One of my
most memorable trips was a trip I made to Kanpur from Pune to attend an
interview at IIT Kanpur. Everything about that trip was just Legendary -
from loosing wait listed train tickets couple of weeks before the
travel, to running all over the Kanpur railway station with my luggage,
everything in that trip makes wonderful stories.
But
the high point of the trip came during my journey towards Kanpur. I
could get a confirmed railway reservation only till Jhansi and had
decided to travel from Jhansi to Kanpur on my own. I landed at Jhansi at
around 11 Pm. I came to know that the best way to go to Kanpur would be
to take a bus and so I
went to bus station, had something to eat and immediately found a bus
that was Kanpur bound.
Happy
that everything worked out so smoothly, I boarded the bus. Was really
glad that the bus started its journey without wasting much time. Anyways, after
like 10 minutes of my journey, I realized the wind was blowing a bit to
harsh in the bus. I closed the window glass, but found that it had no
effect. Also the window glasses around my seat were all closed too. It
was then I realized the bus had no front glass!
Yes, the whole wind shield in front of the driver was just missing!
Surprisingly, none of the other passengers seemed to be too bothered about it. Perhaps I thought no one really knew and once the passengers come to know, they will demand an explanation. But again, I was proven wrong. After an hour or so, it started to drizzle and the driver slowed down the bus as there was no wind shield and it was hard to drive. Seeing this, one of the passengers taunted, "are bhaiyya, wiper bhi nahi hai kya" (Isn't there a wiper too), and the whole bus erupted in laughter.
I didn't knew whether should I appreciate the stoic nature of the people of India or feel bad that the expectations are so slow, that even a bus without wind shield does not raise an eye brow. Anyways, that was my very first trip to U.P, and the bus had "Welcome to Uttar Pradesh" written all over it :)
Surprisingly, none of the other passengers seemed to be too bothered about it. Perhaps I thought no one really knew and once the passengers come to know, they will demand an explanation. But again, I was proven wrong. After an hour or so, it started to drizzle and the driver slowed down the bus as there was no wind shield and it was hard to drive. Seeing this, one of the passengers taunted, "are bhaiyya, wiper bhi nahi hai kya" (Isn't there a wiper too), and the whole bus erupted in laughter.
I didn't knew whether should I appreciate the stoic nature of the people of India or feel bad that the expectations are so slow, that even a bus without wind shield does not raise an eye brow. Anyways, that was my very first trip to U.P, and the bus had "Welcome to Uttar Pradesh" written all over it :)
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