Exploring Our Senses

BMTC. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation. Bangalore as a body, the roads would be the nerves, thus the BMTC buses would be the blood. Over half a million Bangaloreans, the RBCs and WBCs, in the blood thy travel to different parts of the body, to give this being, this city A Life. 369E, has 23 stops departing from Krishnarajendra Market and ending in Chikkakammanahalli. This bus, in singular, similar to majority of other buses witnesses billions of dynamic people. People with different destinations, different motives, different perspectives. But what amazes is; inside the bus, it really doesn't matter who the person is, where does he come from and what must be his purpose. The bus serves equivalent to everyone riding, irrespective of his status or motive. Your senses, when inside the bus give a stark contrast on the time when you board. In the Morning at 0500 Hours. Through the window, the fresh breeze smells like fresh grass had just been mowed. The sound of bells of temples, the chants of the priests; speeding by on the road, would thy be the most peaceful ever. Every other person who boards the bus gives a very vivid sense of occupation. Almost every person is either a street vendor, a student or an athlete. Its generally only the labourers and petty vendors who work their life off travelling in the bus; the richer part of the economy while start way late in their own luxuries. The larger picture gives the idea of presence of every other part of the economy, but it doesn't much matter about the literacy, but the culture and background they come from which makes the commute so strange but unique. The bags they carry, flower baskets, bats and balls, shoes and socks are all emotions; senses a fresh and bright idea of the city. The sound of people chattering in the front in Kannada sounds like it being the sweetest of all languages. Students siting on the seats, cribbing about the assignments they need to complete, reminds our own pending loads.

The flower vendors carrying the heavy loads of the brightest and beautiful flowers brings a great start and strength to the daybreak. Heavy bags give an idea of the bright oncoming future of the nation, and the bats and balls thy define the fitness. The city remains silent, yet the sweetest at this point of the day. In the Evening at 1900 Hours. Window is nowhere to be seen, you don't really have space to set your foot too. Anywhere you turn, your face rubs on someone's sweaty arm. After the full day work, tired and exhausted human beings, with their dull faces are all to be seen around. The smell of these people with vibrant occupations and motives, could never give a fresh experience. It is so strange but starkly amazing how the fact manages to be proved when the smell of a hard day labour, when in the commute doesn't concern much to the person who has been in an Air Conditioned environment the whole day.The sound of people literally shouting from one edge of the bus to another; vehicles honking from all sides would be the worst end to the day, until when you realize that the bus isn't even moving, but is stuck in traffic that'd last for an hour or two maybe? Employees cribbing about their bosses is a very regular thing.The office bags, stinking shoes, give an idea of how exhausting it is for everyone living in this city. Chatting with people is a fantasy, even standing together with your known ones could be an achievement. Happiness is not a trait to be looked around for, its probably pain and exhaustion to be stuck between people when the bus at this hour is always overcrowded. The city thus, remains highly chaotic and barely stays alive at this time. Even for this stark contrast of day-in and day-out into existence, a Bangalorean would never deny of the city being extremely beautiful and lively. From the mighty gardens of Cubbon Park, to the love for Wonder-La; no one could ever back stab the culture and the city. The crowd, the sweat, the pain, the noise, the chaos in the evening is equally as much a part of the city as much the peace, the breeze, the sweet scent of the morning is. All what this city of Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India has to offer is all what belongs to the Bangaloreans. And the Bangaloreans are very proud of it.