At 5 AM in the morning, Chennai central, some day in 2012:
The train had just reached Chennai central and I was busy enjoying the dawn, a rare phenomenon to be witnessed especially for a night person like me. Suddenly my phone started ringing…It was Mom. She asked-Did you reach safely? I said-Yes Mom, I am safe and sound. You don’t worry. She again shooted- Did I have breakfast?
Period. What breakfast! Are you kidding me!! I usually wake up after 9 AM. Can’t even imagine having my breakfast at 5 AM. Anyway, I replied-Mom, I am at the railway station and need to catch the bus for Ruby’s home. Will call you later. Bye…And I rushed to the bus station.
At 5:20 AM:
I succeeded in catching an empty bus that too direct! Lucky me, isn’t it? Well, it was almost a 1 hour journey, thought to give myself some rest after settling down and God knows when I dozed off, only to wake up while the bus was crossing my bus stop!! I stood up and started screaming- Hey, that was the bus stop , I was supposed to get down. Stop the bus! Stop the bus! The conductor came near me and said- Keep quite. The bus will only stop at the next bus stop. I said- What! Next bus stop! Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to go back that too in this weather? The conductor gave a “that’s not my problem” look and left. For the record, it had rained very heavily the last night and the road was full of mud. Anyway, I got down from the bus when it reached the next bus stop.
At 6:40 AM:
I looked around, couldn’t find anything other than a church. Auto walas seem to have vanished from that area. Well, left with no other choice, I started walking. It was almost 2 KM by walk, not a big deal for me but then the muddy road was not in my favor.
At 6:45 AM:
Suddenly, I heard somebody calling somebody. After few repeated calls, I figured out, it was for me. I turned back to have a look at the gentle man calling me. He was a middle aged man, wearing lungi and shirt and riding a scooty. He was unable to speak English and was muttering something in Tamil. I figured out, he was offering me lift till the college.
Wait!lift..what? What if he is an agent of Al kayda! What if his scooty turns out to be a super fast car from any of the Rohit Shetty’s movie! I declined his offer and continued walking. He kept insisting.
At 6:47 AM:
Huh! I talked to myself-I so hate this rainy season. I am unable to walk on the muddy road. The weather definetly looks grumpy to me! Should I accept his offer? I can jump off the scooty anytime I smell danger.( Stupid thought, I know.) Well finally, after so much of thinking, I accepted his offer…
At 7 AM:
We reached near the college and he asked me again, do I really want to get down here? We both could see a big lock hanging on the gate of the college. I said yes, unwilling to show him Ruby’s home. I could take a walk from here; it wasn’t more than 10 minutes of journey.
He took a U turn and left. I didn’t thank him… I should have but the insecurity inside me didn’t allow to…After sometime, I crossed the road and started walking in the street which led to R’s house.
At 7:05 AM:
I again heard somebody calling somebody! After few repeated calls, I figured out, it was for me again. I looked back while praying for the caller not to be the same man. Oh..Yes! He was the same person. He came near me, slowed down his scooty , murmured something again in Tamil and left. He didn’t insist this time.
I assume, he was disappointed that I lied to him. He said, he could have given me lift till my destination as he also had to cover the same route.
At 7:10 AM:
I reached Ruby’s home safe and sound.
Well, it’s not that I have started believing on strangers after that incidence but yup, can certainly say that the man on the scooty was different from others. People like him, keep humanity alive….
The train had just reached Chennai central and I was busy enjoying the dawn, a rare phenomenon to be witnessed especially for a night person like me. Suddenly my phone started ringing…It was Mom. She asked-Did you reach safely? I said-Yes Mom, I am safe and sound. You don’t worry. She again shooted- Did I have breakfast?
Period. What breakfast! Are you kidding me!! I usually wake up after 9 AM. Can’t even imagine having my breakfast at 5 AM. Anyway, I replied-Mom, I am at the railway station and need to catch the bus for Ruby’s home. Will call you later. Bye…And I rushed to the bus station.
At 5:20 AM:
I succeeded in catching an empty bus that too direct! Lucky me, isn’t it? Well, it was almost a 1 hour journey, thought to give myself some rest after settling down and God knows when I dozed off, only to wake up while the bus was crossing my bus stop!! I stood up and started screaming- Hey, that was the bus stop , I was supposed to get down. Stop the bus! Stop the bus! The conductor came near me and said- Keep quite. The bus will only stop at the next bus stop. I said- What! Next bus stop! Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to go back that too in this weather? The conductor gave a “that’s not my problem” look and left. For the record, it had rained very heavily the last night and the road was full of mud. Anyway, I got down from the bus when it reached the next bus stop.
At 6:40 AM:
I looked around, couldn’t find anything other than a church. Auto walas seem to have vanished from that area. Well, left with no other choice, I started walking. It was almost 2 KM by walk, not a big deal for me but then the muddy road was not in my favor.
At 6:45 AM:
Suddenly, I heard somebody calling somebody. After few repeated calls, I figured out, it was for me. I turned back to have a look at the gentle man calling me. He was a middle aged man, wearing lungi and shirt and riding a scooty. He was unable to speak English and was muttering something in Tamil. I figured out, he was offering me lift till the college.
Wait!lift..what? What if he is an agent of Al kayda! What if his scooty turns out to be a super fast car from any of the Rohit Shetty’s movie! I declined his offer and continued walking. He kept insisting.
At 6:47 AM:
Huh! I talked to myself-I so hate this rainy season. I am unable to walk on the muddy road. The weather definetly looks grumpy to me! Should I accept his offer? I can jump off the scooty anytime I smell danger.( Stupid thought, I know.) Well finally, after so much of thinking, I accepted his offer…
At 7 AM:
We reached near the college and he asked me again, do I really want to get down here? We both could see a big lock hanging on the gate of the college. I said yes, unwilling to show him Ruby’s home. I could take a walk from here; it wasn’t more than 10 minutes of journey.
He took a U turn and left. I didn’t thank him… I should have but the insecurity inside me didn’t allow to…After sometime, I crossed the road and started walking in the street which led to R’s house.
At 7:05 AM:
I again heard somebody calling somebody! After few repeated calls, I figured out, it was for me again. I looked back while praying for the caller not to be the same man. Oh..Yes! He was the same person. He came near me, slowed down his scooty , murmured something again in Tamil and left. He didn’t insist this time.
I assume, he was disappointed that I lied to him. He said, he could have given me lift till my destination as he also had to cover the same route.
At 7:10 AM:
I reached Ruby’s home safe and sound.
Well, it’s not that I have started believing on strangers after that incidence but yup, can certainly say that the man on the scooty was different from others. People like him, keep humanity alive….
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