Joyride!

Been so many yrs since I travelled by a MTC bus. The urge was growing in me and I badly wanted to take a ride and relive the countless rides to college. Of course I didnt have the tiniest bit of inclination to hang by the window bars with one toe wedged on the footboard as I used to do in college. I guess I dont have the guts to do it now and instead wondered how I was so stupid then. I met a friend in mount road to give his car which I had borrowed for my kodai trip 5 days ago and took the bus to return back home. 23C , waited for a long while to get a bus that was reasonably empty. The buses of today are much better in terms of ride quality and I can confidently say these r the cheapest way of travel in the entire country. I paid a paltry 4.50 to travel from LIC to besant nagar, a ride of abt 90 mins cos of the traffic.

Nostalgia, can be a strong bitch at times. It sure was, today. I remembered the running after buses and handing over my bag to some random gal seated in the window seat of the bus and hopping on to the footboard. I remembered my Bus day celebration, the happy greetings we use to exchange with other bus regulars and the the conductors we playfully teased. I remembered the buses that were always empty but footboards that remained full. I remembered those now faceless but once pretty gals we used to gawk at in the bus. I remembered the last minute rush to renew our bus passes and the umpteen number of times we quarrelled with the driver and conductor.

Memories washed over me, and lulled me into a content state of mind and I was lost it seemed in an imaginary pensieve. Giggles of a couple of girls standing in front of my seat brought me to the present day reality. I was embarrased when I realised that they were giggling at me cos I was half smiling looking in their direction while I was lost in thought.

A tragedy of sorts though, the ladies seats are shifted to the right side now so in future eager lads will only get to look at boring and sometimes revolting male faces when travelling by footboard. I suspect most gals r going to miss the attention they used to get as well.

A flashback, that was a reminder of harder times but ones that we enjoyed to the core and miss today, very very much.