1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

The bus-book equation...

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by bhagyachinu, Jun 30, 2011.

  1. bhagyachinu

    bhagyachinu Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    144
    Likes Received:
    562
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Gender:
    Female
    "My wife used to play the piano," a friend told Mulla Nasrudin, "But since the children came, she has not had time to touch it."
    "Children sometimes are a comfort, are they not?" said Nasrudin.



    Books are such a comfort, are they not? I rather choose not to have too many people in my life (cannot avoid events though). One of the best ways to avoid people is to immerse yourself in a book. I have been successfully practicing it for, say, since I remember. I used to carry a book with me wherever I go, I used to read while waiting for a bus, while walking anywhere (I know you will say it’s dangerous, but I’ve survived doing it nearly two and a half decades), while eating, oh well, wherever I can be on auto pilot. Even the scrap newspaper in which the grocer packs the provision didn’t go without a thorough reading (I used to enjoy it, not knowing what was the beginning or end of that piece) :D.

    Doing that has given me some of the most hilarious moments in my life.

    This happened when I was eating, drinking and sleeping Wodehouse. I completed a book I was carrying as I got inside the bus in the morning on my way to office. Since I did not have another book I was sitting and reliving the book. When I remembered an especially hilarious situation in the book, I could not control myself I started laughing. There was a woman sitting next to me. (I was actually giggling for quite some time, trying to control my laughter before laughing out rightly). She was staring at me as if I have escaped from Kilpauk (mental asylum). The look she gave was so funny, I had another fit of laughter. You should have seen her face – it reflected fear, doubt, anxiety. She immediately got up and went and sat on another seat and kept giving me furtive looks, which was highly amusing to me. That evening I told my father about it and both of us were roaring with laughter. If anyone wanted to establish their insanity, I would recommend heavy dose of PG Wodehouse. (by the way, why should one think another insane when he/she laughs but try to console a stranger when s/he is crying?).

    Another day, I was reading as I was walking towards my office – so lost in a book. When I reached the lift, I heard somebody wishing good morning and I looked up. There was a colleague from my Plant and I returned his wish. He asked my name (said he can’t remember). I was still deeply in the book and had not come out. The smile and gud morning were auto. So when he asked my name for a moment I couldn’t remember it. There was pure panic as I kept thinking what my name was. I thought and thought (I was giving lot of ‘er’s and blank looks), he looked at me funnily. By the time the life came and the door opened, I suddenly remembered my name and jumped into the lift and told him triumphantly “Bhagya, that is my name” and gave him a smile – I was genuinely happy I could remember it :D ). I promptly went back to my book (see, I can read till I reach my seat), I am amused to think what he would have thought!

    There was another similar episode. I got inside my regular bus while returning home all the while reading. The conductor came to issue tickets and asked “where”. For the life of me I couldn’t remember where my home was. Anyway, he waited for a minute and gave me my ticket (I was a regular and he knew where I got down). I remembered as he gave me my ticket and blurted out “I know, collector nagar”. He was laughing for quite some time and, of course, I also laughed.

    This one is most hilarious. As usual I was sitting on one of the aisle seats in a bus and reading. The bus was jam packed. It was very noisy but then I was so engrossed, it was just a background noise. I had to travel from Parrys Corner to Anna Nagar which was for about an hour and a half. May be 5 minutes after the bus started, I could hear two guys teasing somebody horribly (it was in the background – like you hearing a conversation when you are half asleep). They kept on and on (I tell you, it was really bad language – I was having “horrible-guys-damn-them- why-the-girl-is-tolerating-such-filthy-language-anyway-poor-girl-what-can-she-do-in-a-crowded-bus”kind of thought, of course, in the background – my main focus was the book and soon I shut myself off from the noise totally). It went on till I reached Anna Nagar. I had to get down in the next stop and I closed the book and looked up. Then the girl sitting next to me told me “you are so patient, why don’t you open your mouth and gave them a piece of your mind? They used such abusive language. We would have helped you”. I asked her “who? What?” . Then she said “these guys who were teasing you”. Only then I realized those guys were teasing me for the past hour or more. I just turned and looked at the guys (they were standing near me) and then asked the girl “you mean they were teasing me? I did not know. i was reading the book and did not even hear what they were saying”. She laughed and I laughed. When I turned, they were missing. By that time my stop came and I got down.

    Another instance happened the same way. As usual I was lost in my book and the bus was crowded. After two stops I could hear a woman saying from somewhere behind my seat “get up there is somebody with a child”. And I guess nobody got up (who will, when there is no place even to stand). And then this woman started shouting. I thought “why can’t she get up if she is so particular” and continued reading. (Normally, if there is some place to stand, I always get up, or offer to hold the child. I was already holding three or four bags of those who are standing nearby. That day, those who were standing were virtually leaning on those sitting and those who know Chennai buses on working hours will know what I am talking about). Again, this voice started at the top of the voice about the arrogance of the younger generation, how heartless they are etc. I guess there was no effect. Then it turned to pure abuse (slum language et al) because she was not getting a response, positive or otherwise as I could not hear her victim answering her. As usual I tuned off and was reading. This continued till I got up to get down. When I turned to get down, my eyes fell on a lady who was sitting two seats behind me. When she saw me looking at her she shouted again “look at her arrogance, she is not even bothered I was shouting at her” and on and on. Only then I realized all those abuses were aimed at me. (I don’t why she wanted me to get up when she was sitting and there were people behind me who were sitting). I blankly asked her “were you talking to me. I am sorry, I was reading and I didn’t know”. Gave her a smile and got down. She was a sight to see (I hope she remembered to close her mouth after her initial shock).

    I miss travelling by bus these days. It’s more than ten years I’ve stopped travelling by bus and marriage has thrown a hammer on my reading habit as well. I have become choosy about the books I read. But even now I would choose a book over anything else. These days it’s more like reading at night hoping hubby won’t wake up and chide “you’ve to get up early and work, don’t waste your time reading at night”. Pity he doesn’t know the pleasure of reading. It’s pure joy when he goes out of station as I can read late into the night. He always make it a point to ask on return “were you reading late when I was away” and I will look at him innocently and say “who, me?”. He knows I must be reading and I know that he knows. The fact is if he is not there, I don’t sleep till it is 2 am or, like last night when I was reading something interesting, 4 am. See, I’m not even sleepy and am working :D. The only casualty is I had to wear my glasses instead of lens because my eyes were burning and when I got the standard question from my hubby when he returned this morning, I gave him the standard reply without batting an eyelid, “who? Me? You must be joking?”

    There is nothing like books. There is no you. There is no others. There is no world. There is just the book and the plot it unfolds. It is instant nirvana!
    :D
     
    Loading...

  2. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    10,291
    Likes Received:
    9,985
    Trophy Points:
    540
    Gender:
    Male
    Very true. Your narration was hilarious and your point well made Bhagya. Pleasure to read. Thanks. -rgs
     
  3. vidchakra

    vidchakra Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    1,596
    Likes Received:
    1,062
    Trophy Points:
    285
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Bhagya, That was hilarious!!! I like the way you have naratted...
    Good one!!! Keep them coming :)
     
  4. shashiv

    shashiv Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    2,293
    Likes Received:
    458
    Trophy Points:
    158
    Gender:
    Female
    very hilarious and beautifully narrated blog... Well made points Bhagya... keep writing.




    Shanti
     
  5. Sofea

    Sofea IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    4,033
    Likes Received:
    9,212
    Trophy Points:
    410
    Gender:
    Female
    Dearest Bhagya,
    Are you by any chance, my long-lost twin?:) It's a shame that I only saw your post this morning when you've written the same almost 2 months back :-( Nevertheless, I'm glad that I caught it at last. It's a lovely read and I feel like I'm reading a part of my life through your blog.

    I'm an avid reader and can read books almost anywhere. And your narration about reading while sitting on the bus just made me roar with laughter. You see when I used to travel by bus, I'm always immersed with my novels...and that includes the time when I could not even get a seat to sit. So much so, that I don't even notice when guys fall on me- even if they are doing it on purpose:rant. It's only when some good souls point out to me that I finally notice these things and move away from the place. Ahhh...sometimes ignorance is just bliss I tell you.:spin
     
  6. bhagyachinu

    bhagyachinu Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    144
    Likes Received:
    562
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Gender:
    Female
    twin eh? i like the sound of it. people who don't know what it is to get lost in a book are missing something great in their life :D
     

Share This Page