A first time

One might think that being in Chennai for over 7(or is it 8?) years, would, somehow or the other, push me into riding one of those huge, green, PTC buses. But no. My first ride was today - with me over sixteen years old, 7 years of which I have spent looking at these over packed, tilted buses. Simply looking. It doesn't help that I spent a better part of these seven years living in a house over two kilometers away from the nearest bus stop. But there's always a first time, I guess.

My first bus ride... was a total fiasco. A fun fiasco.

It started of with me, Battery and Turquoise trudging along to the bus stop, from Chemistry IIT, wistfully staring at the junk-filled 'dabba kadai', with it's shutters pulled down, sleep still hanging about it.

After crossing the road at random places, with Turquoise barging in front of trucks and Battery desperately looking for faded zebra crossings, we saw the bus stop at a hazy distance. Only to realize that the bus we needed to catch was about to leave. And so we ran. Like there was tomorrow. And made it just in time to hear the engine revving up and the wheels tiresomely moving on.

Of course, we found only one available seat. But we also found out that, brilliantly, bus no.1 does NOT stop at my stop. When I heard this, I burst out into a fit of giggles. I mean, what could possibly be funnier than that? Of course, the whole bus was staring at me like I was the complete brash, reckless teenager I am(yes, there were quite a few old ladies). So I dramatically got down at the next signal, with the entire back few seats of the bus glaring at me, wondering who this madcap of a girl was, who wears huge cargoes and wakes up the whole bus for something as silly. Yes, I happen to be rather good at embarrassing myself in public.

But, at the end of it all, it was worth it. I had fun being thought of as a total madcap. A memorable first experience. With Turquoise and Battery by my side. =)