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| The shrill whistle broke the silence in the bus. It was early afternoon and everybody was dozing off except a few determined youngsters. Determined not to doze off. According to them, it is a sign of weakness. No control over the body. Nor they have strong will to ward off sleep. Can't they stay awake during a two hours bus ride? I looked around. Two more stops and then a non-stop five miles journey to Seethanagaram. Then I will get a break of 30 minutes. I was feeling famished. Felt like having some snacks immediately. It was so unusual to feel hungry at this time of the day. Coming to think of it, everything was so unusual from this morning. Jaya got ready quite early in the morning. Looked so fresh. Going to be twenty this Sankranthi. Normally leaves by the first trip of the bus. From Ramapuram to Seethanagaram. Studying in the college at Seethanagaram. I had to struggle hard to get a seat there. Even the bus company owner had to put a word to the Principal. She studies well. A brief smile crossed my lips. In another two years she will finish her studies and will be the first graduate in the family. Ha ha! "Srini has kept his promise and has taken care of his sister's education". So my parents can rest peacefully. The bus gradually came to a halt. And this broke my reverie. An old woman got into the bus with great difficulty. She asked me "Srini! Why are you late today?" I retorted " But that's not how you became old, surely not waiting for my bus Ammagaru (Ma'm)! It is always on time, hi hi" The woman sat down nearby and started chatting with me but only for a short time. She also started dozing off. So the chat got interrupted. I started humming. My mother used to say that I have a knack for learning music -if I hear it once, I will grasp even the nuances quickly. I like Thyagayya music very much. So many of them were written for me- some times I feel. Like " nannu paalimpa nadachi vachitivo" "you came by walk for my sustenance"( for all the people walking down to the bus stop so as to get into my bus), "rara maa inti dhaka" "come to my home" ( so many regular passengers invite me to their homes), " Seethamma maayamma Sreeramudu maaku thandri" "Seetha is our mother and Sreerama is our father" ( my life revolved between the towns Ramapuram and Seethanagaram- They are like my parents). I can reel out so many of them. In another two years , I have to marry her off. I have to find a good groom. After all she will be a graduate by then. She is not very fair colored but is good looking. I will have to start accumulating a fortune again. The first fortune had already started dwindling for paying the college fees. Hope the bus company owner will help me monetarily. He likes me very much. Treats me like a son. Good collection in each trip. No trip missed on any day. Always. Even Rahim took good care of the bus. His driving was really steady. No jack rabbit driving. Not really necessary. Only during season, he has to concentrate on driving. All the mango trees lining the road from Ramapuram and Seethanagaram will be auctioned off during the season. And the contractor's lorries will start arriving to pick up the mangoes in baskets or otherwise and after loading, the vehicles leave the orchards. Then it will be a continuous convoy of lorries up to the city. Of all hues and shapes like the mangoes they carry - banganapalli, rumani, neelam, shahi imam, alphonsa and so many other varieties. The road will be fully congested and so Rahim has to be extremely careful while driving. We arrived at Seethanagaram. I entered the usual restaurant. The owner grinned broadly and shouted at a boy to get me snacks. He gave me the usual snacks and did not collect money from me as usual. The restaurant owners are very clever. Anywhere in India.May be elsewhere also. They know that they have to take care of only the bus crew. Then the crew will stop the bus on every trip at the restaurant and business will be very good. The passengers are all suckers. If they are not ready to concede, they will have to starve. I lit a cigarette and blew a long smoke ring. Rahim joined me. He borrowed a cigarette from me. He has a big family. Like me, he had joined the bus company at a young age. And learnt the tricks on the job. He was a quick study and is now one of the reliable drivers in the company . Our only pastime during the break is to smoke and chat and occasionally have a cup of coffee, though we would have had tea ("Cup that cheers") earlier . Rahim said " Srini, I think the collection is good today." I replied " Yes, we may get a good bonus this month". Again he asked" Is something bothering you? Tell me" I replied " I feel uneasy. Nothing wrong with the food I had in the afternoon. May be the continuous pressure on my mind- how to get money and marry Jaya off. In another two years- I am not sure, how am I going to do that" It was 4'o clock. It was time to start the next trip back to home. I got into the bus. The bus was crowded as usual. Some of the early birds from the nearby factory travel in this trip, occupying most of the seats. The bus was noisy with their loud talk and boisterous laugh. As if they owned the bus, for the charge of two rupees twentyfive paise they paid. Rahim was looking at me waiting for my signal. Normally he gazes vacantly at the road in front, waiting for the sound of my whistle. But today since I was not feeling well and the crowd was so heavy, I think he was looking at me wondering how am I going to manage. I blew the whistle. The bus started moving and was picking up speed. I saw a young couple in the distance waving their hands frantically and running towards the bus, signalling me to stop the bus. I blew the whistle again, albeit longer. Rahim applied the brakes suddenly and stopped the bus. And turned around enquiringly at me. Everybody in the bus was staring at me. As if their urgent mission had been interrupted due to some trivial matter. The young couple got into the bus. The girl said " Brother! Do not start the bus. I just came rushing ,to get your blessings." Rahim got out of his seat and came towards me to find out what was happening. She continued " Do not get me wrong. I know how much you struggled for my education. I do not want to trouble you any more. He is a good man and he loves me. He said he would take care of me. So we got married this morning in the Kothandaramaswamy temple". The young couple fell at my feet. May be also at Rahim's feet. He was standing so close to me. Rahim turned around and looked at me to see my reaction. I blessed them. For I cannot do anything anymore. How can I shout at my dear sister? I thought she was a fledgling. To be fed by the mother bird. She has grown up. She wanted to be a mother bird herself.They got down and walked off. I came and sat down in my seat, with a heavy heart. So much has happened. My burden had been so suddenly lifted, a solution has been found for my problem. Now I feel so light, like a bird in flight. I do not hear anything. Not even what Rahim was saying-" Srini! What happened to you?" He does not know that I was already on a long and different trip, but not in this bus. Saint Thyagayya would have been happy. Had he known that I have been serving people between Ramapuram and Seethanagaram , all my life, like he himself served Rama and Seetha all his life. 11/20/00 |
| Thyagayya again? |
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