Skip to main content

A Trip that wasn't

Chapter 1: The driver that wasn’t

The name implies that a driver must know how to drive but driving alone doesn’t help, if a driver doesn’t know how to drive to a given location. In our case, the location was Mulshi Dam-near Pune. Our trip to Pune via Mulshi Dam was spoiled when the driver started asking us the directions to Mulshi.

Chapter 2: The Chevrolet Tavera that wasn’t

Of all the Taveras present in this world, we were the chosen ones to have the black smoke coughing, powerless, pickup-less, Chevrolet Tavera. After somehow reaching Lonavala, when we headed towards Mulshi, we came across a steep hill. We all were excited, but our Tavera had different plans. It didn’t seem to like the steep hill so much, and it gave up. So our trip and the Tavera took a U-turn back to Lonavala.

Interval: The License that wasn’t

We experienced God in Lonavala. As though we didn’t know that our driver wasn’t driver enough, Almighty God himself sent us a cherub in khaki pants and white shirt, a whistle in mouth and a stick in hand just to prove the point once again. Our driver didn’t have the original license. He had the colour copy of the license. It’s funny how life puts in some jokes even though the script you are living is just so annoying.

Chapter 3: The Mulshi that wasnt

When Tavera refused to go up, Mulshi was damned and we changed our plan. Now our trip was called Pune via Bhushi. Bhushi is another Dam which is near Lonavala. We reached Bhushi successfully! Bhushi was so crowded that it seemed an overcrowded Mumbai Local was just emptied there. There were people selling candy floss, tea in the middle of the watercourse which was in full vigor. We spent some time here in Bhushi by the time our Tavera and the driver were resting in peace in the parking area.

Chapter 4: The Booking that wasn’t

After Bhushi we reached Pune. Our puneri friend and his better half arranged finger licking and heavenly delicious hyderabadi biryani followed by Sujata Mastani (a mixed breed between milkshakes and faloodas and ice-creams developed over years available in diverse authentic flavours) .

Next day we did eating, shopping and booking(return tickets). The time to leave Pune and get back to Mumbai was nearing. We tried to act smart this time and decided to travel back by a government bus which has a qualified driver. We boarded our bus at 5.15 pm and found that a man was already sitting on the seat reserved by us. When we approached him, he told us that the seat was booked by him and showed us the ticket. After inspecting our ticket we found out that our puneri friend booked a ticket at 15.15 hrs and mistook 15.15 to 5.15. Life has a splendid sense of humour; so do we; luckily there were enough seats that we could book for ourselves! That’s how we reached Mumbai with a bagful of memories–sweet and sour but which were to be relished throughout our lives.




Comments

  1. hehe.. nice post :) sorry for d tkts.. ;)
    and one info.. if ur tkt is mistaken, or u miss the bus with online tkts, bargain hard, and ST may allow u in another bus :D

    and one correction. I AM NOT PUNERI. I AM AURANGABADI. call me punekar if u want but not puneri. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahaha... thanx akash for revealing yourself :D :D

      Delete

Post a Comment

Liked it or not? I would like to hear your views. Please comment with your name and location.. :-)

Popular posts from this blog

Work From Home and The Boss

It would not be wrong to say that Work from home is the new buzzword in the town. Most of us in the IT sector are doing this and yes, it's quite comfortable. Especially for people who travel hours and hours in crowded public transport systems smelling fish and co-passengers' armpits. No, It's not hyperbole - its a fact. Ok! At least in Mumbai, IT IS A FACT. The local train travel in summer becomes pathetic. The workplace is all heavenly but the travel is hell. By the time you reach office, the shirt tucked in is out in the open. The nicely ironed trousers look no more like they used to, two hours ago. Nicely polished black leather shoes are full of dust. You look at them pathetically and rub behind your trousers. Messed up and not ready to work is the mental state when you swipe into the office. And all this trouble just to reach a place which you don't like. Haha! That's life buddy. But the same life fills your pockets on the last day of every month. Work

Realization (A Story)

The clock was ticking at 10 in the night. Cool breeze flowed in as the bus glided on the roads of Mumbai. There were many sounds happening- honking vehicles- murmuring commuters but Shishir was in his own world with his earphones on. The bus was about to reach Azaad Maidan where he had to get down. Boom! Shishir heard a loud sound and before he could interpret anything out of that sound, he found himself lying on the road. He could see a dozen people dead scattered around him. There was smoke all over the place. The bus he was travelling was reduced to scraps . It was a bomb blast- Shishir  realized . People gathered near the blast spot and started carrying victims to a nearby hospital. A man came to Shishir to pick him up. Shishir told him that he was fine and the man should help other victims instead.  The man didn’t listen to Shishir and started to lift him up. Shishir was stunned to see that the man lifted up his body but Shishir was still lying on the road. Shishir c

The Mumbai Local

The Mumbai Local           Lacs of Mumbaikars travel by the local train everyday. Mumbai local is called the Lifeline of the city. The over-crowded trains witness many stories, quarrels, debates, discussions, games, songs and  bhajans (a proper bhajan with dholak and cymbals!). They say, "Don't be a part of the crowd, lead the crowd." This does not apply in the Mumbai local. You have to be, infact you are a part of the crowd when you travel through the over-crowded trains. I got a chance to become a part of this crowd when I joined college. I found out some rules that came into being as the crowded trains went on becoming over-crowded. There are two three-seater benches facing each other between which generally three to four passengers stand. The first person from the window should be given the first priority to be seated if anyone gets up from those two benches. Fourth seat is allowed on the three-seater benches. Unless nobody is standing between the bench