?
Then I got a bus to Guindy and waited in the stop where the Broadway busses will stop. I was wondering why no one is there in the stop. Intelligently I checked the bus numbers written in the board of the bus stop and felt relieved that I was standing in the right bus stop. But later in 5 mins, many busses came, but nothing crossed me, all diverted to back (small bypass) road. After enquiring with some auto driver, I came to know that bus stops were moved to that location, a year back. Awww.
I went back and stood in the new bus stop, where there is neither the bus stop shadow nor the board with bus numbers.
Aaahhhh….later I was waiting for a white board bus which only will stop in Anand Theater stop. In 10 mins, lots of Broadway busses crossed the stop, but all were Delux Bus or Yellow Board Busses and it wont stop in Anadh Theater. Then I got 60D white board, joyful I got into it. The Conductor of the bus told me that the bus wont stop in Anand and I should get down only in TVS. My god…. I expressed my anxiety to him that I got in to that bus only bcoz it was a white board. He was laughingly told me that though it is a white board, it wont stop. But in the return journey of the bus, it will stop in Anand stop and not in TVS. Hmmmm….
In spite of all this messy experiences, I enjoyed the crowd less travel from a window seat. The pleasant weather added a fragrance to it. Was enjoying beautiful paintings, Lord Ganeh, Lord Lakshmi, grassy sceneries, agriculture procedures, traditional children’s plays etc. Though they looked old, they were awesome and definitely better than the dirty cinema posters.
Intelligently (again!?) I came and stood near foot board immediately after the bus crossed Jemini flyover, thinking to get down if bus stops in signal. I was lucky for the first time today, the bus did stop in the Signal and I got down. I was hearing an old person asking me to take care as vehicles are coming by the side. Then I used a sub-way to cross the road and reached office in 10 mins.
After the meeting which held for an hour, I started back to home. It was 2 hours 15 mins, since I left home and I was feeling pity for my darling princess. I called up home and checked if the kid is okay. She was okay but was searching me every now and then it seems. I was walking fast to the bus stop, with a strong prayer that I should get a direct bus 11H. Otherwise I have to go to Guindy and take another bus, which might get struck in the traffic, due to peak hour and also due to metro train construction work.
Aahaa…I am lucky this time and I got 11H in 10 mins. Though the bus was crowded, I enjoyed the travel. The incidents I enjoyed are…
School students - Their laughter, chit chat, back biting talks about some one in their class, asking passengers where they are going to get down, waving bye to their friends who got down in their stops…all this tool me back to my school days, aaahhh, wonderful Nostalgic feelings.
Conductor – shouting at the crowd to move in, at the students not to stand on the foot board.
A middle aged women – talking to everyone in the bus, scolding the girls who were helping the crowd by passing tickets (they are disturbing her it seems).
A teen girl – kept on talking over phone and laughing.
I was noticing all these and enjoying. When I reached home, my darling princess just then slept it seems and when I post this, she is still sleeping.
Are you wondering what is special in this post and why I enjoy very usual happenings during Chennai Travel? That is because I travelled in a MTC bus after a very long time….say nearly after 2.5 years. :)
