Diversity on the roads - buses

A fairly long road journey undertaken a few days back in the searing heat was driving me mad, so, I decided to cheat the neuromotor service  to that part of the brain which deals with the heat perception by concentrating on my fellow road users and the vehicles, mainly the buses. First come the outright khataras....those with broken windows, delicately and innovatively plastered shattered glasses, anatomy revealing seats, leaking roofs and with tangled and mangled exterior speaking volumes of the ill treatment meted out to them by the owners , next come those which are on the brink of attaining khatarahood....with doors and windows dangling dangerously on the passersby and the travellers, the seats though externally intact, internally down to the last suspension of spring and jute, and also the exterior architecture generated by a few pukish passengers, just beneath the windows telling tales of the low levels of hygiene consciousness of the driver and cleaners...next in line are the deluxe ones with polished and chic exteriors but the curtains hanging from the windows proclaim loudly that a visit to the laundry is long overdue, the reclining seats become totally obstinate and non-obedient when it comes to obeying the command of the tired traveller hurriedly trying to catch a few winks....the AC coaches come next having the services offered displayed in bold, the cold water, the individual lights, the music, but to partake the luxury even of cold water from the water cooler perched precariously atop the wooden stool in front involves a walk down the aisle which would put many in the catwalk world to shame!. and the AC obeys only the telepathic commands sent secretly only by the driver keeping in view his mileage and the ever galloping cost of petrol........then come the swanky new breed of the Mercedes benz buses zipping past you, without even a traveller peeping through the window...wonder if the comfortable interior and the lullabys rock everyone to sleep immediately after boarding it, …the snobbish driver threatens to take off every now and then and keeps on the road only because the conductor is around, and if there is a split second delay in giving it the privileged right of way, the stare of the drivers itself can make a few kills....if the big wheels are generous  enough to let the lesser mortals alive...

Summer : My Impressions

With the summer slowly heading towards its peak, and our artificial luxury sources sometimes taking a rest in the form of breakdowns, the only solace I seek is a refreshing walk outside where I get to gaze at some of natures unique and ethereal creations....as I step out, I am greeted by the enflaming crimson gulmohar, which seems to have gone mad,  the greater the heat, the more the bloom , it seems to say, pushing the green foliage down to minimal and only on the fringes; the stunning yellow cassia with its eye-catching pendulous spikes, without even a  tinge of green,.... can a soul passby it  without experiencing a few moments of absolute bliss....the jacaranda too with its purple cringed flowers though not so, bold and beautiful, meets my eye, just enough to, leave an impression .....that will not be as easy to brush away. A few yards ahead, the mango and the litchi trees laden with fruits still to ripen, attract a motley crowd of street urchins and the privileged, competing with each other, in collecting the maximum number, using , sticks and stones, with the more daring ones  risking a hurried climb onto the trunk too. The lonely jamun, full of sweet scented lemon yellow blossom stands in the company of the straggling mulberry, which is now totally bereft of the juicy fruits borne on the branches nearer to the ground, and which were within reach of one and all, is now catering only to the appetite of its feathered friends, resting and roosting on its upper branches..Further ahead, inside the park, kids and adults of all ages vie for the verdant spaces,....a few younger ones staring and blinking from their cosy little moving abodes , the prams...the slightly older ones smile from ear to ear as they slide down those colourful installations in the centre...the giggle of the kindergarten ones too echoes around spreading joy and laughter on an otherwise  warm and sultry evening...and imbibing the good cheer and the spirit, are the old and not so old walking, jogging and strolling at their own paces, looking to carry the positive vibes home..helping them get over their problems big and small...