REC, Mukkam, Keri, keri!

( Author moved on to Calicut to do his Under-Graduation. Born in Chennai and thoroughly spoilt by his parent’s affection, he now cautiously welcomes his college life. Surprisingly, his virginity is still intact. Thus, a new chapter began, a new town remained unexplored in front of him, a new language to be learnt, gestured and spoken, a new species of women who will alter his sexual preferences.)

The air smelt fresh. The stiff breeze kept ruffling my hair. The grey overcoat i wore, fluttered in the wind. I put my bags down and waited for the bus. My hands reached for my pockets and my back inclined against a pillar. The skies were painted dark grey. The roads were glistening and running over them were white lines which were marked to perfection. The mountains and the greenery gave finesse to the portrait, which looked every bit magnificent. But, I felt these were cold hands of a city which tried not to hate an immigrant.

I had once read that memories were a sequence of images which could be felt. I wished that the sunrays would slant the same, when i woke up. I longed for that warm coffee and the morning paper. I stared into the distance and saw the bus coming. Those days are long gone, i thought. The bus came to a screeching halt. The conductor started shouting “REC Mukkam, Keri, Keri”. Bus journeys in Kerala are very similar to Bungee jumping. It was very difficult for me to understand why people jump of cliffs, putting their life in hands of a rope. Here, your life is in the hands and legs of a driver whose career in Air Force was cut short. The way he would pick gaps would attract raised eyebrows from any Auto-Rickshaw (Rick) driver in my town.

I got into the bus to find myself without a seat. I stood like a sea-farer without any knowledge about the storm that is about to strike. The bus gathered speed and hurtled past the country side.The lush green trees and the smell of rain in the air. Music was played on-board which was a song from the only Malayalam movie seen by every malayali has seen.Manichithrathazh.I was familiar to the song but that was the last thing to which i was paying attention. I thought the driver was driving on a one-way. I had come to this conclusion based on the width of the road, which couldn't have housed more than one bus. This was untill, a bus came from the other side.I thought it was impossible to see daylight on the other end of the bus. But with the greatest of ease we went past all the traffic coming from the opposite side.
He apparently feels that the brakes might get injured on pressing and it is not the same case for the accelerator. Every time the bus came to a halt, i would be launched into the air.When the bus accelerates again, the door closes without any human interference.As simple as that. Just as in football, where the attacker beats all the defenders and scores the goal, the driver goes thru the traffic and delivers us to our destination. Maybe in one piece.

It was an unforgettable journey. I thanked god that i had survived an attempt on my life. The conductor gave me a nod which told me that this had been the first touch of Ragging. What i didn't realise then, that the bus driver's knowledge on mechanics would be much more than my own after 4 years of intensive study.(I blame nobody but myself.)