Outline: I usually go to school in my neighbour's car – the neighbour went out of mumbai – I go in a happy mood to catch a bus – my experiences at the bus stand - queue - buses come and go, no admission - fight and chasing of a pickpocket - I take a cab in order to go to school.
I usually go to school in my neighbour's ramshackle old car. As such I am not subjected to the much-talked about rigours of a bus or train journey. However, the other day, my neighbour went out of Mumbai. I was left all alone to face the horrid experience of going to school by bus.
It was raining heavily. Even then I stepped out of my house with a very jaunty air. There was a light in my eye and a song on my lips : “Raindrops keep falling on my head”. I went to the bus stand in this happy mood, and lumbered up to the queue. It was a long one.
I waited and waited for the bus to come. It was almost like waiting for the Promised Land. Buses kept coming and going but the ravishing beauty at the head of the queue was still there, almost gummed to her spot. I dished out a little of my much-praised patience and waited.
By now, I came to know several people in the queue. They were all irritated. I tried to cheer them up a bit, but to no avail. Soon after this, I tried to while away the time by solving a crossword puzzle. In the meanwhile, one more bus arrived. The queue moved up fast and I was about to get in. But at that very moment a local goon jumped the queue and got in, and I was left out as the bus moved away.
Another bus came after 15 minutes. It was packed like sardines in a tin. I tried to get in but I was summarily pushed out by the hefty conductor. I just could not risk fighting the fellow. So I did not say a word and waited at the head of the queue.
The bus queue, by now, had become elephantine. Soon there was a fight. I saw a youngish fellow being manhandled by a mountain of a man. The former gave his adversary a couple of light blows and ran away. The big man shouted : “Pick-pocket! Pick-pocket“ The pick-pocket was seen running as fast as his legs could carry him, with some men chasing him. He climbed into a moving bus and disappeared.
By now I had made a big fool of myself. I had wasted a lot of my time for nothing. Now I would be late to school. I was scared of the comments that would be made by my class-teacher. Therefore, I hailed a passing cab and hopped in. I asked the cabbie to take me to the Podar School, Santa Cruz. The cab was soon speeding along at break-neck speed. Indeed, what an ironic situation! As a famous writer aptly remarks: “Patience and perseverance may overcome mountains, but they do not enable us to get our buses".
Difficult Words:
Ramshackle - nearly falling down.
horrid - very unpleasant.
jaunty - feeling self-satisfied and pleased with life.
