Hi, this is me again, 28 years old, presently residing in Bangalore.
I had been to Mangalore for a business meeting and had booked a return flight in the evening. But the meeting dragged on for 2 more hours and I missed my flight. Since I had to attend an important meeting in the morning, I came to the bus stand hoping I could catch a night bus back to Bangalore.
To my luck, a Volvo bus was about to depart and I saw the conductor near the bus waiting for the passengers. I went up to him and asked him if there is any seat available. He told me, only the last two seats in the back were available. I sighed and took a ticket paying him and got on the bus, cursing for getting a back seat for such a long night journey.
It was the last twin seat on the right side of the bus. I placed my briefcase on the luggage counter and sat in the window seat. The bus was full except for my adjoining seat. I thought I was lucky to get an empty seat next to me so that I could sleep peacefully during the journey.
I turned to my left and saw a lady who was in her mid-thirties on the left side of the bus in the same row. The lady was wearing a blue saree and looked like a traditional Mangalore lady and next to her was an old man in his seventies. I thought it was maybe her father. I settled down comfortably hoping to get some sleep as I was very tired.
The conductor came in and whistled indicating the driver to move. I felt comfortable when the A/C was switched on and the bus started to move out from the bus stand. The cabin lights were still on as we were still in the city limits. I heard the lady talking to her male companion, “Mama (Uncle in Kannada) sleep properly.”
I turned and saw the lady trying to push the old man’s head who had rested his head on her shoulders. She saw me looking at her and feeling ashamed said, “I told him not to drink liquor and look how he is snoring. God knows how I am going to spend the whole night.”
I felt sorry for her and asked her, “Ma’am, you can have my seat and I will take your seat.”
“No, you don’t know my father-in-law. You won’t be able to sleep hearing his snoring, Thanks, anyway.” The lady replied.
So the old man was her father-in-law, I nodded and got ready myself to get some sleep. I could hear the old man snoring harder and wondered how the lady will be able to sleep while he is falling all over her.
Anyway, it was not my concern and closed my eyes to catch some sleep. I heard the lady calling me and I opened my eyes to see the grouchy old man sleeping on her lap now. I felt pity for her. “Sir, if you don’t mind can I come and sit over there,” lady requested showing the vacant seat next to me.
I had thought of sleeping in the twin seat and the lady was ruining it. Without any alternative, I just nodded and moved to the window seat making space for her to sit. The lady gently lifted the old man’s head from her lap, got up from her seat and placed his head on the seat slowly.
She came and sat next to me, turning towards me said, “I hope I am not troubling you, Sir.”
“Please don’t call me Sir. I am Achyuth by the way,”
“Thanks, Achyuth, I am Abhirami,”
“What does your husband do, Abhirami?”
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