The Debate

(This happened to me during my 12th standard in Palghat. I wrote this story two days after the incident. Browsing through some old documents in the computer, stumbled into this. Just thought will share it here.)

The bus was slowing down. Sitting in the last long seat, I had to hold the seat for stopping myself from falling in front. ‘Inertia of motion’, I thought. Though the last seat had this particular disadvantage, I usually prefer it. Sitting on it means a good view of both sides of the road.


It was 6 AM, a beautiful April morning. Unlike the day to come, it was quite pleasant and breezy. It was summer vacation and yet I was on my way to tuition. I was entering twelfth standard and was to write the Engineering Entrance Examinations in one year, the vacation had little meaning to me.

The bus stopped in front of a temple. It was a practice of most buses in this route to stop at all the temples that come their way during first trip of the day. The conductor would go into the temple and pray for a good day. This conductor was no exception, he came back and immediately after boarding the bus, extended his hand to me. Since I had not paid the fare, I placed a five-rupee coin on his palm and said, “R.D.Nagar”. He laughed aloud and said, “Son, not the money. Take sandal-paste”. Only then I noticed the sandal-paste on his palm. Muttering an apology, I applied the sandal-paste on my forehead.
“Now give me the fare!”, he said smilingly and sat next to me.

“Why don’t you sit in the front”, he asked pointing at the empty seats. “Aren’t they more comfortable ?”
I explained my liking towards the last seat.
“Why do you have classes in April ? It’s generally holiday time, isn’t it ?”.
I explained about Entrance Examinations and holiday classes.
“Do you have full day classes ?”, he continued his enquiry,
“No, only till nine o’clock.”
“Hey ! Your tuition is in R.D.Nagar, isn't it ?”
I nodded.
“Our bus comes there at nine fifteen during our return trip. Why don’t you wait for us ? I’ll reserve the last seat for you !” he said chuckling.
I smiled and nodded.

* * * * *

I came out of the tuition class. It was 8:55 AM. The sun was already baking the clay underneath. I slowly walked to the bus stop and sat there thinking of the homework I was given. Just then a bus arrived at the stop. It was the bus that comes before the bus I came in the morning. The conductor descended, followed by the passengers. R.D.Nagar was a big residential area and soon half the bus was empty.
The conductor looked at me hopefully.
I didn’t move a muscle, though the last seat was empty.
“Coming, son ?” , the conductor asked.
“I’m waiting for a friend. Carry on.”, I replied.
The conductor gave a double whistle and the bus immediately jerked forwards. A truck that was just about to overtake the bus had to stop abruptly to avoid collision. I could hear the truck driver telling his helper, “…..these bus fellows are very rash. Better not overtake them…..”. Soon both vehicles were out of sight.

I was once again left alone to think of the day ahead. ‘Twenty-five short questions. Five descriptive questions….’. My thoughts were soon interrupted by a bus horn. Here comes my bus, I told myself. The conductor was leaning outside the door. “Right on time! See!!”
I went and occupied the last seat, and soon ensued in a chat with the conductor.
Being a holiday, the bus was almost empty and my friend had little work to do. After about ten minutes, the bus gradually slowed down and stopped. I leant out of the window to see what the matter was. It was a shocking sight, the previous bus had met with an accident. The truck I saw in R.D.Nagar had buried itself into the rear of the bus.

“How did it happen?”, the conductor asked a bystander.
“The bus stopped to drop off some passengers. The truck was closely behind. The brake wire cut and…”
“Any causalities ?”
“The truck driver is injured. An old man sitting in the last seat of the bus died.”

I couldn’t speak. I was thinking about my condition if I had boarded the bus. I too would have died, with the old man. What a lucky escape..  But wait ! Had I boarded the bus in R.D.Nagar, the truck would have overtaken the bus and the accident would perhaps have not happened. So am I responsible for the accident ? Am I guilty for an innocent old man’s death? No, this is absurd. How could have I known what was going to happen ? I…..

I sat debating over my luck and guilt. The bus slowly crossed the accident site, and gradually picked up speed. The debate continued.

* * * * *