Diary of a Desi Traveller
Sweet, full of spice, India through Indian eyes!
The wait for a fruit is often sweeter than munching into the juicy, succulent fruit itself. Likewise, the journey is most probably more exciting and adventurous than the destination itself. A common New Year’s resolution taken by people is to explore the world as much as they can. On various travels, one meets different people and learns how to interact with and handle them. This is especially true if one is using public transport in India.
India, a rich blend of diverse cultures, has its own spectrum of varying personalities. Some of them are savoury, syrupy Gulab Jamuns and Rasgullas, while some of them kick you with the spice of a red-hot Kashmiri chilli. Let us go on a journey, taking several modes of transport, and meet different people on the way!
Travelling by bus is often the most economical way of commute, though usually not the most comfortable in large cities.
Getting a seat is like a boon. Having space to stand properly is a gift.
It is here that we can cross paths with an unstoppable force of nature, as terrifying as the Vardah hurricane; the overambitious bus conductor.
At every stop, he goes, “Get in! Move in! Stand aside!”, ushering in groups of people even when the bus has close to zero space left. His ultimate achievement will probably be ‘The Guinness record for stuffing the most amount of humans in a metal covered box masquerading as a bus’. The journey then will most likely entail one being stuffed like a sandwich for the most parts, with arms and legs in awkward places. By the time you have extracted all your peripherals and belongings from different corners of the bus and have waded through the sweat filled clusters of people, you find yourself two stops after your intended one.
Oh Ye of Little faith! God exists. He will send you another bus. Heed not the misguiding conductor and get into this one!
Another travelling mode for long journeys that shows mercy on your pockets is the faithful train. Spending time with friends and family throughout the trip is like therapy to a ravaged soul. For all those solitary troopers braving the world alone, music and sleep are the viable options. A prickly thorn which bursts their bubble of bliss and contentment is the typical family with a baby. Triggered by even the smallest disturbance or perhaps nothing in general, the deafening wails of a baby can be a waking nightmare for those attempting to catch a few winks of sleep.
Commuting within a town or a city for small distances is simplified by hiring an auto: one of the best ways of travel with the wind in your face smelling delightfully of freedom (that is if freedom smells like diesel smoke). Enter into the scene, one of the commonly seen auto drivers. Rather young, with his hair styled like an 80’s actor, this notorious character believes that he is a god given gift to womankind.
However, if you have to get somewhere in a jiffy, there’s almost always an auto around the corner to save the day!
Every person who has ever used Indian roads would have met this next type of person. They are the drivers waiting at the traffic signals gunning their tiny hatchbacks like Formula One race cars. To them, driving always takes inspiration from the Fast and Furious movies. Never taking into consideration their capability to pull off such stunts, they can be seen making the space between atoms count as they overtake overcrowded buses by squeezing their cars through the narrowest of spaces on cramped roads. Reckless and perpetually enraged, they make everyone wary of even walking along the footpath.
Travelling as you know is an arduous task and here in India, sometimes it requires blood, sweat and tears to just visit a friend living on the next street. However, from unscrupulous freeloaders, screaming bargainers and over-enthusiastic salesmen to deft flower sellers and Amazonian fisherwomen (do NOT mess with this one), the immense diversity in the people you can run into is truly something to celebrate!
Sometimes these people you meet might actually make your journey worth it.
This article was written in collaboration with Varshiny Arumugam.
