I recently traveled back to my home from my college for a Sunday stay at home. While going back, I usually take the bus that leaves Mangalore at 6 or 8 in the evening, that way making sure I reach back at 8 or 10 in the evening. This was like no other thing, except that I had to stand in the bus all the way to home. One incident happened, which provoked some thoughts in my mind. I decided to put it down here, in all the three angles that were available.
The Conductor:
The bus has just left for what is going to be a 10-12 hour journey to Bangalore. The bus is full - oh well, more than full, there are about 20 people standing in it - and its slow. It is already about 15 minutes behind schedule, and its only been 2 hours. So, he was concerned. Nearing Nellyadi, the town in which the bus has to stop for dinner, he was relaxing on his seat while doing the numerous calculations about money collected, tickets given, seats emptying, timing and what not.
A woman comes near the door. Its still about a kilometer or two from the town. The woman asks the driver something. Nothing to be concerned about. Suddenly he realizes, she is asking the driver to stop before the bus stand. Somewhere on the way. The 'conductor' in him wakes up. He says, 'No. We cannot stop the bus like that. Dont you understand? If everybody asked for favors like this, we'll fall behind schedule.' The lady is persistent. She is not even talking to the young conductor. She requests the around-60 driver again. 'Anna, its important that you stop here, otherwise i'll have to come back alone from town to here. Please stop'. The conductor is not ready to - and is not supposed to - allow the lady get down. He nearly shouts - 'Amma, can you not understand? We cannot stop. Stop asking the driver. Driver, you proceed'. To his surprise, the bus stopped. The lady got down and hurried towards her home. It was 9 at night, in a pretty deserted area. The conductor shouted at the driver - 'Why do you heed to the requests of people? Cant you just drive? We're falling back in schedule!'. He was clearly angered and disappointed. And worried. Heck, he has all rights to be.
The Driver:
The bus is going at a very slow motion, and he's sure he'll have torrid times at the ghats coming up. He's driving, nearing the town Nellyadi, where he's sure many passengers will get down and the bus will nearly empty. He was hoping to speed up afterwards. Eyes stuck on road, hands operating the big wheel and legs playing with the 3 levers almost mechanically, he was driving peacefully in the night.
A woman comes up to the door. 'Anna, can you please stop here? Its too far from the town to walk back. Please stop...'. He is in a dilemma. Its only a few kilometers from the town and the lady can as well take a rickshaw and come. But isn't it rude to refuse to stop a bus for a few seconds for a woman who wants to reach home safely at night?
His years of experience couldn't stop him from agreeing, too. However professional the driver may be, humanitarian rules come ahead of the bus's rules. He had due consideration for women. He remembered his daughter, who required travelling at night back from her work too. He couldn't stop himself from agreeing. Suddenly, he hears the conductor shout at him. Obviously, the conductor doesn't want him to stop the bus. He is concerned about the rules and time. He sure doesn't want the bus to stop. But the driver is the driver, right? The lady requests again. The driver made up his mind. Well, he's gonna stop. He stopped. The lady got down and looked back at him with eyes filled with gratitude. He felt he had done something helpful. He started moving again. He ignored the ranting of the conductor.
The Woman:
After the Saturday office hours till 1PM, she had left to mangalore. She had many errands to run and she was running late already. It was 6 now, and she was hoping the bus was empty when she flagged the bus to a stop. The bus was - let alone being full - overcrowded. She had to stand. Her's was the third stop, about 2 hours from the city. She thought people would get down after the first stops, and she didnt have any other way anyway, so she got in.
People didnt get down anywhere. The bus was slow and the heat unbearable. She stood and waited patiently till the two hours of journey completed. When the bus neared her hometown, she realized she had to come about 2 kilometers back to her home from the town. That'd mean another 30 minutes and some 60 bucks.
She thought of how much she had spent already the day. She realized that food wasn't ready and that her children might be doing the homework, waiting for dinner. It was 8.15. If she reached back to home at 9 and started cooking, food would be ready by around 10 only. Her children would be very hungry by then. Husband being in Bangalore, her worries started increasing. She decided to request the driver to stop the bus near the church in front of her home, so she could directly walk back. She went towards the driver.
The driver seemed like an old man. She requested him to stop. The driver nodded. Then, suddenly, the conductor shouted at her. She felt humiliated, begging in front of the bus driver and conductor for what was against the rule. She felt ashamed to request of a favor and accept her helplessness. But she didnt have another way. She requested the bus driver again. This time driver nodded but the conductor shouted ever so loudly. Humiliation filled her face with crimson. She looked at the floor and cursed herself for being in this situation. She remembered her children again, and decided it was all worth it if she could reach children early and feed them. She could feed them in time. She could even make a payasa if there was time left. She decided to stick to her request.
The bus stopped. Conductor and other people were staring at her, and the scolding didn't stop. She got down, looked back at the driver's face. She couldn't thank him in any way. She just smiled. Then, listening to more scolding from the conductor and the looks by the window-seaters, she hurried back home in relief.
The Conductor:
The bus has just left for what is going to be a 10-12 hour journey to Bangalore. The bus is full - oh well, more than full, there are about 20 people standing in it - and its slow. It is already about 15 minutes behind schedule, and its only been 2 hours. So, he was concerned. Nearing Nellyadi, the town in which the bus has to stop for dinner, he was relaxing on his seat while doing the numerous calculations about money collected, tickets given, seats emptying, timing and what not.
A woman comes near the door. Its still about a kilometer or two from the town. The woman asks the driver something. Nothing to be concerned about. Suddenly he realizes, she is asking the driver to stop before the bus stand. Somewhere on the way. The 'conductor' in him wakes up. He says, 'No. We cannot stop the bus like that. Dont you understand? If everybody asked for favors like this, we'll fall behind schedule.' The lady is persistent. She is not even talking to the young conductor. She requests the around-60 driver again. 'Anna, its important that you stop here, otherwise i'll have to come back alone from town to here. Please stop'. The conductor is not ready to - and is not supposed to - allow the lady get down. He nearly shouts - 'Amma, can you not understand? We cannot stop. Stop asking the driver. Driver, you proceed'. To his surprise, the bus stopped. The lady got down and hurried towards her home. It was 9 at night, in a pretty deserted area. The conductor shouted at the driver - 'Why do you heed to the requests of people? Cant you just drive? We're falling back in schedule!'. He was clearly angered and disappointed. And worried. Heck, he has all rights to be.
The Driver:
The bus is going at a very slow motion, and he's sure he'll have torrid times at the ghats coming up. He's driving, nearing the town Nellyadi, where he's sure many passengers will get down and the bus will nearly empty. He was hoping to speed up afterwards. Eyes stuck on road, hands operating the big wheel and legs playing with the 3 levers almost mechanically, he was driving peacefully in the night.
A woman comes up to the door. 'Anna, can you please stop here? Its too far from the town to walk back. Please stop...'. He is in a dilemma. Its only a few kilometers from the town and the lady can as well take a rickshaw and come. But isn't it rude to refuse to stop a bus for a few seconds for a woman who wants to reach home safely at night?
His years of experience couldn't stop him from agreeing, too. However professional the driver may be, humanitarian rules come ahead of the bus's rules. He had due consideration for women. He remembered his daughter, who required travelling at night back from her work too. He couldn't stop himself from agreeing. Suddenly, he hears the conductor shout at him. Obviously, the conductor doesn't want him to stop the bus. He is concerned about the rules and time. He sure doesn't want the bus to stop. But the driver is the driver, right? The lady requests again. The driver made up his mind. Well, he's gonna stop. He stopped. The lady got down and looked back at him with eyes filled with gratitude. He felt he had done something helpful. He started moving again. He ignored the ranting of the conductor.
The Woman:
After the Saturday office hours till 1PM, she had left to mangalore. She had many errands to run and she was running late already. It was 6 now, and she was hoping the bus was empty when she flagged the bus to a stop. The bus was - let alone being full - overcrowded. She had to stand. Her's was the third stop, about 2 hours from the city. She thought people would get down after the first stops, and she didnt have any other way anyway, so she got in.
People didnt get down anywhere. The bus was slow and the heat unbearable. She stood and waited patiently till the two hours of journey completed. When the bus neared her hometown, she realized she had to come about 2 kilometers back to her home from the town. That'd mean another 30 minutes and some 60 bucks.
She thought of how much she had spent already the day. She realized that food wasn't ready and that her children might be doing the homework, waiting for dinner. It was 8.15. If she reached back to home at 9 and started cooking, food would be ready by around 10 only. Her children would be very hungry by then. Husband being in Bangalore, her worries started increasing. She decided to request the driver to stop the bus near the church in front of her home, so she could directly walk back. She went towards the driver.
The driver seemed like an old man. She requested him to stop. The driver nodded. Then, suddenly, the conductor shouted at her. She felt humiliated, begging in front of the bus driver and conductor for what was against the rule. She felt ashamed to request of a favor and accept her helplessness. But she didnt have another way. She requested the bus driver again. This time driver nodded but the conductor shouted ever so loudly. Humiliation filled her face with crimson. She looked at the floor and cursed herself for being in this situation. She remembered her children again, and decided it was all worth it if she could reach children early and feed them. She could feed them in time. She could even make a payasa if there was time left. She decided to stick to her request.
The bus stopped. Conductor and other people were staring at her, and the scolding didn't stop. She got down, looked back at the driver's face. She couldn't thank him in any way. She just smiled. Then, listening to more scolding from the conductor and the looks by the window-seaters, she hurried back home in relief.
Its awesome man...nicely written!!!
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