The Jinxed Bus Pass

“Give me Rs100, jaldi” I asked anxiously waking my father from his slumber in the morning. Irritatingly he changed his posture, unheard my plea and continued his usual snoring even at 9 in the morning. “Papa”, I shouted now getting annoyed, “uthoo, and give me my daily fare”. This was a regular affair. An archetypal start of the day!
“Why don’t you make a bus pass? Your transportation cost for a month exceeds the fee for the entire year of your college” My father barked from his sleep matching my angered pitch. Now don’t be aghast, DU do cost remarkably low for admitting people in their colleges , the jaw drooping deal comes from Hindu- get your Eng(Hons) done from the prestigious college for only Rs. 3818! Of course you have to slog day and night before matching the cut-off of A List colleges. But then the hard work do pays. “I don’t get time , I ‘ll see if I can go today to get the form, now give me” I answered making haste and running hurriedly after keeping a crisp 100 rupee note in the pocket.

I never liked the whole idea of the bus pass. Procuring ticket from the conductor everytime you step in the bus seemed convenient and cool to me. Therefore it never was the issue of time, I myself was lethargic to go to the office and make an attempt to get it made until the day I was confronted with the cost friendliness of the so called “bus pass”.

“Rs.115 for a month?” I asked dumb-struck double crossing the fact from the bunch of friends who were all in the possession of the “bus pass”. I seemed to be like the odd one out. “Fine, tell me what has to be done” I asked excitedly “Go to the South Campus, get a form, attest it by Goyal sahaab from our office, and then go again to submit it” answered one among the bunch. “That’s a tedious process” I said in a complaining tone more to myself than to them. “The attesting takes more of a day” another one added cautiously. “Plus they have long queues there” the third went, sprinkling the salt on the wound “Guys why didn’t you bother to take me along when you went through this torture. Atleast I wouldn’t have been alone then in this journey.” I said annoyingly counting the hurdles presented to me when I had made up my mind to make this pass finally. “Hey I ‘ve a spare form, I guess. Let me check” Aah! That line brought a sigh of relief for me. “Here you go” she handed me a miniscule form smilingly. “Thanks Nikita” I said reiterating her smile.

Luckily I do carry 2 passport size photographs in my wallet. That helped me to fill the form that very day and submit it for attesting; since I was cautioned it would take a day I had planned I’ll go to South campus tomorrow at 8 in the morning and thus could avoid the queue too. Having a form had saved me enough time. But to my surprise more good lucks were in-stored for me that day!

“Wait for 5 min and take it right now” Goyal sahaab, the administrative head of our office answered when I enquired about the timings to collect it. Bingo, why was everything going in my favour today? I collected the attested form and set myself for the final destination. ''They had to wait for a day for this, poor chaps'' I said to myself with a smudge.
The South Campus is a 15 min- walk from our college and the auto driver charge Rs. 30 from here. So weighing the pros-cons of both options I decided to go with the former. Saving money was a new realization dawned upon me.
My enthusiasm halved seeing the long queue of student waiting to have their passes made on this warm humid day. Couldn’t they have chosen another day? But interestingly and surprisingly, I still had my share of blessing left for the day. An acquaintance who met me there in the queue allowed me to take a place behind her and lo! My bus pass was made within half an hour. All formalities done, the picture clicked, documents approved- I was holding the yellow card valid for 3 months by 2.40. I was overwhelmed. Things don’t go easy for me. My luck is bad, terrible. I was amazed how things were working in my favour that day. Everyone have their field day, I thought grinning to myself. But that was just a lull before the actual storm waiting for me.

Two weeks later
I am standing in a long queue at the South campus bearing an untolerable heat, wiping off the sweat with the hankerchief waiting for the treacherous “bus pass” to be made. The pass which had promised me to be valid for 3 months has cheated on me by getting lost in a not-so-crowded bus just after 2 weeks of its existence. Bastard little yellow card! As I said things never go easy for me, I had to pay thrice the interest on all the goodwill done to me that day. Even the queue which had been kind earlier to open up and make place for me was treating me harsh this time. Even after waiting for an hour , the line seems stagnant to progress. I had scanned it, for a fifth time now to get hold of a familiar face, but to no avail, alas!

“When was your pass lost” asked the clerk behind the computer on my turn. “About a month ago” I answered. “Have you lodged an FIR” “No, would it matter?” I answered tiredly. “ Madam, aise thodi na kaam hota hai, get an FIR and come after a week from the date of lodging the complaint. There is a long queue there, aap side ho jaiye” I was down, angry, exhausted, irritated. I had waited an hour and a half under the scorching sun only to be reminded to get an FIR before getting possession of a new bus pass? I sighed and set myself on the 15 min journey back to the college.

Thankfully I got an FIR made the same day on my way back to home without any uncalled trouble. Though it would take a week before I can go back again to the office to get the pass made, getting the FIR made ,eased me out. This time I decided to make the pass of a month, questioning my inability to possess that!

2 months later.
Two one- month passes have been expired by now, giving me the confidence of handling them. Another one has to be made now. I‘ve decided to make one of a broader time period. Traversing time and again to the South Campus isn’t an easy affair. Now when i ve grown fond of the bus pass, I genuinely don’t get time to go and procure the form. I ve realized its more cool and convenient to have this pass and travel unmindfully than worrying about going to the conductor and having a ticket. Plus cost- effectiveness is another reason why this yellow card has gained all my admiration!
But the jinx associated with it remains intact. Goyal sahaab don’t remain generous forever, the office claims to close down at 3.30 when I reach at 3.45 and on other days when I do manage to get there before 3.30 the system decides to shut down due to viral breakdown. Alas! I am paying the cost of having a field day of my life!!