THE BUS STAND - THE END

(This is Sequel of The Bus Stand - Part I)

An interesting incident introduces Aakash to her approximately 2 months ago.

March month just marched in with striking summer days sending bye bye to milder weather. It just stopped raining, ending the kiosk it created for the past 2 days. After that hard rain, it flooded the sewage, filled the Pot holes with dirt water, muddy and slipery patches all over the places, especially near the bus stand.

As unusual to most days, Aakash just happen to be standing in this Bus Stand waiting for his connecting bus. He worked little late that day and ended up missing the direct bus so he came to this connecting Bus stand. It was little bit crowded that day and its almost 7.30pm. Street light just did its duty by shining the road and the Bus Stand.

A bus came just empty enough to fit only 5 more people. There were college students already traveling in the front footboard steps(famously known as footboarding in chennai) and driver is yelling at them to get inside.. It came to a complete halt, close to the Stand. People were rushing and jumping to get inside including Aakash and another lady. Aakash is pushing himself to go inside. In parallel to him, that young lady wearing saree is also try to get inside which he barely notices in the rush.

At that instant moment, conductor who got frustrated with the heavy crowd, gave the double whistle to start the bus. Driver didn't see Aakash and the lady still trying to get inside from the back steps because college students standing in the front steps blinded his rear window. He was not able to view the back steps properly. He just starts with real push in his accelerator with the first gear and immediately changing to second one to move fast.

Lady is still not completely inside the bus, her one foot is in bus steps with her saree jamed between the people and another foot in the ground. She slowly losing her balance, slipped by the muddy patch.

"oooh, bussa nerutha sollunga... aaaaa.. naa vizhunthuduva(please ask to stop the bus, I still didn't got inside, lady shouted)", she is trying to control and get the grip inside but she couldn't because of the bus fast movement.

Aakash who is still on the footstep with one hand on the bus footstep handle. He just alarmed by the voice from the lady and immediately managed himself to hold her hip tightly in his other hand and tried pull her inside the bus. His try worked and got her inside saving her from a big fall.

It all happened in fraction of few seconds. People who are watching this, started shouting to stop the bus. Conductor whistled and bus stopped with sudden brake.. Everybody asked Aakash and the young lady to check whether they are ok and free of any injuries.

"Onnum illa..naanga ok... (nothing happened,We are OK)", Aakash replied the crowd and then the bus starts to move after conductor whistle..

Aakash and the lady slowly moved inside squeezing others and comfortably settling in the middle of bus. Both of them still yet to get out of that tensed moment.. Aakash broke the silence asking her, "Are you ok? Sorry I did not have any way to stop you falling except holding your hip."

She didn't wait for him to stop and started right back to say, "No, No.. Its alright.. If you didn't do that, I can't imagine what might have happened... Thank you so much". By the way, I am Rohini. Thanks again.. I won't forget this help". She just popped like popcorn in the microwave oven..

"You are Welcome. I am Aakash.", he replied..

They didn't talk after that and don't know what to talk until the stop came for her to get down.

May be its coincedence, next day they both met again in the same bus. She saw him standing in the back. Her eyes invited him close to her. He recognized that came close by.. She asked his bag so he can stand comfortably as she was sitting in the ladies seat. He gave his bag and relaxed a bit in the crowd. Looks like they might have see them before the incident in the bus but bother to notice close enough. They didn't talk much that day.

From that day on, Aakash plans to meet her every work day taking the connecting bus in this Bus Stand. They both say HI, HELLO and may have little conversation or two about their day.. They just felt the attraction and enjoyed the presence of each other..

Conductor's loud whistle sound just alerted him to come to real world. Its his stop actually. He got down and kept thinking about her while he was walking to his home.

"May be she didn't go to work today.. or May be she is not feeling well... I will see her tomorrow... Don't worry", he tries to console himself..

Days passed and time changed.. But he never saw her again.. He sometimes think about her, her sweet voice and talk to himself, "I don't what happened to her. Will I see her again? If I am lucky I might see her again. Its a small world afterall..."

THE END

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Life is like a long train journey. We all travel to reach our own destiny. Some people get on in the middle and travel with us for the entire journey and never even bother to give a smile. Some get on to stay just long enough to make a strong impression and disappears when their stop arrives..

We think about them on and off but we still have to go on with our journey to reach our destiny.. Thats life :-)

THE BUS STAND - Part I

It is one of the hot summer evening in chennai. In the suburb area little outside the city, mild warm breeze from the sea shore with a bit of salty taste trying to make an impression with a mixture of fresh sand smell mooted by the summer rain drops which showed up a while ago just for 10mins. Soft Sun rays trying to vanish by slowly hiding on the back of the big building opposite to the Bus Stand creating a genial evening atmosphere.

"Ennappa innum ooru bus kuda varala. Inda timeku 2 bus varanume..(why there is no bus yet, there should be atleast 2 buses coming at this time)", voice from the locale passengers talking each other while they are waiting for the bus..

Aakash stands in the crowded Bus stand one among 50 or odd people scattered along the sides and over the platform near it. A steel structure supported by 4 poles with no roof stands in th middle for no use. Its the peak rush hour and everyday it gets crowded like this one. Its very rare to see this bus stand empty during the rush hours.

There are people in groups talking about their work day and trying to kill their time while waiting for their right bus. Smell of the fresh frying masal vada and bhonda reaching the standby's, threatening them to buy it. Some couldn't control their taste buds, getting trapped by the taste bug and ended up buying it, giving a taste to their mouth standing next to the vada shop.

"Oil rombha adigama irrukupola, irrunthalum rombha nella irrukupa"(criticising that oil is heavy but it tastes good), locale talking to his friend munching his vada.

Group of school gals murmuring about their teachers and laughing at them. Few people couldn't tolerant the heat and humidity, taking a sip of rosemilk(type of drink made with rose essence and milk) in the Cool drink shop next to the stand. Some others are trying to find a place to sit as they been standing for long time. A little girl in her teared down dress with deserted look carried a plate in her hand, asking for some change from the standing crowd.

Aakash just slowly scans around the people randomly and watching each scene rolling before him, at sametime he is looking for her. He also just want to get back home after a long day of work.. He somehow managed to get a bus from his office to this bus stand. He usually try to hit the direct bus but for the last 2 months he comes to this bus stand to catch the connecting bus to reach home..

Suddenly there is a disturbance. People saw a bus turning left on the roundana junction and coming close to the bus stand. Its already packed with more than 150 people on it. Conductor gave two, three whistle which means "Don't Stop signal for the driver".

Driver also took his command and try to accelerate the speed to not to stop but being a soft hearted person he just couldn't avoid those people standing. So ended up stopping little far from the Stop to avoid a full crowd getting in. Some people who been waiting for the bus ran to get to the Bus.

Aakash ran close to the bus but instead of getting in, he started looking out for her in the ladies side window(which is usually the left side of the bus). He went up and down, couldn't find the person he is looking, so ended up not taking the bus..

Its already quarter past seven(7:15pm) in the watch.

Another 15mins just melts down, another bus shows up little empty and everybody tries to get off jumping on each other to catch a seat for themselves.. Aakash got inside somehow and starts to look again for her and couldn't find. With a little disappointment on his face, he just got down and let this one go too..

"Why is she not at this bus either?! May be she left early or she coming late.. I don't know. Can I wait some more time", Aakash thought to himself.

Its almost 8:15pm and he already missed 4 buses. Another bus just shows up in the bus stand. He did the final search and couldn't find her in the Bus Stand. He is little worried but at same time don't know what to do..

He finally decided to get into the bus making up his mind to go home. He got inside and did look for her in this bus too but couldn't find her. He just stayed and bus started moving in its speed. While he was travelling, he just kept thinking about the way they met and how their friendship grew which refreshes his heart all time.

(To be Continued...)

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