Rain, Rain - Go Away
The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain
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Went home for a good 4 day long vacation.. If you ask "what did u do going back home", I'd say "Nothing". No, really..
I do absolutely nothing.. [ hey, I am not denying being a lazy bum ]. So much, that out of the 4 days, I was out of home only for 2 hours, that too to a restaurant which is 20 steps away from my home, to meet up with some friends..
Anyways, Like all good things come to an end, so did my trip. Started back to Bangalore on Monday night [ cos the buses wont be that crowded, like during the weekends ]. Like always, I had booked the non-window (aisle) seat, cos I have had countless bad experiences of sitting in the window seat. U can find all worst possible windows, the lose, the leaky & sometimes the missing ones too..
So, this 70 year old citizen is sitting at the window & picked up some conversation during which I got to know that he was in the educational department when he was in service. I had a bunch of bad stuff to tell him as my feedback towards the system, but kept quite since I knew it was of no use.
After a while it starts to drizzle & chilly wind gushes in, even through the closed windows. This elderly gentleman requests me to swap the seats. I was soo not willing to - but I could not deny him. Sometimes you know that you are digging your grave, but still cant help it.. I was in one such situation. Also at the back of my mind - had the unbreakable confidence on the climate of Bellary that the drizzling would stop in no time & it 'll get warm again.
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Take 1:
The weather goes intense. Lightning & thunders around. I could actually see a lightning striking the tree next to the bus on the road side & its branch being cut off.. It was the first time I saw a lightning that close.. [ Flash Back: There was a similar incident next to my room in hostel where a huge tree trunk was cut off, but I had not witness the scene in action ]
A very loud sound of thunder followed the lightning which I could hear coming from behind the bus, since the bus was moving. The rain was intense now & I could see water on all sides of the bus. Really felt like we are moving in water.
It started raining cats & dogs & my worst fear [why I always chose the non-window seat came true]
Gah! it was a leaking - not the window for a change, but the roof top !!! Precisely -the place where the window & the roof are welded together.
As I was leaning away from the window to escape the water droplets, this senior chap [not calling him a gentleman anymore] slams the divider between the two seats, so that I dont encroach (which now is) HIS seat.. Grrr..
I am 50% wet now. and before the water goes inside my pants, I swiftly got off the seat & traveled standing for quite some time. :(
2.5 hours gone..
Take 2:
The rain seemed to slowly reduce but I could still see some lightning. Came back to my seat which was like a sponge loaf floating in the pool. The bus top was still leaking [ guess the repository it had saved to trouble me when I come back to seat ].
10 minutes passed by & the bus was stopped for a break. Though it was drizzling outside, I got down for a chai. The drizzle outside was too less in comparison to the one in my seat.
After a while, the bus started, but this time it had some mercy on me. No more rainy droplets falling from the leaky crack & sneaking in my T-Shirt.
And just when I thought that its all over - history repeats ! :(
A slow drizzle started which in No time started pouring down again. I thought I am anyway wet, so will fight this time & do not move.. But the cold water trying to reach my inner-wear made me run again to travel standing :(
Everyone are sleeping, I was the only cursed soul.. :/
Totally 4.5 hours journey down.
Take 3:
Now I thought I cant stand anymore & the rain seemed to have stopped, I come back to seat, put the towel, do all possible circus & try to sleep. The bus stops for another break. I dint wanted to go out this time, but my body had enough water (absorbed more from the skin)
which had to be flushed out.
Generally its a 15 min break, but the rain god did not wanted it to be that long. He strikes again & we are all forced to run inside the bus.
The leak started honoring my seat again.
From the window, I could see the rain-god rolling over the clouds with his finger pointing at me & laughing.
Like i said, had done some engineering with the towel etc & let the water flow to the window sides..
Well, it was no complete relief anyways. Wet with clothes is not a good feeling. Could not sleep now & Bangalore was just some 30 kms away. Rain stops, I open the window so that the wind can dry me & the seat. This old guy sarcastically says "cant you see people sleeping here, close the window". I said "I am too wet & its getting itchy, i want it to dry".
This guy gets up & closes the window himself.. I was so aggravated that I wanted to be a murderer that day.
After sometime the bus reaches Bangalore. I was all set to get lost from that shipwreck & then this ruthless character tells me "can you get my luggage till the auto-stand?".
My malevolence had already killed my benevolence.