Are You Afraid of The Dark??

On my way back home from Kharagpur,though it seemed to give a feeling of boredom to many passengers,I was enjoying the scenes outside.

"Kharagpur-90 kms",said the conducter caching out another ticket and din't realize when I dozed off.

"70 kms",i heard half asleep.I looked up to see the bus was nearly full by now and an old man had dozed off in the same way as i had,but just that i had to rest on the window pane and he did on my shoulder.Feeling pity for him,I preferred not to disturb him.

The breeze was gone,and it was scorching hot.I was wide awake now and saw the bus was stuck in a traffic.The conductor was as frustrated as I was.The passengers raised hell asking continuously the same question when is the bus going to start moving.Somewhere a baby began to cry,adding to all the hustle.But it was no one's fault,the weather was such that it was as if everyone was pushed inside an oven and they were frying!

But the bus began to move and the fresh wind brought some relief to everyone.I was feeling a bit uncomfortable now,and wanted the old-man to wake up,so that i could shift and move as I have been sitting the same way for nearly 2 hours now.I din't want to seem rude to him,but on my mind I wanted him to wake up as soon as possible.

As I have soft corner for any old person,(*thinking if it was my grandfather I would never have disturbed while he was sleeping*),so I let him sleep.

Minutes away from Kolkata,the wheels were approaching a standstill,and everyone got busy managing their luggage.

Finally the bus came to a halt and passengers began to rush out.The old-man was still sleeping.The conductor seeing this came to wake him up.

"O DaDa! uthun,bus Kolkata pouche giyeche,naben na?"(*hello,wake up,the bus has reached Kolkata,don't you want to get down?*),said the conductor.

But the old-man din't respond to this.

Again the conductor shouting this time and wiggling,"O DaDa!O DaDa!uthun meyta ke berote toh din!"(*hello,hello,wake up,let the girl get out,at least*).

Shockingly the man just fell motionlessly on the seat.It took both of us by surprise,the conductor quickly checked his pulse and ran to call the driver.By now I was scared more than just surprised and the only question that was bugging me now was 'What has happened to the man.Actually!'

The conductor and the driver was back,carrying the old man's body out of the bus and laying him down on a nearby bench.The body laid there like a stone!I could see him from the bus window,my feet was shaking but however,I managed to pull myself out.

There was now a crowd surrounding that bench and I could barely see through them.The conductor appeared again asking me to relax and sit on another bench.I wanted to leave,but he said I would have to wait a little long,saying this he left.

Soon I heard the siren of an ambulance accompanied by a police car.I could see the male nurse rushed out with a stretcher and soon picking up the old-man's body inside the van,and in no time they left.

A policeman,in his mid 40's came upto me and began asking questions about the man,or how long was he sleeping that way,etc,etc and i replied as the questions followed.As soon as he finished with me he approached the conductor and the driver,turning back he said,"Goodbye Ma'am,thank you for your cooperation,now you can leave!"

That was the best thing one said to me today(*at that moment*),I was so desperate to leave,I din't return any greeting,and just rushed to a nearby taxi stand(*I was so panicked with the thought of taking another bus,that I preferred Taxi*),hailing one,just left..

Back home after many hours,I am wondering just one thing,before I left,I had heard the conductor say,"O Dada toh onekhon aagei mara giyeche,bus e keu bujhte pareni,pase je meyti bose chilo seo na,Babu!"(*that man died long time back,nobody found it in the bus neither the girl sitting beside him,Sir!*).

'He died long time back! and he was there resting on my shoulder,that way! for that long! I din't even understand! How could I be so absent-minded!...Holy Christ!',now the thought is sickening me!