The Old Man at Bus Stand

The Old Man at Bus Stand

As I left the auto-rickshaw, I started running and running fast. Rushing towards the bus stand. Eventually at the bus stand, looking at the plat form no. 6; I actually shouted "Where is the bus?"

Turning towards the enquiry counter, asked there "Excuse me sir, the bus going from Nanded to Parli Vaijnath scheduled at 9:30 am has left the station?"

"Oh boy, the bus just left. You are bit late!" he replied feeling anxious for me.

"OK, what about the next bus?" making no further delay I asked hopefully.

"At 10:30 am" he replied.

"Alright" me.

            Now, I had 50 minutes to go for the next bus for me. Looked for the place to sit; selected one, went there and seated. The atmosphere at bus stand Nanded was bit crowded. I brought out a news paper from my bag and started reading it to make things happen for passing the time.

            In the meantime somebody sat beside me. I looked at them, they were an old couple. The old lady was quite admirable; she might be at the age about 65, but her beauty was hiding her age. And that old man, must be at the age of 72; But still having very strong body. Looking at him, I anticipated that; he must be very strict during his whole life.

            "Just because of you, we missed the bus. Now we have to wait for the next bus." The old man almost screamed at his wife.

"Why are you blaming me? It was not my fault, it was just the traffic" old lady replied calmly.

"Yeah, but you walk with really slow speed; that made us more late" anger was still in his solid voice.

"I know you hate waiting; but there in no point in getting angry now." Lady replied silently.

"Well, I am not getting angry at all" decreasing the intensity of his voice.

            Suddenly, I saw a beggar; coming towards me. I went deep in to the news paper to avoid him. The beggar waited for me to give him a beg; but turned ahead, getting no indication from me. Now beggar turned to that couple. "Just go ahead" that old man was already angry; just changed the targeting person this time.

            After a while, all of a sudden; "OH MY GOD" someone almost cried. Everybody there looked towards voice coming. A policeman was beating a person. "He must be thief" someone from crowd shouted. Another policeman coming at me asked "The thief has told me that, he has taken this bag from the place you are sitting; is it yours?"

"Nope" I replied honestly.

"Excuse me, that’s mine" looking at the bag the old lady said in hurry.

"Just check your bag, that thief has almost stolen it" policeman replied.

"What? You careless lady" the old man to his wife; getting more angry he ran towards the thief.

"You bastard! You tried to rob me, an Ex. Army soldier. I'm gonna kill you" the old man slapped twice to the thief before policeman stopped him.

"Gentleman, behave yourself; just go and check your bag. Leave him to me, I'll look after him" the policeman.

Coming back, the old man checked his bag and told the policeman "It's OK"

Everybody was watching the whole dram. Two policemen went for the police station along with the thief. And the drama ended.

After the drama, the old lady brought biscuits from her purse and asked her husband "You want it?"

"Give me only four of them" the old man ordered.

"OK, take these" the lady.

            Looking at the dogs out there he called them "You, cha, cha, cha, cha"

Two of them came at the old man and were looking towards him hopefully; barking at each others. The old man taken a biscuit and thrown it in between two dogs. The more athletic of the two, tried his best and grabbed the biscuit in his mouth. The second dog looking at him barked loudly. The first one ran away. Other dog was still there, hoping for another biscuit.

The old man taken another biscuit, shown it to the hungry dog there; instead of throwing it, he just ate it himself.

"You just lost the battle soldier!" the old man almost talked to the dog.

"Go away, HADHA" the old man yelling at the dog.

            Suddenly, a voice "Hello sir" a boy smiling at the old man asked him "You are having any zipper to repair of your bags?"

"Well, you came here at the right time, I have one for you" the man smiling for the first time replied.

"This is the one" showing the bag's zipper to boy, the old man said.

"I will fix it with the ease, within 5 minutes sir." Boy said.

"Fix it, as it'll not require any further repairing" the old man politely ordered.

"Yes sir, I'll try my best" the boy answered.

The old man asked curiously "You go to school?"

"Yes, at morning I work here and in afternoon I go to school daily. I love going there" the boy answered while doing work.

"Oh that’s good!" the old man felt good about him.

"Take this sir, problem fixed for the zipper of your bag" the boy showing bag to the old man.

"How much?" old man asked for his repairing charges.

"Just five rupees" the boy showing five fingers.

 "Take this ten rupees note", old man.

"Sorry sir I don’t have change; please give the change", the boy.

"No, no just keep the change" the old man being kind to the boy.

"Thank you sir" the boy thanked him joyfully.

"Actually, I like the school going kids and you help to your family too!" the old man smiling at him.

            In the meantime, a bus arrived at the plat form no. 6; the bus I was waiting for, finally arrived. People ran towards the bus so as I; to grab a sit for me.

  

Rain

Rain

Rain is falling, falling and keeps falling.

I'm bit angry with the sun

And said to him only in anger,

"I don’t like the way you have done the things,

Sleeping on the job is disgusting!"

My anger for clouds is also there,

They are shouting,

Keep running here & there

Just like a naughty boy having no fear.

The awful wind is not a good boy either,

He is the best friend clouds have ever.

But, I like one thing about the rain,

She has brought with herself "GARAVA"

(Coldness) particularly main

I can feel it, but

It came silently, unnoticeably

Just like a newly married "BRIDE"

Having beauty with brain.

Rain

My Return Journey

My Return Journey

My Return Journey

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka. I was there for last one month or so, doing industrial training in a company. But it ended eventually and time to say good bye to the city had came. I was living there with my elder brother Anu. He is there since last four years for the job in the same company where I had done my industrial training.

            During this one month, every moment that I had shared with Anu is priceless for me. Those moments are the moments that I was desperate to have since last 10 years or so. We were together for more than 30 days after a long time.

              Train for my return journey to Nanded was scheduled at 11:00 pm. It was about 8:45 in the evening. After confirmation about the luggage, we left the room (me and Anu) to advance towards the railway station. Came at the bus stop in 5 minutes, as soon as we reached there, got the bus for railway station. They call it Vajra, the a/c city bus service.

            Sitting in the Vajra, I was looking outside the window. The city is made of historical as well as modern buildings. The scene was like I had seen never before. Finally Vajra reached at its last stop, Kempegowda. They also call it Majestic. We left the bus and five minutes of walk took us to the railway station.

            As soon as we entered in the railway station, I saw the time in my newly bought wrist watch. The wrist watch was bought to me by Anu, which is the most expensive and the best gift I ever had. It was 9:35.

We decided to wait there for the announcement of my train. For time pass we started to talk, and talked about trains & there scheduling etc. After 30 minutes or so finally we heard the announcement, "The train number 16594, Bangalore – Nanded express will shortly be arranged at platform number 8". So we decided to go to platform no. 8, went there by using footbridge.

We were at platform no. 8, but the train wasn't. After 10 minutes, the mostly awaited train had arrived. As train arrived, I looked into the ticket. Berth no. 60 was reserved for me in the S1 bogie. The S1 bogie was right behind the train engine, so we had to walk through the whole platform & that too with luggage.

"Phew" that was my reaction, when I saw the S1 in front of me. Saw the reservation chart beside the entrance of S1. The chart also suggesting that the berth no. 60 was reserved for me, so confirmed my place.

As we entered in the S1, thanks to Indian railways an odour has entered in my nose coming out from the toilet. We moved ahead quickly to the berth no. 60. Thank god it was far away from that toilet to reach that odour to me.

We sited there, still 30 minutes to start the journey. Again we were talking for the time pass about here & there, so & so. Suddenly I heard, "Excuse me" a pretty girl smiling at Anu asked him, "Is this your berth, the berth no. 60, the lower one?"

I was just looking at her, she was having big eyes and those were very attractive. Anu told her that he is not coming and the berth belongs to me, pointing towards me.

            Now smiled at me, she repeated the question. I said "Yes". She again asked "My mom got the lower berth, the berth no. 63 but I didn't. Can we exchange our berths, I got the middle one?"

I thought for a while and said, "Ok, no problem!"

            And suddenly heard the horn from the engine, the train had started to leave the station. Anu stood up and said. "Ok then, have a nice journey. Bye take care," and left the train. I just replied "Bye!" As train was taking the speed, I was looking at Anu. He told me by making action only "Call me", I replied yes by moving my neck to & fro. Now the train had taken the rapid speed, Anu was beyond the horizon.

            That pretty girl sited beside me, she again smiled and asked me to open the window. I opened the window without any hesitation. The train was making more noise as it is taking more speed. There were total 6 people in that compartment along with that girl, her mom & I. For next 15 minutes, the train was the only one which was making noise. No one was talking, everybody was looking else where.

            As train left the city area, it was traveling through the forest like area. The train was surrounded by lots of trees. A speedy cold wind was coming inside through that open window; I was freezing due to the coldness of that wind. So, I asked that girl "Can I shut down the window?"

She answered quickly, "Off course!" The way she answered, I guess she was also freezing by that cold wind. I quickly closed the window as got the permission from her.

After a while she asked me "Are you going to take your dinner now?"

I replied with a yawn "Already taken."

"Ok then, will you please extend the middle berth for you? So I can sleep on the lower berth, I am really sleepy now." She requested.

"Sure" I replied looking into her sleepy eyes.

I extended the middle berth, put some of my luggage as pillow and slept over the middle berth; she slept on the lower one.

            Next morning, I woke up and saw downwards at the lower berth. She was already awaking; the extended berth was causing her to sit uncomfortably there. I quickly came down and said, "Sorry for waking up late. You sited uncomfortably due to me."

She smiled and replied, "No problem."

Then I folded the middle berth to make her sit comfortable. Then I opened my bag, took my toothbrush and toothpaste from it & went towards the basin. Cleaned my tooth there and came back at my sit. As I came back, "Will you please give me your toothpaste? I just forget to take last night." She requested. I gave my toothpaste to her and got thanks from her for that. She went towards basin with that paste. After sometime, she came back and this time sited exactly in front of. She was looking so refreshing with her face wet.

            I saw the time in my wrist watch; it was about 8:00 in the morning. The train was doing its job with new energy in the new morning.

She looked at me carefully this time, thought something for while, smiled and then asked "Where are you going?"

"Nanded, the last station" I replied calmly.

"Oh really?" she reacted. I smiled at her by her surprising reaction.

"How much time it will take, your total journey from Bangalore?", Her curiosity.

"24 hours." I replied.

Her eyebrows went upstairs by my answer, again I smiled at her.

Now I reckoned it was my turn, I asked "You tell me, where are going?"

She said quickly with excitement "To Sellam and the train will reach there at about 1pm."

That was more than what I asked.

She was taking my attention, as I was looking at her for her every movement. After a while, she had taken a walkman from her purse and started listening songs. Looking at her while listening songs the way she was acting, anyone can recognize that she is crazy about music. She not only listening songs but also singing along with moving her body slowly on the music beats with closed eyes.

I was watching the whole event carefully. After sometime, suddenly she opened her eyes, like something went wrong. I was only looking at her, she watched me watching her. She shied a bit by this and then smiled at me. It was totally a different smile this time. 'Oh my god' she looked really attractive with that smile.

I replied only with a smile looking into her eyes, both of us were looking into each others eyes for while. And suddenly she asked me, "What's your name?"

This time my eyebrows went upstairs. "Aniket" I replied surprisingly.

"What?" she reacted, after hearing a different name.

"A-ni-ke-t" I pronounced it slowly this time.

"A-ni-ke-t" she pronounced it too!

"That’s correct." Me.

"Well, you have a nice name but its different for me. By the way I am Saujyanya." She.

"You too have a good name with very nice meaning. And you know what, you have very attractive eyes." Me.

"Thank you." She again shied.

"You are from Bangalore?" her question.

"Nope" I answered.

"So, how have you been there?" One more question from her.

"Well, I was there only since last month for industrial training" My answer.

I felt like giving an interview at that moment.

"So, you do job there?" her question.

"No, no. I have not completed my studies yet. Came here during summer vacations, that’s all" My answer.

"What are you studying?" her next question.

"I am doing engineering, with electronics branch, appeared third year exam this time around."

I answered more than she expected.

"So you are from Nanded, it is in Maharashtra, right?" she asked again.

"Yes" this times just a word from me.

"By the way, I am also a student, but a commerce student. I have appeared 1^st year exam this year from Sellam." She explained.

"Oh that’s good" I replied and then asked.

"Why were you in Bangalore?"

"We went there to meet my elder sister; she lives there with her husband" her answer.

"Oh Ok" Me.

I thought for a while and said "Seems like you love music."

"Yeah, I love it. Haven't you seen it?" she.

Her answer made both of us laughs.

            We talked and talked for a long time. She was quite open minded, as talking to stranger very freely. She talked really well. While asking about me, my interests, my family she was really curious. And while telling about her life, her hobbies, and her interests she was exciting. Time just flied away while interacting with her.

            After a long chat, she asked me the time. I looked into the watch and said "Its 12:45"

"Oops! My station is about to come" she told me. After 10 to 15 minutes later, the train stopped at station. It was Sellam. Taking luggage with her, she said to her mom "Let's go mom."

Looking at me, she said "Bye Aniket"

I smiled at her and said "Hope to see you again."

She smiled last time for me and left the train. The train left too, from the station.

            I was still having 9 hours to go from there on. As train was reaching to next station every time, people were coming to and leaving from the train. But I was only thinking about that pretty girl 'Saujyanya' with looking outside the window during rest of my return journey.