How was the journey?

It was a festival season and normally the tickets are booked way in advance. I decided why not meet my family and give them a surprise visit, so managed to get a comfortable sleeper bus from Bangalore on Wednesday night since Ganesh Chaturti was on thursday, It was a 7 hour drive, which was just 6 hour drive otherwise…

I reached Coimbatore and called my dad, from outside my house ” Today is Ganesh chaturti, why didnt you send a flight ticket so that i could come and meet you”.. My dad was like “yeah, what else do you need sir” sarcastically... While was talking over the phone i sneaked into my house and my dad had that second look at me, as if he saw a ghost… he screamed on top of his voice and told my mum and sister, look he has come… Everybody were so happy and all that, But it was memorable since, That was the first time my mom Hugged me, it really came to me as a surprise.

Well the usual thing happened like all the festivals – We wore traditional clothes and went to temple and then Rushed to a marriage and then the story went as normal days would be.

Before i  came to Coimbatore, i had actually called a lot of my friends to buy me a ticket for Sunday night, i messaged few people, sent a request on Blackberry chat, posted on twiitter, facebook, what not for a ticket…This shows my desperate measures…Finally one journalist friend got me a ticket for Rs. 1150 in a normal bus, since all the buses were booked.

The Nightmare started exactly on Sunday night when i was dropped by one of my dads office person, to the bus stand. The bus was supposed to come by 11:15pm .. so i reached the place on 10:30 pm. After 1 hour wait the Bus guy was like – sir the bus is on its way sir, please wait!!

The time was almost nearing 11:45 pm – the bus guy was like ” Sir there is another bus, do you want to go? But we have only one seat and its the last seat. “ I was like “No thanks sir, i will take my bus. Because the last seat is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride.” That was the worst decision i made that night.”

I waited for the bus to come, soon there was no bus in that bus stand it became so empty, and then two buses came – but it was to Chennai. The buses were in such a bad condition, because the brakes failed and the bus has just banged a lorry before arriving. I witnessed a mechanic fixing the brakes of the bus in front of my eyes, and the bus guy was testing the brakes by applying sudden brakes within the bus-stand with people in it.

My god i was terrified looking at this, and visualizing what my bus would look like. Another chennai bus which came.. Came with a jammed door. The mechanic had to come to open the door with some 4 ft sharp tool. My god – I was in such a dilemma mixed scared to death  mood, looking at all of these.

Thats exactly when, a guy from Hosur was speaking to me and got a little friendly. He was waiting for the same bus that i was waiting, Our legs were paining, needed to sit somewhere. That hosur guy kept talking nonsense after nonsense – he said he was a bank employee and then spoke about his wife who was his girlfriend for 13 years.. and how he used to come all the way from Hosur for a day, book a room to stay just to see his girlfriend who used to study in kumarguru college in Coimbatore. He just didn’t end with that – he spoke about the package he got (7Lakhs/annum) and he boasted telling he didn’t want to leave the bank because he has taken loan to buy an apartment in electronic city for 20 lakhs and the interest he pays in just rs.8000/month. Then he continued speaking about the cars he owned – a Diesel swift, Diesel i20 and suddenly he even remembered he had a elantra… which he wanted to sell, but brought it back home sine – they broker quoted just 1.6 lakhs for it..

The time crossed 12… and then 12:30 and slowly was nearing 1 am – i was thinking to myself why not just drive to Bangalore since i had to go to office tomorrow. The hosur guy was like come-on lets drive, ill fill 1500rs for gas and lets go.. My god i was so damn irritated but also relief that there was at least someone over there… The then continued – ” Sir i will go to office tomorrow, put attendance and tell my boss i am going to attend a sales call and go and sleep at home.” I spoke to myself – only if i could do the same (told to myself).

Finally before he could irritate me even more –  The Vintage white looking bus arrived at exactly 1:30 am … Everybody just rushed into that bus.. The story doesn’t end here – the seat they gave me was next to the door with no space for me to stretch my legs even a little bit. I kept my legs over a small railing… Then my fellow passenger – started about an accident he came across earlier the same day on the highway and was comparing that to the journey we are having… My god ” i was so fumed – i just wanted to go home”. The bus driver went to fill gas and again came back to the same bus stand since the money that was given to him was not sufficient enough – my god we left the bus-stand only by 1:50am.  on our way, the bus stopped to get three more passengers into the full occupied bus, i was wondering were these guys were gonna sit and then i found out they were made to sit along with the driver… there was a small bench and he called it CABIN.

At around 3 pm – a girl shouts inside the bus to another passenger who is behind her ” hey you – stop touching me from behind, dont you have manners and all that….” i was literally cursing my friend all the way for booking this bus. Finally the bus reached Bangalore at 8:00am and i reached office at 9:40 am – ordered Disprin and had 2 to keep me awake…

Soooo….How was the journey?