This happened a few days back when i had to attend a interview for my hotel management course in Manipal university. I was in Bangalore for a cousin's engagement. The next day was my bus to Manipal. It takes about 9 hours to reach there. We booked a nice AC sleeper coach Volvo bus. But it had to breakdown on the same day. My luck! And there was this idiotic non air-conditioned semi-sleeper coach, where i only got to sit. ''Just a matter of some hours. You'll manage.'' And when the bus finally moved, i realized i didn't carry my phone charger. ''What are the chances?'' And my ipod never seemed to work anyway. I didn't know how to pass my time. I did not want to use the phone, cos it would conk off any moment. But what could have i possibly done?? So about an hour later, half cursing, half heartedly, i use the phone to listen to music. Bliss!!!
We left Bangalore at 10. And was expecting to reach Udipi by 7. Just freshen up at the Kediyoor hotel and attend the interview at 9 in Manipal, which is 6-7 km away from Udipi. At about 12 midnight, my phone beeps. ''1 text message. Hey Aarti! Hows u doing?'' What's with 'hows u?' Ugh! Then there was another text from my best friend. We type till our fingers hurt.. and then my phone dies. No source of entertainment now! What do i do? I plan to sleep. As i am about to sleep, some loser sitting behind me, closes the window. I would have died without any oxygen. As it is, the bus is super-cool in this super-summer season! I open the window. Then he closes the window. Doesn't he have any other problem in his life?? It would have been really immature and stupid if I had opened the window again. U think i cared then? I went ahead and opened it. I think he gave up. He saved his face. Had he closed the window, i would have definitely disorganized the structure of his.. cranium, mandible, maxillae..??
Whenever i tried to sleep, some god-damned things brought me back to my senses. The mosquito! Why? God couldn't have created a better thing? Like a mosquito minus the sucking skill.. or a mosquito plus just bite the men? This continued for what i thought was a lifetime. And about 4'o'clock in the morning, i heard a commotion. Thought it was just the police arguing at the check post. U know these ghat sections and all.. The bus didn't move, leaving the mosquitoes to bite harder. Well, it had been more than an hour, since the bus moved. And the sun had already begun to rise. Unlike Bombay, where the brightest thing in the solar system shows itself only after 7 in the morning. I was worried now. My dad, who is best known for his snoring skills in family was sleeping away to glory. And he was the only one that made the strange noise in the entire bus. "I am not with him. Please don't look at me like that,'' were precisely my thoughts when that smart guy turned around to look who was snoring. He smiled. ''Heart sinks.'' I surely wanted to smile.. but i was really irritated with the bus, my phone.. u know that by now.
Anyway, i woke up my dad. Asked him to check what the commotion was all about. And when he was back, he told me that the bus wouldn't move unless the police apologizes to the other bus driver.. 'cos he had hit the driver, when he didn't pay some money. So the other passengers sat on the road, and wouldn't move unless he apologized. Now, why should i be punished for that? What did i do? For Christ's sake, i have an interview to attend at 9!!
The sun finally smiled upon me! No, the bus didn't move. Sun is evil, i tell u. And that was the traffic jam or what! It extended to more than 4 km, i heard. People got down the buses, washed their faces in that dirty water. They can be unbelievable sometimes. Some guy is peeing into the water, and some woman is using the same water to brush her teeth. I mean, how? Then there was this same irritating guy behind me, listening to the infamous Kolkata Knight Riders theme track. I mean, why? Such an over-rated team that is. Use the ear-chords, bondhu! God finally answered my prayers; the bus moved. But the interview was down in the drains. It was already 8am. And i hadn't even reached Mangalore. Hotel management was one option left, and the bus driver had ruined it for me. I kept whining, cursing.. almost crying. But there has got to be some way out! ''I want to talk to mom,'' I told my dad. ''Don't think that'll happen dear. No network, and my battery level is blinking now.'' Aaaaaaarrrgggghhh!!!!!
The bus stopped at some restaurant for the breakfast. We couldn't as the whole of Bangalore seemed to have found only one restaurant left on the face of this Earth. Grabbed a biscuit packet and hopped onto the bus. "My interview! This is so not right. There has got to be some way out. Beg, plead?'' All through the bumpy ride, i had least expected it. And what i had further not expected was this.. There was a crazy woman who was sleeping on the upper birth. And suddenly she pukes out of the window. What? Shouldn't there be any sorta warning, woman? U just throw up, just like that? I immediately close the window.. and it leaves all the puke on the window. By God's grace, nothing fell on me!! I closed the curtains. I never felt so gross in my entire life. I was sick and tired of all what i endured in the past few hours. I had reached Mangalore. I constantly asked my dad if we'd ever be able to make it on time.. What? I was already 12pm. He was irritated too, and i irritated him more. He silently screamed at me, and i moved my base to a seat miles away from him. Well, right across the smart guy's seat. Yeah, my luck! As soon as i sat there, he had reached his destination. He left. ''Why wasn't i expecting this?''
Around 2pm, i reached Udipi. With my hair all polluted, and my face like i had bathed in dust, my dress soaked in sweat, my arms and legs red due to the mosquito bites.. That immortal piece of crap! Kediyoor was a simple hotel. Good room. Rushed in for a shower. Worried. I was ruined. What am i gonna do now? I don't get to experience hostel life anymore? I really am worth all this?
And when i came out, i was in for a totally different news. I was allowed to attend the interview! And he gave this brilliant piece of news in such a manner as if he'd done nothing. U know what i mean? I mean, how? It all seemed simple. He took the university's number from the reception. Called them up, and let them know wh
at we had gone through. And they readily accepted it and told me to join the evening batch. ''Kiss the university.'' Well, I think i had faced enough for 16 hours. And i only realized that i hadn't eaten in 20 hours, when my favourite Chinese food had been ordered by him. Udipi and Chinese food? It was done by dad, after all. So i didn't complain. Moreover, the food wasn't all that bad either.And i couldn't have possibly loved my father more. I love you, dad.
And about my interview, until my next post...
