Extinguished

Ladies and Gentlemen! I am at the bus stop. I am wearing my favorite shirt. It’s spotless. It’s neat. It’s clean. Just has been expertly crafted by our colony’s dhobi. My certificates in my right and my watch gleaming in the sun on my left. And why am I here? That’s right people! Today is my day. Today is the day I nail it in! Today is the day of my first ever Interview. And what a day it is! Its feels so good… Looks so good… Smells so good. I know I’m not making any sense, but I’m so excited! It’s an interview for my dream job. Something that I always really wanted to do since I was a child. All those studies, books, schools, colleges, sum up to this day that I have been earnestly waiting for, over the years. That’s it baby! Today is my day. I’m going to crack that interview wide open. Whoever that guy taking my interview is, he better be ready. Ready for this smart guy’s charm and ready wit. One look at me and all my A+ certificates, he will be like “Sir! Why you come all the way, sir? Please sit down sir. Why only one job sir? Take two jobs sir. Take my job also if you like sir!” What more could an employer hope for, than for a guy like me. Tell me?

All these people here at the bus stop look so sullen in the morning. Not me. I’m just all smiles and happy to be alive. Well, its 9 already and the bus would arrive any minute now I guess. Never traveled much in buses before. Guess have to ask one of these sullen guys for which bus to get onto. Look at this guy! He is so tensed and all. Rushing through these long sheets of paper. Busily preparing for god knows… hey! He is also going for the same interview. He has the same letter, the company sent me a few days back, to attend the interview. Cool! Let’s ask him about the bus. “So when do you think our bus would come?” I ask, and give him this friendly wink of understanding that I know, we both are going to the same interview. “5 minutes” he says seriously, adjusting his specs, and dives into those papers again. Preparing for an oral interview!? This kid here needs to loosen up a lot. Look at me! No preparation nothing. It’s all processed and complete in my head. I’m ready to rock and roll!

Good! Here comes my chariot. It’s already filled to the brim. Cool! Now is the time for some foot board traveling. It’s been long since I have done that, and I’m in the mood for an adventure anyway. I squeeze in my hand and manage to get a hold on, on the edge. “Hang on buddy!” I call out, as the bus starts, to my nerdy friend dangling beside me. This is so cool man! Nothing but the road below me if I look down. As if I managed to levitate off the ground. And as the bus picks up speed, I can the feel the rush of air thru my hair. Bright sun and heavy wind on my face. What a combination! Feels just like flyi…

I open my eyes. I’m sprawled on the side of the road, on the grass and on the mud. Many eyes are on me. I try to get up and hear this crunch somewhere near my knee, followed by some excruciating pain. Its better I just sit. I look around for some explanation about what just happened here. Everybody is having this anti foot boarding expression on their faces, which pisses me off. “What happened?! Where is my bus? What am I doing here?!” I shout hoarsely at the nearest bystander. “Try to relax. The ambulance is on the way” he says. Who wants the ambulance? Call that bus back! It may not have gone that far. I need to be on that bus now. Call it back!!
As I am being hauled into the 108, I hear a guy say that he thought he saw a guy in specs push me off the bus. He is not too sure since it happened so fast. I dint care much about it. I don’t care much about anything now. I just wanna go home and get some rest.