25th
May 2014: A Page from My Diary
Oh! It’s already 9.00pm the last bus might have gone! That is the only bus to reach my place of work
(and stay) from the place which is in the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Afterwards you have only two options to ‘go on foot’ or to go by ‘sharing autos’
which rarely ply by that time. Sometimes you can go by ‘requesting a lift’ by
risking yourself. There are some people like me in the bus stop with question
marks on their faces. I don’t know anyone here. Even it’s not possible to go
back to city. Some youths are trying their luck by asking lift by two-wheelers
which are also rarely seen. Time is running fast and dark clouds and sometimes
thunders making me more panic. I cursed
myself for 100th time.
I am very new to this
city and its environment. I recently joined in a reputed engineering college at
higher level. I came from Visakhapatnam! Yes, it’s my decision to take any risk
to do my best, reach higher levels and serve more. I must obey my
inner conscious and go forward by following lord Krishna’s Gita. Even my better
half (she is from Hyderabad) stunned after hearing my decision to relocate to
Hyderabad! ‘At a time, all will start returning from Hyderabad, you want to go
against the current?’ She questioned me with a sense of anxiety in her voice. I
cajoled her (myself also) that the bifurcation of state has
nothing to do with the kind of job I am doing. Somehow convinced all kith and
kin, near and dear, I landed first and staying in the campus for the time being
till the whole family shifts to city. Till then I must face these types of
problems. Now it’s started drizzling. Some where I too feel scared and waiting
for any miracle!
9.45pm! The people are seriously discussing about Telangana and its new government about to
take place on 2nd June. I somehow feared to take part in the
discussion to avoid unnecessary questions about my new job and my background. At
the same time, I felt that, if don’t mingle with them, I may not get any support
in reaching my college at that odd hour. During that hesitation, I saw some
headlights of a van approaching us. I thought its lord Krishna himself came to
save all of us! It’s Maruti Omni, but not a transport vehicle! The driver
calling loudly ‘Only ten rupees’ (It’s very less compared to sharing autos). It
may be a returning vehicle and the driver may be expecting some extra money. I am running like an athlete from bus stop,
but surprisingly no one is following me from bus stop! Once I reached Omni, I
saw no one in the vehicle except the driver. The people at bus stop saying
something and signalling me to come back! Again, I must take a decision! Like
this how many risky decisions I have to take. The ‘Leo’ inside me forced to go
further neglecting the people’s advice. What’s the problem in boarding a
vehicle which is going in the same way and the driver is expecting some money, I
convinced myself.
To my shock, the
sliding door already opened, and the driver asked me to sit behind. Once I adjusted
myself in the seat, I tried to close the door but failed. The driver with a muscular
body and harsh voice looked back and told me to leave it. Then the door was tied not to close! Then I saw behind, there are no seats, I found so many
plastic drums filled with oils and chemicals. Some thick pungent smells along
with stinking diesel kind of smell are coming from them. Then I sensed another
smell… cheap liquor mixed with Zarda pan! I felt chilling sensation in my backbone!
Then the driver started his questionnaire in a humble way. It’s around 10.30pm.
We are almost halfway to college. I am in a dilemma to tell the truth or not.
What he will do, if he knows that I am from Andhra and doing job in Hyderabad.
These are unnecessary fears, but the timing (the bifurcation and dark
mid night in that horrible van) created turmoil in my mind. I am answering all
his questions mechanically. I am still trying to analyse why the people did not join me, even though it’s quite cheap. Moreover, they signalled me not to go! What
this person will do?
After hearing one of my
answers that I am working in an engineering college near to his village, he
became so curious and informed me that, his daughter wrote the EAMCET and expecting
a good rank. He is serious to admit her in our college and asked whether his
daughter will get admission in our college. I said that I am also new to this
college, and it can be verified by seeing past admission lists and rankings. He
said he will meet me the next day and asked me how to and where to meet me? I
told my name and designation. He simply stopped the van and asked me to get
down!
‘Sir your college came’
with folded hands he turned back to me. When I am giving him Rs.10/- note, he
politely rejected and told me that ‘I and my van are honored to have a
passenger like you sir’ and started the van. I am running behind his van! The
ten-rupee note is laughing loudly at me! I was shrugged like a dwarf.
Oh My God! We will and
can think anything, anyway; we can colour anyone like Andhra, Telangana, Tamil,
Bengali, North Indian, and South Indian without hesitation. Why can’t we think
normal? Why can’t we think/behave like human beings? All these tags are for
politicians and the poor common man doesn’t bother about these things. Do we
belong to this cadre?
