RK narayanish piece of theatre enacted..
Yes, it was indeed a fine performance on a fine evening in Madras..Yours truly, as always, played the role of the spectator. Here goes the scene
A bus with about 10 passengers comes to a screeching halt, a few feet far from the bus stand.A marriage party, a conglomeration of assorted shapes and dimensions attempts to board the bus. In their eagerness , they somehow ensured that nobody, including themselves, got even an iota of a chance to make it. The conductor, after much pleading and cajoling ensured that the party finally boarded the bus, though that was the easier part of the journey.A party boarding a local bus, brings with itself certain interesting situations. Who was supposed to buy the tickets??Is each one supposed to fend for themselves, or was someone suppposed to take the lead? With about 50 odd people in the party, the problem was taking daunting proportions..The bus slowly sauntered ahead unmindful of the events to follow..A group discussion ensued amongst those in the party.. a few decided to go on their own.. a few became leaders and a lot offered their consulting services..A point came when no one really knew whether 2 tickets were bought for the same passenger..Meanwhile the bus came to a halt.. In these parts of the world, a bus laden with passengers comes to halt, so that conductor gets a chance to dispense the tickets..There was confusion to follow as passengers who did not belong to the party became impatient.. To them the situation unfolding did not lend to a cheerful outlook of life..A variety of emotions- anger,nonchalance,disgust,merriment,consternation and perhaps amusement was truly on display..The bus finally took off towards its destination..It was 11 PM..there was silence all around,except for the rattling noises the bus was making .. it was indeed silence after the storm...