Down the Memory Lane

Image courtesy : mdiocuh galeals on Flickr, check usage terms before using the image.

Whole day on the Mall and now we are sitting in a restaurant in Shimla. Its quite evening but we are supposed to have early dinner as we are heading back to Delhi after a 8 day camp. Will not be discussing the camp at this moment as I believe that journeys themselves are far more interesting then destinations and this particular journey has a special place in my memories. At restaurant we were advised by our teachers to avoid going for binge eating as on way down the hills it may not be a good appetite but as always we are tempted by the sight of delicious food. We eat plateful and hop on to the bus, this one is a semi-deluxe unlike the Volvo we had arrived to the place in. And fortunately eat had windows that opened. I grab the seat on the last row just beside window and don't allow my friends to go for the window seat, even though they tried to persuade me in every possible manner. On the seat next to me sat a friend of mine, this girl is the one with whom we have shared a large part of our school life and have enjoyed very much. In some 30 minutes bus makes its initial moves while we all are chatting looking out of the window, some shutterbugs are interested in grabbing every possible second and preserving them so to be looked back in the future. As of me am very much trying to be happy as I know that the following day will be difficult to past because of some post travel pangs. The memories are hard to get around with and a feeling of something being lost captures you. Looking out of window I am feeling a bit uncomfortable now, the excess food, delicacies are proving to be troublesome. I ask my friend to allow me to open a little more window as I would be needing it very soon, but she seems uninterested. I warn her of the "consequences" but to no avail. the bus moves down the hills and paths that curve like some snake entwined to bark of a tree. My troubles grow and it is uncontrollable now so I go on vomit, and unfortunately a lot of the stuff falls on window rather going out of it. thankfully it is not on me and just a seat is wasted. I have no other option but to vacate the seat and go for some other options. Meanwhile I try to make her accept that its her fault but moreover not wishing to blame her. In hurry I throw my jacket out of the bus window, partially to grab some eyeballs, as it is human nature to try to be in limelight. Now I fumble the racks on the top of bus and get my bag. Use it as bedding and I have to spend whole night sitting in the bus's corridor. I miss those scenes out of the bus's window but thankfully in the bus there is a lot to check out. Many are still not able to sleep and busy in various activities. The guy who was sitting beside me seems to be troubled lot as he has to sit beside the shit! The other on the second last seat is busy listening to music on his walkman. Some are toying around with mobile phones and others are chatting in whispering mode! A senior is pleased to get a head massage from a senior girl! While for some am an amusement as they are consoling me by repeatedly offering help and other stuffs and asking questions like, "Why did you throw your jacket?". Night passes quite slowly and our teacher came to check twice or thrice in the mean time, and every time I had to wake up as I was lying in the corridor! Morning around 5, the sun has started to shine in distance on the Grand Trunk road. Those who had slept early are out of sleep now and are busy waking up others and speculating how much more time before we would reach the ISBT. The bus is rapidly traversing the distance and pesky smell at a landfill hints that we are in Delhi now. We start gathering various belongings. In 15 minutes, as we are saved from the usual traffic jams at the bypass, we are at ISBT. Off the bus we are collecting our baggages and helping others reach for theirs. Sir asks us to check out for conveyance back to home. And I decide to go for an auto ride with two girls who lived nearby. We get Rs. 100 as travel allowance but the rickshaw ride cost only 80 bucks. So we save 20. In the way we decide to use the money to have an ice-cream party, but the idea does not materialises actually and the Rs 20 remain with me as am the last one to get off the auto andhave to pay the bill...

The party is due and I will be more than happy to go for it, even if I have to pay the interests on the money!