March 19, 2008

Confidently, Indian

Currently singing: Don't Cry, Guns and Roses
*
Today, my mom sat down with me (you know, those mother-daughter conversations one indulges in every now and then) and gave a detailed experience of her ride in those new, perfectly painted 'green' buses that have been transporting Delhites all over the City.
The description was hilarious, considering she mimicked those individuals who accompanied her on a ride to CP--I couldn't take her personally, since my mother decided to visit her mum unexpectedly, and without a forewarning walked out of the house in complete enthusiasm while I was lost in my yoga session..


So anyway, the women on the bus were apparently comical creatures, really--my mother described one scene where one woman confidently went and sat on the bus' gear box (as many usually do on the normal DTC buses), and when the driver asked her to move, she refused to budge and replied in a rather crude fashion:

tu bas apni bus chala, mera khayal mat kar'
(You just drive the bus, don't worry about me).

Next, my mother lamented on the fact that though the DTC bus drivers have been given fashionable new buses to drive, with commendable state-of-the-art facilities, the poor chaps are oblivious as to how to work with these technologically advanced buses... The driver of the bus mum was travelling in had no idea as to when to open and close the doors in time... While ascending the stairs of the bus in order to get down, a lady's saari got stuck in between the doors due to the untimely act performed by the driver who abruptly closed the doors. What ensued was an unpleasant exchange of dialogues between the two, punctuated with a few 'rude' remarks here and there...

Entertaining? O boy, yes! The way my mom was narrating the entire episode threw me in fits of laughter, and considering she writes and is a story-teller, she did a brilliant job of communicating the events of her day to me, leaving me absolutely impressed.

I am yet to travel in these buses, but rest assured, I am honestly well-prepared for them. Let's see, next trip to college--I am definitely counting on public transport!

*

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

the pik on the left side top corner at a casual glance looks like a log then i realised they are ur legs hehehehehe

Anonymous said...

the new posts are... OK

five_silver_rings said...

Sniff... boy shifa, some support... sniff..

Vipul Nanda said...

A harsh critic, I see. :-)

Vipul Nanda said...

On demand - :-)

I thought this post was a narrative, and as such it got the amusement you felt through pretty well. It seems to be more descriptive than anything else, and as a description it does just fine.

But as for being clear about how you felt about it, it seemed to be less than what it might have been. You haven't spoken about what you thought rather than admiring your mother's storytelling capability which while is probably fascinating, wasn't as much about you as something else.

It wasn't personal enough to be yours, as any good blog post (according to me) should be.

It's one of those things that needs to be fleshed out well. Else, is quite good. Liked the last two paragraphs. Well done, overall. :-)

five_silver_rings said...

Arawn: Couldn't agree more.. I couldn't really 'relate' to the events that occured on the bus for the sole reason that these experiences weren't mine.. hence my narrative is more of a 'borrowed' narrative...
But I do get the gist of what you're trying to put forth. Thanks :)

Mystique said...

aaah.
so how do you normally go to college if not public transport?
and yeah, it can be entertaining. I started using public transport a week ago, mum's too busy to drive me around....it's kinda liberating.....yet....I'm mostly the youngest and only girl in the cab....

five_silver_rings said...

Honey, I drive... used to travel in buses during the first two years of college... then resolved that I must drive, for it's a liberation in itself ;)
But yes, travelling in DTC buses has made me aware of the Delhi roads and the best routes to take in order to get somewhere..

Unknown said...

An excellent narrative. I know your mom to be an honest narrator and a powerful writer. Her descriptive power matches the same as the best writers in the world, having read most of her stories on the internet. With this, I know she has done the work again.

Anyway, this story brings memories to me. Anyway, while on Rani Jhansi Road, I could simply walk out on the lane, stand near Delhi Heart and Lung Institute and watch these buses pass. I never entered them for one day. I only used taxis, rickshaws or autorickshaws. But then, there was something special about that bus.

It's same here in Nigeria. We call it 'molue'. It's always filled up like the train going from R K Ashram Marg metro station to Vidhan Sabha or Civil Lines. You know, everyone standing up, when the benches are filled. I like it, mostly, when children are the ones sitting beside me, cos we interact with our eyes and laugh.

This is really excellent. Could make a wonderful story! Maybe, I've got to plagiarise this! Ha-ha!

five_silver_rings said...

Onyeka: I only hope that your idea of plagiarising this post was only a mere attempt at joking--which, I am sure it was...

Princess Consuela Banana Hammock said...

uhmmm ... nice post
reminded me of my "pleasant" experience in the bus ... with the new electronic system for tickets and an established route
the poor chap a dtc driver got so confused ... he turned right when he had to turn left and the doors didnt open .. and a traffic jam formed .. it was almost hilarious when he whipped out his mobile and called somebody and screamed
"yeh bas chalti valti to hain nahi ... hamari blueline wapis dijiye"
.... :)

Unknown said...

Yaar, I think that was meant to be a joke, really! Happy Holi and Happy Easter, too!

Did you also see the first chapter of my novel I attached? If you did, I desperately would like to know what you think of it, PLEASE!!!

five_silver_rings said...

Blue Butterfly: Haha, really now, that seems extremely interesting :)

Hope the DTC wallas improve their knowledge on *how to drive Americanized buses on Delhi roads*.. Don't want any accidents now, do we?

Onyeka: Erm, no.. haven't read the piece yet.. reading course books, have exams in less than a month.

Unknown said...

Theek hai. Wishing you luck in your exams!