The journey

The epic journey

 

“Yes, the day is finally over and now I will be heading home”. That is the thought that circumnavigates my brain for the last hour that I spend at my school everyday of the week. Not the most optimistic or cheerful outlook from a student that spent the last three years babbling about the exclusiveness and the honor of getting admitted in one of the best college in the city.

However as in life when you do not have something, you value it more than your life but the moment you get it its worth deescalates faster than a falling meteoroid. Just like that the euphoria of being a student at a prestigious institution fizzles down and everything settles into perspective. Months down the line although hugely grateful everyday is a battle to reach this oasis of education, for everyday there is that moment when I feel I am  the alien, perhaps not suited to this inhospitable climate.

However some days ago I finally realized what was this psychological barrier that prevented my development in this mars like environment. It was more than a phobia. My problem was big and on four wheels, carrying about fifty to sixty people at an instant as it maneuvered its way through the dreaded roads of our city. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it is no stalker or secret admirer but the fact that I have to travel in a crowded and nerving vehicle for five days in a week.

Although when traveling I do feel potential brewing inside of me. Much like in the movies when the hero is struggling to attain his dreams and pondering about them while sitting in a bus or a subway, I to console myself with the dreams of a prosperous and exciting future.

Circling back to my heroic adventure which occurs too often to be joyous now, I step on this medium of transport with utmost authority. However there is an instinctive grab of the handle as soon as the wheels starts rotating. Such instincts may be undeveloped in those who are yet to experience this ride and others like me know exactly what I am talking about. After managing to climb on board and hang on for dear life, one has to stand amidst a group of seemingly disturbed and frustrated strangers, many seem like a trapped and growling tiger, a poke with your bag and they will be all over you in an instant. Surviving the crowd is a mean feat yet it is of no comparison to the roller coaster ride that the driver takes all the passengers through. Trust me, Disney land has yet to acquire the technology that provides such an eccentric ride where your bowels are repositioned and your nervous system breaks down, its only disadvantage may be the fact that you may die. Other than that you can enjoy the ride. Standing amidst this unforgiving crowd one cannot help but notice the strange smell. To be over dramatic it is the smell of hard labour but to be honest it is sweat. One may feel a slight hinge to your smell buds initially but than you become one with the smell and all your expensive perfume ads go down the drain.

So what more can it offer? An exciting ride and some lovely (yet frightening) company. Perhaps the icing on this utterly bitterly delicious cake are the salesman that dazzle everyone with their poetry and captivating accent. If the west wants to take credit for everything then be it, however the art of salesmanship was invented in the east and perfected by us. Bogus doctors promising the cure of an un curable disease and newspaper hawkers provide a comical break from the struggles of life. Many naïve travelers succumb to their deceit although seasoned personnel like me are too smart to fall for their trap. Their process of tempting their customers is an eye catching event with hundreds falling for them everyday.

That is about it. My struggle for education encompasses rational thought yet many continue it with me and many would continue it after me. A friend of mine once said this with a very serious frown upon his face “Karachi buses are too good to be true”. The same day his usual bus broke down and he had to sit on a roof. That day he said made him understand the word prudent. Thus it is this ride everyday that has led to our intellectual development and curiosity. Long live BUSES.