Day 11: Reality Calls

We booked tickets for the bus leaving Manali at 3pm and reaching New Delhi at 7 am the next day. There is no choice. You have to leave Manali by 3 if you wish to see New Delhi the next morning.

The train to Guwahati was at 2359 hrs from New Delhi. So we had some time which we didn’t want to while away in New Delhi. After intense discussion, some shopping, a visit to a Gompa in Manali, lunch at madras café, we decided to while away our time in New Delhi. But we decided to do a movie marathon. Morning to night, we wanted to watch movies. We wanted all hell to break loose. But rarely, dear reader, rarely things turned the way we wanted it to turn. I’m sorry to disappoint you, hell did not break loose.

The bus to Delhi left precisely an hour late, but not before the usual drama of leaving the passengers clueless on the time of actual departure.

The bus is something to speak about. It has a sleeper coach above the seats, where in two people can sleep. Designed for the honeymooners, in all possibility. And so, this Indian lady “upgraded” her seat to a sleeper and later found that she had to share the travel with a firang-guy. It was here, that our dream of hell breaking loose took place. All hell broke loose. Drama unfolded like we’ve never before watched. Oneiro and I were enjoying every minute. Abuses flew, Bus Conductor came running, the other firangs confused, while some holy gentlemen decided to smoke. And, all the drama that was quoted, took place before the bus left.

What could’ve been sorted by a simple request was blown out of proportion and we witnessed the demonstration of mayhem, end to end.

Amidst this drama, the honeymooner guy with a potbelly (easily 40” waist) got down from his sleeper coach in his inner wear, with his vest reading “I look like John Abraham”. So, there, dear readers surfaced the evidence of comedy in the proceedings.