Traffic

A few people once told me that I would eventually love Bangalore. I seriously do not like living here. I do not feel at home. The air seriously is different. There are times when you're standing suffocated in a crowded bus, and you actually gasp for air. There are times when I wait by the side of the road for more than half an hour and just wait some more as the crowded Public transport passes me by. After a long wait, with my thoughts set on just getting a move on, if luck is on my side, I finally catch a Bus that has a seat to offer me, which, trust me, is a rarity.

Once on the bus, I plug in my player and close my eyes. The gentle breeze floating across the open window feels good on my face. It is for exactly this I am willing to wait a while for. If it wasn't for the seat, I would end the day the same way I end most days, albeit, with a headache. It takes around an hour and a half to get to work. At those bottleneck junctions, you will see all kinds of people. Selling newspapers, bangles, flowers, etc. You will spot a few 'hijras'. If you're not lucky to catch a bus, you eventually end up taking a cab. And you do not want to be sitting next to the Driver as a hijra walks by. You have a false sense of security and ego. You almost convince yourself to not pay up. It's impossible. There goes the 10 bucks that you wanted to use at the next bus stop.

Most times, we end up in a stand-still at a Railway crossing every morning. I count the number of bogeys as the goods train breezes by. You can actually sense other people counting too. 49 I say, but the guy next to me says 48. You actually wonder where you went wrong. It's a nice moment. Masks the hell that Bangalore Traffic is all about. Sometimes you wish Traffic is bad. 'Cause that's when you can take a nice nap or listen to some timeless songs.  
But the days the traffic is bad are the days you have to get to work early.