I shifted my weight onto the other leg,and cast an uneasy glance at my watch.It was almost 40 minutes since I came there.The august sun was blazing mercilessly. Lots of vehicles were moving this way and that.Trucks,cars and predominantly bikes carrying young people made enough din and irritated my nostrils.I shifted slowly into the shade of a mango tree and leaned against a pillar supporting the bus-shelter.
I had been waiting all the while, for a bus.I had a class at 4:00 pm every evening. Owing to the fact that I was too young for a bike,and that my uncle lived in a place far away from Ramaiah,I had to take a bus to attend my classes.
Ramaiah is well known for its punctuality. They would drive you out,even if you were late to the class by a minute.[Good things have to be appreciated.I developed my sense of punctuality owing to their strictness.Thanks!] I would start everyday by 2:00pm. Don't laugh at me.For I didn't know how valuable an hour was, to someone in Ramaiah. I was foolishly minimising my risk of being turned out. So,everyday I would be there at the bus-stop,faithfully by 2:00pm.Though the journey wouldn't take more than 45minutes by bus,I never risked starting just before an hour.
Slowly a shiver started down my spine.Will the bus never come?I pulled out my wallet to see how much cash it had.It was hardly sufficent to hire an auto.Finally much to my relief, I sighted a bus taking a turn and proceeding towards the bus-stop. "Oh no" I said to myself.It was 47D and it would take me to Punjagutta,to the main road just 3km away.I got into the bus and sat down.In a few minutes I was in Punjagutta, stranded again in another bus-stop.
Finally I was able to get into a fully packed bus heading towards VST. I slowly nudged my way to the middle.It was a tedious exercise.When ever some body wanted to alight,I had to bend completely over to oneside,avoiding the big sack called "bag" hanging on my back, from hitting them. People were very impatient about such things and when ever something blocked their way, they would shout.So I had to be very careful to avoid their wrath.
Finally,I was at the VST bus-stop(near Ramaiah) by 3:25pm. I got down, stretched myself and walked into a nearby cafe.Sipping tea,I tried hard to overcome the sleepiness,that had sprung up due to all that acrobatics in the bus. By 3:40pm I was in the class,in my last seat.Generally after all this hardship, I could hardly concentrate in the class.I would at times drop into sleep,only to find myself missing important parts of the lecture.In retrospect,I feel nothing could me much better,nor worse,ever in my life!
The classes would be over by 8:00pm,and I would start back,on the same route.This time I would generally get a seat,as it was out of any office timing.If I was very lucky, 113Y would come, to drop me at a walkable distance away from my home.During such times,I would tell someone beside me to wake me up at Yousufguda,and fall asleep. Some people were very willing to help,once they came to know that I was a Ramaiah student. I remember one very helpful co-passenger announce "Sure,I will wake you up.You will be working very hard there, and need a lot of sleep".
I had been waiting all the while, for a bus.I had a class at 4:00 pm every evening. Owing to the fact that I was too young for a bike,and that my uncle lived in a place far away from Ramaiah,I had to take a bus to attend my classes.
Ramaiah is well known for its punctuality. They would drive you out,even if you were late to the class by a minute.[Good things have to be appreciated.I developed my sense of punctuality owing to their strictness.Thanks!] I would start everyday by 2:00pm. Don't laugh at me.For I didn't know how valuable an hour was, to someone in Ramaiah. I was foolishly minimising my risk of being turned out. So,everyday I would be there at the bus-stop,faithfully by 2:00pm.Though the journey wouldn't take more than 45minutes by bus,I never risked starting just before an hour.
Slowly a shiver started down my spine.Will the bus never come?I pulled out my wallet to see how much cash it had.It was hardly sufficent to hire an auto.Finally much to my relief, I sighted a bus taking a turn and proceeding towards the bus-stop. "Oh no" I said to myself.It was 47D and it would take me to Punjagutta,to the main road just 3km away.I got into the bus and sat down.In a few minutes I was in Punjagutta, stranded again in another bus-stop.
Finally I was able to get into a fully packed bus heading towards VST. I slowly nudged my way to the middle.It was a tedious exercise.When ever some body wanted to alight,I had to bend completely over to oneside,avoiding the big sack called "bag" hanging on my back, from hitting them. People were very impatient about such things and when ever something blocked their way, they would shout.So I had to be very careful to avoid their wrath.
Finally,I was at the VST bus-stop(near Ramaiah) by 3:25pm. I got down, stretched myself and walked into a nearby cafe.Sipping tea,I tried hard to overcome the sleepiness,that had sprung up due to all that acrobatics in the bus. By 3:40pm I was in the class,in my last seat.Generally after all this hardship, I could hardly concentrate in the class.I would at times drop into sleep,only to find myself missing important parts of the lecture.In retrospect,I feel nothing could me much better,nor worse,ever in my life!
The classes would be over by 8:00pm,and I would start back,on the same route.This time I would generally get a seat,as it was out of any office timing.If I was very lucky, 113Y would come, to drop me at a walkable distance away from my home.During such times,I would tell someone beside me to wake me up at Yousufguda,and fall asleep. Some people were very willing to help,once they came to know that I was a Ramaiah student. I remember one very helpful co-passenger announce "Sure,I will wake you up.You will be working very hard there, and need a lot of sleep".
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