Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi…

This was one my unforgettable journeys that I and two of my office colleagues has undertaken from Dehradun to Simla. Due to budget constraints we had to board the last bus from Dehradun to Simla as we got to know that Simla had experienced snow the previous day. It was Friday night 11.30 pm and with Saturday and Sundays off we thought it would be a fascinating idea to touch snow. We packed our bags and waited at the main bus stand near Dehradun station. We were told that this was the last bus and if we missed it…we miss snow!! So, anyway we said to each other that whoever gets a seat shall reserve it for the other. One of my colleagues (Sanjay) was thin enough to get into the bus from any window; I was ready to throw my haversack onto one of the seats as the bus arrived. To our shock the bus was already full with people hanging outside the entrance. Before I could ask my colleagues ‘Chadhey Ki Nahin’, they ran to get a grip on some part of the bus. I had no option but to hang on as I had all the cash with me to buy the tickets only if I happened to meet the conductor. The bus started and caught speed in no time. I shouted “Ajay, Ajay… (1^st colleague) can you hear me?” Ajay replied “Yes, I am in the bus somewhere holding on to somebody’s…feels like a dirty jacket.” I asked “What about Sanjay?” Ajay replied “Pata nahin…shaayad chadhha nahin hoga?” We tried shouting requesting the bus driver to “Roko roko” but he replied “Ab bus sirf Paonta Sahib mein rukegi”. The cold outside was freezing as I shouted to Ajay again to get down wherever the bus stopped or else Sanjay may find it hard to reach Simla alone. Somehow Ajay slipped inside the bus as he started searching for Sanjay all over as one of the passenger shouted “Yeh saamaan kiska hai bhai?” Ajay looked below the passenger’s seat to find Sanjay sleeping there. Ajay shouted to me confirming “Utarne ki zaroorat nahin hai saamaan mil gaya…Simla mein hi utarkar bichdon ka milaap hoga”.

Somehow we faced the cold journey and reached Simla ‘lataktey-lataktey’ the next morning at 6 am in one piece but all we could say was ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ aur ‘Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi woh Be-Busi ki raat’.