Bus ride into nostalgia!

 "Hey, hey hold those weapons properly", shouted an elderly man standing behind us in the bus.

"Weapons?", in shock, my friend looked here and there. And I pointed towards the drafter and sheet container that were peeping outside her stuffed bag on her back. Covering our mouths we both laughed....and I smiled as I remembered this incident after so many years.

Bus travel during engineering days was something like this. Yes, armed with our weapons, 'Drafters', 'Cylindrical containers' to hold the drawing sheets, 'Boiler suits' and what not, we boarded the bus from the stop near our house to the college, practically everyday.

Sometimes we had to change buses too. Most of the times it used to be overcrowded. You know how it is in India, there are no automatic closing doors, so the Janta is seen hanging, even outside the doors.

Well, most of the buses, the AC ones, now, have the doors though, but during that time, buses were always thronged over its capacity.

Standing in queues wasn't the system at all. As the bus stopped, folks would just barge in, utterly disorganized and chaotic. But when it was packed with college students only, it was a different scene. Boyfriends reserving seats for girlfriends, quarrels over who caught the seat first. There were namuney who would throw handkerchief or their bags through the window and claim their seats in advance. So, till the bus reached our stop, we mostly didn't get a seat. We went standing, sometimes up till to college. But when there were friends already sitting, we would pass on the heavy bags to them, releasing our shoulders off the burden, for some time, leastwise.

For the exchange of notes, tips for the vivas, and submission files, the bus was the ultimate nexus. It was not less than a titanic for lovers, only that the Jacks and Roses ended up marrying or breaking off, and not dying.

The window seat was a dormer of happiness. Catching the fresh air, tresses blowing in the cool breeze, and disconnection from the commotion of rabble inside the jam-packed bus, was bliss, at times.

Antakshari, word games, dumb charades, tiffins exchanged, chocolates traded, the bus used to turn into a mela once the general public got down. If the conductor was a rude one, he would get annoyed by the high decibels. But if it was an easygoing one, he joined in the fun too.

Somewhere you could hear the lovey-dovey chats, somewhere plans for startups, somewhere complaints about professors, and elsewhere, dreams about the future were discussed. It was like one bustling street during Diwali or Christmas, smiling faces all around, twinkling eyes, and hi-fives of friendships.

The bus wasn't just a means of transport for us then but a fun ride, filled with adventure and experiences, helpful for future life too.

When I read today's prompt 'Those Bus rides' for #ThrowBackThursdays, this picture of daily travel to my college flashed in front of my eyes. I got to relieve those cherished moments once again.

Thank you Momspresso for this.

PC: Depositphotos.

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