The story begins when the alarm beeps at 4 AM and the lead of our story gives a reluctant stare at his watch.He can barely open his eyes.Its been a string of early wakings for him and he has barely had any rest.In the next 45 minutes he gets ready in light speed and is soon kindling his engine.
The roads are so empty he thinks...he reaches his college on 90 seconds flat.Ridiculous.Looks like he is in a hurry to pass on...now that he is finding it tough to pass in his subjects!As he reaches his college, he sees that the flourescent lights are on and he thinks "The campus looks so beautiful at night".He finds his mates and the front of the gate and he settles right in between to for all the 'Hi's and 'sup's.The organisers have been very wishful while thinking they are gonna leave at 5 AM.HAHA.
After all the delay, the bus leaves the college at 6:30 AM.Our man decides to conserve energy and tries to get some sleep while resting on the window sill.His best buddy Pramukh is in his usual reserved state.As the country zooms past, it isn't long before the rest of the lot decide to dance.The speakers come to life and the party begins.Our guy is pulled around and pushed around for a dance...but they don't know that they rather watch a man being brutally beaten up in Iraq than watch him dance.And they never find out.As he gathers himself and puts himself back in his seat the dancing reaches its peak.Sharath is going crazy with his 'Rope' dance.He is good! He is looking punk too!Most of them are dancing...and they are good...they are all enjoying...nice.
The bodies get tired soon...or they are just bored of dancing, so they decide to play 'Anthakshari' instead.The game goes on for about 45 minutes.3/4th of the songs are unknown to the lead.He just prefers to look out through his window while as he listens to songs, trying to recognise each and every crop,every harvest that zooms past his sight.Once he turns to Pramukhs and points at a particular crop of spice...but then realises "Who would be interested in knowing about that?"
and decides to enjoy the rest of the countryside by himself.
10:30AM they stop at Arsikere for water or whatever! While most go and call their mummies our hero climbs on top of the bus and gets a snap.Then he climbs down and shakes the bus to scare the people who had followed him and had decided to stay back and get shaken up by him.
The bus starts off again and stops an odd 20 KMs away for the travelers to answer nature's call.
I had answered her before the trip very well...and still I decided to answer repeatedly, just in case we weren't stopping again.They wash their hands and get into the bus...breakfast is served.
His MP3 playa is snatched as he had expected...he smiles as he tries to eat the "breakfast".Its rice with a lot of oil and also as he later realises , a lot of colour.Its not going down at all.To make matters worse he has to eat it with a miniature spoon that is super flexible.He eats 3/4th of the stuff and throws away the rest for a much much more hungrier life that might find it.
The countryside is still filling his eyes as if tailor-made for him.It's a nature lovers delight.Mind you...a real nature lover, not the ones who decide to call themselves a nature lover just because, it is was read in the high school text books. As he watches on, the cheesy "look at that"s and "oh thats one is awesome,look,look!!"s begin to bother him...cause that is what he has been doing all along.He searches for Pramukh...the food and the lack of sleep is kinda beginning to make him sick...but Pramukh is nowhere near.
Now starts a game of Dumbsharads.He indulges himself too.He is sitting with his classmate Manikanta on top of the backrest of the seat in a peculiar position to be more involved.Somehow he and Manikanta seemed to make a few right guesses but they went to deaf years :P.The game begins to get boring for him.After an hour,I am sure it would.He gets down and moves to the footboard and begins to take in a much better view of journey which is now entering the Western ghats.He gets the best view of the ghat section...the mountains,the valleys, trees and the depths...all because he is the only one one the footboard, all the rest are busy with the game.Soon 2 more join him, but his height ensures that he still gets the best view.Luckyass.
To watch the deep valleys from high up there as the bus vigorously criss crossed on the kuccha road must definitely be the high point so far.Another one of those memories that will last for ever.Merry shouts of "Hey you cheated! I saw you move your lips...you @#$%^ " and "Hey I didn't cheat, who you calling a @#$%^?? " in the background and beautiful hills and valleys on the foreground.
Kemmangundi has arrived!
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