Silver Linings

“Are you kidding me!? You can’t just cancel a bus and provide no alternate bus! What kind of travel company are you!?”

Seething in anger, I couldn't stop yelling at the “customer care operative” of the travels I had booked to return from Hyderabad. I had been there for a day’s work, and was to leave that night at 8 PM, by a reputed private travels. However, fate had something else in store for me that day. At 4 PM I received a text message informing me that my bus was cancelled, and asking me to call a number for further details. Assuming cancellation meant just a change of bus, and that the travels would just put me onto some other bus, I dialed in to the number without much concern. That lack of concern disappeared few seconds into the call, because I was informed my bus had broken down, and that they would refund me the money.

I was stunned! I was new to the city of Hyderabad, and had absolutely no friends, relatives or acquaintances there at all. Relief swept over me as I realized that despite my numerous reassurances that I am capable of travelling on my own in a new city, my dad (the most resourceful person I know) had insisted that he come along. But my relief was short-lived, since now that meant two of us stranded in a new city. Further probing the travel operator revealed that although the bus had not actually broken down, there were issues being faced by all private bus operators at the tolls, and hence to avoid that, all private travels had cancelled buses. She kept assuring me that she would get me a bus the following night if I needed it, but I was not confident that they would keep up their promise. Add to that the fact that I had an important meeting scheduled for the day after, I couldn't afford to reach late. I declined, and then my crazy adventure began.

As dad and I stood on the outskirts of Hyderabad, with no clue of what to do next, dad noticed a young gentleman driving out of the campus. Instinctively he asked him if he could drop us to the nearby bus stand. The young man obliged and we got in. While we explained our plight to him, he informed us that he was a localite and then not only dropped us at the travel agency, but also waited until we got our reimbursement and booked tickets via another private travels (something we wouldn't have been able to do alone, considering the language barrier). The angel in disguise then informed us where to board the bus for our return journey, gave us his card to contact him if we needed any further help and then bid us farewell.

It was 6 PM, 2 and a half hours before our return bus, and with the relief of finding a new means to get back home, I was relieved. I tried to ignore the fact that I had just paid twice the price that I paid for an AC bus, and yet I now had last row seats on a non AC bus – the journey back home was sure to be a bumpy one. The travel agency had informed us that a van would pick us at 8 PM and then we’d be taken to the bus to be boarded.Soon it was 8 30 PM, yet we saw no sign of the van, and attempts to call the travels office or the driver prove futile as no one picked the phone. To our immense relief we then found another group of people who also were waiting for the same van and we found solace in our group abandonment. The van finally arrived at 9 PM, and we finally reached my most dearest object at that time- the bus!

If you, just like I did at that time, are wondering how did this particular travels plan to avoid highway tolls? Well, they just didn't take the highway! Every possible gully road was taken on the return journey, and being on the penultimate seat (which cannot be pushed back to relax), made me believe that things couldn't possibly get worse. For a youngster, I almost felt my back break – I couldn't even begin to imagine how horrific the journey must have been for older people like my dad. It is said that just when you think things cannot get worse, they do. And so they did in this case too. The bus which was scheduled to reach Bangalore at 9 AM, finally drops us off in Bangalore at 11 30 AM. Famished and exhausted, we made our way back home, glad that the ordeal was finally over.

As I reflect upon the incident, I realize that while the journey was over, the lessons I learnt would stay with me for a lifetime. One that stands out - There are a few angels around us, who willingly go out to help those in need, and to the one angel who helped us in our time of need, I am deeply indebted. It’s thanks to people like him that we continue to have faith in humanity. Lest assured,  should I be in his position some day, I will willingly lend that helping hand.