Get used to being insulted

Some days ago I had the first experience of traveling in a bus. A public bus, I mean. Before this, my dear parents in their over-protective and over-worrying demeanor had always managed to accompany me to places or arrange some ‘safe’ way.

Now, I have found many examples of the fact that when a human being is barred from something for too long, he becomes so used to it that even when he is given that thing or freedom he hesitates and feels uncomfortable to the change, no matter how good the change is.
But I curbed the instinct to ask my dad to arrange some transport to drop my cousin and me to her college. She is new to Delhi and I was accompanying her on her first day. Circumstances indeed turned favorable and we were allowed to begin our journey together.

Dear reader I may appear very dumb when I shall further narrate incidents of the day but believe me it is not my fault that my parents do not consider me an adult at all.

So boarding a 211, I leaned at the place at the exact side of the door, a habit acquired from travelling in metro. I was congratulating myself for getting such space in an overcrowded bus until at the next stop the doors opened by splitting into half each side and nearly crushing the left side of my body. I managed to pullmyself before the door compressed further but my leg was still stuck there.

It was such a proud moment of my life , standing there with a leg stuck, waiting for the door to close and facing stares that seemed to say ‘how stupid of you!’ Adding to my awkward situation I also happened to step on foot of a passenger standing near me. And the passenger turned out to be a handsome young man who was, I guess, used to have girls step on him daily. He gave me that bored look and said, ‘Paer hathao’. In my miserable position I even forgot to give him a ‘not impressed!’ look.

Finally the door closed and this time I placed as much as gap I could between me and that wretched door.

All this while I was also wondering about the conductor and tickets

…we have to buy tickets, don’t we? Or there is now some other modern system…

My dear cousin was enjoying the outside view sitting on her just-got seat, meanwhile. Of course all responsibility was mine.

Then a man came towards me with some paper and money in hand and of course I assumed him to be the conductor and asked him the price and handed him the money when he told the same. Maybe I was too much relieved to have gotten out of that door that I didn’t feel the embarrassment when the man made a face and informed me that he wasn’t the conductor.

Finally I bought a ticket and got a seat.

The bus halted and some very important people jumped in and started checking tickets, chaos arose as people at back started shouting to get the bus keep moving..So peaceful, I thought. A group of young school boys suddenly jumped out and ran at their fastest pace. A poor small boy got caught and one of the important men started beating him. Some things happen only in India.
I wondered if that happened daily in buses or it was my day.

By that time my co-passengers must have become aware of my lack of knowledge because when seeing the familiar area around KG station I started to get up, three people told me at once that my station was still 10 minutes away.

There is always a moral conclusion to such incidents, so as to ensure that they did not occur just to embarrass one (hehe). For this one, it is that when if you are going to attempt something new, no matter how trivial, be prepared to be laughed or mocked at. Get used to being insulted if you wanna play the game of life. Applause. Thank you

Tags: bus ride, dtc bus, first bus expierence, learn from life