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The incessant calling of the bus conductors of the location of their buses makes me realize my
bus is about to leave. I stride towards it and get on. One empty seat. I sit, sighing in relief. This
bus takes twenty minutes to reach Mapusa city. As soon as the engine roars to life, loud blaring

music hits our ears. Out of habit, I open the window to the fullest and put on my ear phones. I
rest my head against the window pane and shut my eyes, drowning all the humdrum around me.

The bus ride is jolting, to say the least; with my head hitting the hard metal grill fitted in the
window with every bump on the road and causing me to wake up from my drowsy sleep every
three seconds. We drive past vast stretches of grassland where the fog is still visible. Stretches of

coconut trees. The nature calms my soul and gives me peace. It is so pleasant to see the greenery
around.

There are migrant workers with their young children starting their day. Their endurance to the

harsh weather is only because they have to fend for themselves. The stout bus conductor makes
his way past the standing students, squishing them against the seats as he collects the fare. I
ready myself to get off and catch the last bus which would take me up the steep road to my

college campus.

The bus that goes to college is filled to the brim but the conductor, a young man, doesn't care. He
keeps adding students inside until there are girls hanging out the door. I did not even imagine it
was possible to fit these many humans in a metallic cuboid. I feel the sweat trickle down my

neck. It is stifling hot with so many people breathing the air around in this closed environment.
We are stuck to one another and cannot move. Our hands eternally holding onto the railing. We

are ready for take-off. As soon as the bus starts, the cold air starts flowing and it makes the ride a
bit bearable. The bus trudges up the hill.

Once we reach the gate, the bus stops and the driver and conductor stand outside, collecting the
fare. I enter college, finally relieved that the travel is done with, but I realize I am late and I run

past the many students to attend my first lecture which is Organic Chemistry.

Thus ends the two-hour long commute from the island to the city.
~Ms. Jaya Makkimane

(T.Y.BSc 2021-22)

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