Sometimes life teaches us the value of time, may be specifically in seconds. I was lucky enough to get one class last week. When the IRCTC window popped out with a waiting list status (post chart preparation), I never thought I would have such a night ahead. Unexpected work given by Deepu Ravindran at office made me more late to leave office. Deepu was knowing that I would travel by bus, but even in his worst dream he would not have thought of something happening as it turned out.
So what happened that night?
Actually, nothing much happened that night. But the night became a memorable one only because few things did not happen
Let me put things directly. After wandering for an hour, finally i got a bus to Kannur from Kaloor bus stand. The night journeys in private buses are very tedious, but i was helpless. When i got in,”why dis kolaveri..” song was playing inside the bus. “dis is for d soup boysu…we don’t have choiceu”. I said to myself, i don’t have choice, so i am in this stupid bus. The bus left around 10. Soon tight sleep welcomed me. For two or three hours I got good sleep. In fact, the rash driving did not allow me to sleep properly then. My bus was going at a high-speed and suddenly it happened. The bus made a sudden break. All the passengers waved a small bye to their sleep. Even the non-living particles inside the bus would have held their breath with that break.
So what happened? Before this thought came to all, the bus was moving unidirectional , taking deviation from the main road. Still the driver was unable to stop the vehicle. At last an old electric post lying on the ground managed to stop the bus. Many in the bus started shouting and few kids started crying too. I was completely perplexed, of course lil shocked too. The bus did not settle down with the stoppage. The reverse gear was the one selected by the driver and the most of the passengers were still under shock. The bus was moving at high-speed in the reverse direction and soon it was back on the main road. Then the conductor was shouting “don’t leave that bastard…catch him”. It was only then i figured out something from the darkness. A mini bus suddenly tried to cross the road. It was a 101% mistake from that driver of that mini bus. He was in sleep when his unconscious took the vehicle completely into danger. My bus driver had to apply sudden break at an impulsive speed. Even that did not save the purpose. So he took deviation to left which saved the life of at least 50. Soon it was a cinema style chase was happening in the National Highway. The chase continued for about three kilometers. Finally my veteran bus driver managed to overtake the mini bus and stopped it across so that none can pass through the road. No sooner the bus stopped few passengers and the bus crew started rushing to the mini bus. Then it was a time of extravaganza of Malayalam slang words. The dramatic fight continued for about 10 minutes. Our conductor consoled the mini bus driver by telling “it’s night, all drive in half sleep, but don’t sleep like this.” All though it might occur as a consolation for the driver, the fact of knowing the half sleep driving theory killed the sleep of many, if not at least mine.
The mini bus was full with some students. I guess their school class might be +2 or so. A disaster got skipped out from reality in seconds. A second late action from the driver would have made that place known for an accident. And sometimes this website which you are reading now would have been described as the website of a Software Engineer died in bus accident.
Thank god nothing like that happened….
Article Originally Published By: Harikrishnan CK
