Vijay and Nila have only one thing in common - they take the same bus at the same time everyday. What if this mere commonality steers their life into a whirlpool of uninvited feelings, wholesome conversations and unexpected connections, taking them...
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The sky was the bluest Nila had ever seen. There were no clouds in sight, allowing the sunlight to filter in seamlessly and burn her toes that were peeking out her sandals that she had bought only yesterday from a 50% sale. It looked pretty on her feet, matching her green kurta and white-washed blue jeans. If she ignored the tan that she was going to be rewarded with later and the subtle bite at her pinky toes, she could consider the sandals a pretty good investment. Nila glanced up from her toes, hearing the familiar screech of a bus coming to a halt. The bus wasn't the one she was supposed to get on but the empty seats were tempting her and making her wish it was.
Nila rocked on her feet, waiting for her bus, the popular and people-loving 29X. She hated that bus because it was almost always crowded. Getting an empty seat was like getting to see Rajnikanth on the streets of Chennai – which was never. You would ask, then why does she take the bus? Well, buses weren't Nila's favourite mode of travel but to keep her bank account alive and thriving, it was a significant sacrifice she had to make.
It had been three years since she moved to the city and taking buses had become an essential part of her life. From the PG she had been staying in before, it took two buses and a share-auto to get to her college. Along with four of her friends, Nila had now rented a flat a little closer, reducing one bus in the equation. It might not look much but the difference it made was tremendous.
There was an old couple giving her silent company in the bus stop and she prayed she would get a bus in the next two minutes, because after that a storm of school kids would be fighting with her to get in the bus first. But, ha, of course, Nila was never lucky. The kids crowded around the bus stop, noise and chatter hanging over the area like a pesty grey cloud. The high school boys would sometimes say Hello to her, trying to make friendly conversations but she would reply with a scowl. If only they would be friendly enough to willingly offer their seats to her on the bus.
While Nila was distracted thinking of a plan to get rid of these kids, she sensed the crowd stepping forward, suddenly abandoning their conversations about that pretty teacher in science class and the upcoming tests. This was a sign — a sign that a bus was coming. She craned her neck and found it to be 29X, her very own dear bus. But the fact that it was slanting towards the side, like a man drunk off his wits, made her heart sink. If the road was water and that bus was a boat, it would have sunk ten hours ago. But it was the last bus in a while. She had to get on it otherwise she would have to be late for college. And Nila hated to be late.
Steeling herself and forgiving herself for her rudeness in the upcoming few minutes, she pushed through the crowd, holding her totebag close to her hips. Excuse me, Excuse me, Excuse me, she chanted loudly as she swam through the crowd and somehow got first in line to get inside the bus.
As soon as the bus halted and the door yawned open, she climbed in, almost slipping from the step as someone pushed from behind. Not a chance, loon, she muttered to herself and pulled herself up, scanning for a free space to stand. Just as she grabbed an empty space, the doors closed shut and the bus moved, throwing her forward.
