The daily doze

As the bus breezed through wide, spotlessly clean roads, the cool morning air swept my face. Passengers were few and fast asleep with jet lag after long-haul flights. A soothing silence prevailed, with no loud conversations or blaring videos playing on mobile phones. Affordable, efficient, and enjoyable public transport from the airport for a first-timer was a big relief. I saw school-going children and office-goers silently making their way on foot or on wheels towards their destinations. Not one vehicle honked; most of them waited patiently at traffic signals and crossings, even when traffic was slow-moving. All of a sudden, I was jolted by a thud, which opened my eyes to a different world. A large pothole seemed to have broken my reverie, which had rewound me to my trip to Greece a week ago!

Having shifted residence farther from work, I had now outsourced the toughest job of the day to a driver. Now that I was out of the driver’s seat, I had more time, unfortunately, to observe and mull over the chaos around me. We made our way through backbreaking potholes, curious cows staring at us in the middle of the road, and two-wheelers swarming past from all directions like there was no tomorrow. School kids braved the morning traffic, with the younger ones dozing off as they clung to their dads while riding pillion. Honking was universal, directed at man and beast, and sometimes with no reason—probably at one’s own self in frustration or at the Almighty, pleading for relief!

Mastering the art of speaking on a mobile phone seemed to be the order of the day. Phones precariously balanced between the tilted heads and elevated shoulders of two-wheeler drivers meandering in gay abandon seemed to be resolving acute, high-priority problems.

Hats off to all of us who comfortably cruise through our lives despite this daily dose of cacophony and near-death experiences. Reading, having a meal, and catching up with pending work or old friends or family seem to be common remedies for the commute conundrum. I found a better one by dozing through it.

Rising early and having a hearty breakfast can continue the sweet dream over large potholes and loud honks. Now, before concluding this déjà vu as my daily Namma Bengaluru adventure, let me declare a disclaimer that it is not! But yes, a case of a close sibling often seen as a rival.