Page 251 - Musings 2021

Manav: You guys won’t let me breathe today! I shouldn’t have opened my mouth, now that I
regret it.

Jai: Let’s get one of these chip packets for the bus. Manav, come on, get us one.

Manav: You buy one for yourself; I’m not having it.

Jai: I swear you’ll be the first one to come to me when I open the packet.

Akash: Okay, I see the bus coming; we’re hopping onto that.

(Inside the bus)

Scene: Inside a half-filled public bus, going at a steady pace.

Akash: This seat looks good, it’s near to the exit door, and in case the bus gets crowded, we
won’t have to struggle much to get out of the bus.

Manav: It’s unlikely the bus will get crowded, and we can sit at the back if you want.

Akash: No, the front seat works perfectly, in case we see a surge in the crowd.

(The boys pick three seats adjacent to each other in the front)

Jai: This is the problem; either this bus doesn’t have an accelerator, or the bus driver hasn’t
been taught how to use one during his driving classes. Look at how these cycles are
overtaking the bus!

Akash: Agreed, this bus does go slow, but look at the autos ahead, hardly leaving any scope
for the bus to overtake them.

Manav: Yeah, as if this driver would turn into Michael Schumacher even if he’s given an
empty highway! We should have never gotten onto this bus. Walking would have been a
better option.

Akash: Don’t forget the time, and we’re already pretty late. What more options did we have?

Manav: Even if we had boarded the next bus after 10 minutes, indeed, that bus would have
bypassed this one. No, not another stop…

(The bus makes yet another halt. A tall, middle-aged man enters the bus. He sits on the only
row in front of the three seats on which the three boys are sitting. The three boys suddenly go
numb for some time)

Manav: I’ll kill you, Akash, only if we stay alive after this bus ride.

(The man notices students in school uniform and recognizes them instantly)

Mr. Reddy: You three? What are you doing out here? And isn’t it time to be at your homes? I
see you have still put on your school uniform. Why is that so?

Manav: (stammering) Sir, we, we were…

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