One of "them"

In order to be one of "them" I have to do what they do. They travel in bus. If I take the auto, I'll become the tourist. I can walk, but, not 10 kms! At least not when I have made plans for the day and walking doesn't feature in it. So, I travel in the bus.

Its so satisfying to travel in a bus in a city that is entirely new to you. You are one of "them". You get to know the pulse of the city, first hand. Not to pass judgments, but, to adjust yourself to the kind of language they use, or, the way they talk to strangers of their own land. Its so much fun. You speak to the unsuspecting neighbor how far is the stop, you get to witness the fight for a seat. You'll meet a varied bunch of people at the same time. There will be old men and women. There will be kids. College students. Business men. And then, people who stand up and offer their seats to the elderly and the needy. People who keep eternally smiling. Or even cribbing about the lack of facilities provided by the government. People wanting to be woken up. People ready to help. Like when I had to reach to the Indore railway station from Modern Dental College in Indore, no sooner did the railway station appear at a distance, the gentleman sitting next to me almost pushed me out, fearing that I would miss the stop. I mean, HE was getting worked up!

Or when I traveled from Indore to Ujjain in a journey that lasts or about 3 hours, I asked the young boy next to me to wake me up in a while. That guy in fact was preparing for a national level law test and wanted to come to Bangalore to study Law. The gleam in his eye was hard to miss when I said I was from Bangalore. But, being a Bangalorean, at that point of time, I was accessible to him! I was one of "them" for him and that is what mattered to him.

(Where was he going? He was going to his granny's place which is in a village near Indore, on the way to Ujjain, so that he could study peacefuly and not get disturbed!)

You know I love bus travel, don't you? Oh, c'mon, you know. I've told you about it here. Or even this post, for that matter. Heck, I've even traveled in buses in Chennai. I'm sure you don't want me to remind you of what happened in Manali.