Kallada Travels - Maiden Voyage.

Well ... After yet another looooooooooong break, I am back in action. This time after my travel on a Kallada Travels A/C Sleeper bus. For those who don't know what Kallada Travels is - its a bus service you should avoid at all costs !!!

Now, before I let my emotions flow, let me get to the story ... I had gone home over the weekend, and owing to a lack of funds (month ends are really "dry" phases for me you see), and a lack of cheap air tickets available, I decided to travel by bus. So I asked my dad to get me a Bus ticket. I had asked him to take an A/C Sleeper for a plethora of reasons (1. I could lie down and sleep as compared to having to sit and sleep in a Volvo ; 2. It was A/C ; 3. Luxury man ... Luxury ... ; ....).
My dad being the nice person he is obliged without any questions.

Well ... Its 7.45 pm now and its raining back there in Cochin. I wait like an idiot for the bus that was supposed to have left town by now. Finally at 8.00 pm it arrives... And although a tad irritated, I rush to secure my seat.
(P.S: I cared two hoops about securing a seat. This wasn't Air Deccan where people rush to get the best seats - My ticket had a seat number and come what may -> That slot was reserved for me. So ... You're probably wondering why I was in a rush ... Well ... I forgot to mention, there were some ''babes'' in the crowd that were boarding the bus ... Now you know why I was in a hurry to board the bus eh !!!)

:P

I try hunting for seat number 10 (that was my seat), and I settle down. A min later, the bus conductor guy comes up to me and says "Sir ... There is a lady who has an upper berth ... And she would like a lower berth ... Would you mind exchanging seats with her ???"
Chivalrous as I am - I agreed ...

I get ready to move, and find my new my seat - berth number 15. For a sec - I am left wondering - Why in the world did I give up a lower berth in the front portion of the bus for a upper berth in the rear portion !!!
(For those of you who don't travel by bus much - the rear portion is generally very shaky as compared to the front portion !!!)
Heck - I was helping an old lady ... And I felt good about it !!!
:)

Now came the difficult part - fitting myself into the relatively cramped upper berth...
If your probably wondering why I was having a tough time "fitting" into the upper berth - I have a confession (thats the second confession today) to make - I am a lil beefy w.r.t. build (read as I am freaking FAT). And it ain't a very easy task to stuff all that flesh into a narrow section ...
Think of how difficult it was to close the lid on that overstuffed bag you always packed !!! Well - It was the same thing I was going through out there.
At that point I was cursing myself for three things:
1. All those Beers and shots of whisky I had when I hit pubs (liquor is a looooooooot of calories u see)
2. All those gym classes I paid for but never went to !!!
3. Why in the world did I have to be Chivalrous ... Grrrrrr !!!

Heck ... In the midst of all this pandemonium, my phone goes off - and when I pick up - I find its my bro who had come to see me off !!!
And that idiot was laughing his arse off seeing me in this delirious position. Grrrrrrrrr ... I felt like getting down and kicking his arse ... But I knew - if i do that - then I will need to spend another 20 mins trying to stuff myself in !!! So - I stuck to swearing at him over the phone and left it at that !!!
:D

Well ... Finally - The bus starts moving and I am glad ... For in another 12 hours my ordeal would be over !!!

Another 2 hours pass by and the I didn't realize I had dozed off ... All off a sudden I am jerked awake by a loud quarrel between two ladies in the seat right next to mine. My mind was like "Wow ... A fight ... that'll be fun to watch !!!"
I struggled to peer out and watch the masti ... It turned out - the Travel agency had alloted the same lower berth seat to two people, and neither of em were ready to let go and sleep in another one.
The characters involved were - A 45 year old loud mouthed aunty, and a 24 year old dull looking lady ... Since it wasn't an interesting pair - I went back to sleep. Another 15 mins later - the other passengers and the conductor convinced the younger girl to switch seats and the old lady piped down !!!

Finally some peace and quiet ... another 10 more hours to go ... and then Bangalore !!!
Well - thats what I thought !!!

8 am - My alarm goes off ... And I wake up thinking - "Shit I must've missed my stop !!!" ... I look out and see everything written in Tamil... I rub my eyes and the script is Tamil. Thats when the realization struck me - I was faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from Bangalore !!!
:(

Another 3 hours pass and then I see Electronic City Phase I. Finally ... Something familiar ... I calculate at the back of my - "Another 30 more mins to hit Madivala ... Another 30 mins to brush, shower, get dressed and get to work ... In any case - I wont reach office before 12.30 ... What the heck - I don't have too much of work anyways !!! "

Thankfully, another 30 mins later - I got off the bus and as calculated another 30 mins - I am at work ...



Well ... Till my next travel .... Taaaaaataaaaaaaaaaa !!!