Jai Ho

I never know, a day will end by such a delightful experience at the end. It was another evening when I had dinner and went for a walk a little next to Royal Enfield show-room near to Chandni Chowk. I usually take my cellphone and make few calls to my parent, friends, etc during this small span of walk. I made couple of calls, during call I noticed that a public transport bus moving in reverse direction very slowly. I found that there is no bus conductor around to guide the bus driver. The bus driver really struggling to take reverse as he was driving in opposite direction of traffic towards Kothrud Depot. I was wondering why he was driving between middle of the road that too in opposite direction. To get out of curiosity, I decided to ask the driver directly and I concluded my call.

As I reach bus, it came to halt due to big speed breaker in it's way. However due to sloppy nature of road, bus crossed half of the speed breaker and came to halt. Meanwhile bus driver step down and went to nearby hotel. I thought how careless that driver behaving. First of all he was driving in opposite direction and now parked bus on speed breaker at middle of the road. I saw vehicles driving beside that bus were struggling to make way as there was no sign behind bus which will indicate bus is at halting position.

Looking at the sloppy nature of road, I took stone nearby and put that behind rear wheels before this bus driver stole image of Santosh Mane. The bus driver saw my moves and came to me. He said I have applied hand break so that bus will not move further. I replied by making gesture at the sloppy nature of road, you should not left bus in this situation at middle of road. He said that he is not leaving bus as it's break-down. As an IT profession, I asked him to wear his profession and call mechanics at depot to help you out. The answer I received stumbled me. He said, it's 10 pm and no one at car-shed at this moment so that he have two option either to wait till mechanic in next shift come to work at 12am midnight or took the vehicle to car-shed to hand it over to mechanic. However as per rule unless and until he hand over bus either to mechanic or car-shed depot, he could not leave. Addition to that he explained that he has no option other than driving at middle of the road as there is no one guiding on other side to stay away from parked vehicles on road-side.

I have good habit to ask all question starting with word 'W' to strangers to get maximum out of him before offering help and this situation rose few more questions. Next question I asked about bus-conductor to only know that he left after last trip whereas he drove bus on his own to fill diesel. The bus axle got break down near to Chandni Chowk so that he could not put bus in reverse gear and only slop on the road helping him to reach Kothrud-depot where he can hand over the bus and left for the day. I felt sadden when he said that he was on duty since six in the morning to manage leave next day. I explained him, there is traffic in the direction you are moving, so let us have some snacks as you are working for almost 14-15 hours till then traffic will get little slow post 11pm and I will help you to take reverse till end. He felt relieved and said he had some snacks after last trip and will wait to get traffic slower.

We wait for another half an hour. With help of few Senior citizens came for walk at nearby footpath, I manage to push bus further from speed-breaker. I ran behind bus and guide all vehicles to slow down their speed and made their way little careful beside bus. Still some rampant drivers slower their vehicle and use bad-words towards driver without consenting the situation. I found it was more risky to guide on both side, to driver to put bus away from parked vehicles and the vehicles driving in our direction. We reach at the area which was more residential in nature as both side of road had shops, few of the shopkeepers know me as I am regular customer on every another day. They were wondering what this guy is doing. It made ever lasting impression as I was in office attire. However I was not in mood to look around and was more worried about traffic and do my job at my level best to reach destination very safely.

Finally, we reached near to depot where bus came to halt almost after an hour as road was pretty flatter. The bus-driver step down of the bus. I looked around if we could have people to push bus further at road side. He said that there is no one around and he will go to depot to check if he could manage to have some help. Before leaving he asked me my name. I said my name. You can guess what he replied after learning that my name is like one of the powerful god in one of the famous Religion. Absolutely, he said 'Tumhi agadi devasarkhe bhetlat' meaning you meet me like a god. I put smile on my face and realized him that we can put some tree branches behind the bus as that is the only sign in India to show that bus is parked due to break-down. One could understand how tired he was so that realizing these things made me happier as my brain even stop thinking on business logic after 8 hours of duty. And here the guy worked for more than 16 hours.

Now you can relate title of the post and movie 'Jai Ho' where Salman Khan promoting culture to help three people and ask them further to help another three person when they get chance to help someone. Here neither I am promoting that message nor asking to become social activist, however little sense of situation in public life avert major mishaps. 

Last night bed story

It was another way back journey to my college after summer vacation from my home town to Kolhapur, around 100km away. I used to read books during travel. However the story was different, not in the book I was reading but of course happened during my short journey. A girl, age around 24 with average look, seated beside me in the bus. She was little curious about the book I was reading and asked me about the book. I told her a little about the book and conversation turned to personal as she asked me about ongoing schooling, hometown, etc.

I used to talk with person beside me during travel, however most of the time I restrict to talk with male co-travelers. Here story was different, a girl beside was so talk-active and never hesitating to ask question to anonymous person like me, even during travel. As she asking me question, I showed some courtesy and ask few questions to her as well. Here I started with which college she studying. And you cannot believe, apart from answer to my question, the explanation I received was so lengthy to prove that she is typical girl, a talk active girl who stopped only after I reach near to Kolhapur.

She said that she was pursuing architecture study and staying in Kolhapur since last three years. She was recently married and it was her love marriage. I wondered as she exploring that she got married to son of corporator from my hometown where she used to visit on weekends as she still finishing her studies. On top of that she explained how she got introduced with this boy, her husband via one of her college friend.

She was talking uninterrupted and explained how a simple friendship turned to late night conversations and finally to marriage. She was accepting that she was not looking good as her boyfriend was. And how her friends and classmates were jealousy on their relationship. After marriage even her class-teacher says “Tu jari changali disat nasali tari, mulaga khup changala patawala tu, to pan nagar-sevakacha.” meaning “You are not looking good, however you managed to marry with son of corporator.” It was painful for her to listen such comments in college and wanted to finish graduation as early as possible.

On top of this conversation, she revealed some secrets of typical boy-friend who turned to became husband. She was explaining that before marriage her husband talk over phone till late night and used to travel 100km to meet her by skipping his friends. However situation changed after marriage, he partying with friends and came home late even she was visiting on weekends only. I puzzling a girl whom I met an hour ago who putting her sequence of life stories one after another next to a strange person. However I found her love story interesting as she told me that she had fight with her husband last night on the bed by showing injury mark on her hand. I was more curious about their fight and never refused myself to ask the reason of fight. Although I said it is not necessary to give me explanation. She elaborate with tearful eyes that her husband went to visit Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur with his friends yesterday. So she planned to have dinner with him at home as she confident that her husband will come to home for dinner. Even he promised dinner with her when he left in the morning. However her husband return only after having dinner with his friends whereas she was waiting late night for dinner with him. On top of that he took non-veg meal making her angrier as she was expecting he should have veg meal post visit to temple. This anger turn to fight in their bed room at second floor and she tried to jump from there. However her husband managed to caught her causing minor scratches on her hand. At the end she said that she wear full sleeves dress to hide injuries from her in-laws. I thought so caring daughter-in-law.

Meanwhile, we reached almost in Kolhapur. I was thinking to ask her why she explaining everything to a strange person like me. But as I told you earlier, she was so talk active. She said, I understood you might be thinking why I am telling everything to you. I mumbled how she able to read my mind. She continued, she belongs to Baramati, almost 500km from Kolhapur. As she did love marriage, everyone from her home stopped speaking or calling to her and no one around to share such things in nearby locality. She found a good friend in mine to speak loud and freely what her state of love-life going through since her marriage. I found she was little relieved when she step down at University.

Moral of the story is simply stated in famous quote in Hindi “Khola hota dil dosto ke saath, to kholana na padata aaj avajaro ke saath”. So keep sharing, keep speaking freely till you feel relieved, no matter where are you or with whom you are.