Yes, I was killed for losing an eraser!

Yes, I lost my eraser again and again as a kid! My mom was upset with me since my childhood that I am never responsible. Her upset has grown over the years to anger and fear. Well, she had her reasons. I started to lose my belongings, miss my school, my buses and trains, I get down at wrong stations because I over slept. I am always late to my first class in college and university too because you know I am known for being late, lazy and not responsible. 

My parents sent me to hostel with the hope that I will learn to be responsible and independent. So I moved away from home after my 10th grade. Some how, I have been managing to lead an independent life by depending on my friends.  Friends, who would wake me up because you know, I don't hear my own alarm and I finally wake up after many of their attempts. Friends, who would remind me of my belongings. Friends, who help me have my food on time. So, yeah, many such things in my routine. FYI, I am not challenged in any way, its just that I am too lazy, I just live that way. Some understand and get used to me and some get irritated and some get fed up and some determined to change me. Well, I did change a lot, that's what I feel, but none of them who I know, believe in me. 

I, the 23 year old have been living in Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka for almost 5 years. I keep going to my hometown at least once in a month so that I can get my favorite snacks packed from my mom. Every time, me travelling home is a big task to my friends because they work towards me boarding my bus on time and are concerned till I reach home. Well, sometimes the journey is smooth, a lot of times it is not. One of that kind of a situation arrived when I got a reminder message that my bus will depart in 30 minutes. I was like what?! with my eyes popping out. I forgot that I actually booked my tickets for that day. My friends are furious. 

That night when I had to leave for my hometown from Bangalore, I was was as usual in my room which is  20km away from the boarding point and there were only 30mins left for the departure. It is humanly not possible to drive 20km in 30 mins, that too in Bangalore's traffic. I wish I had super powers to zoom fast or teleport and catch the bus. But yeah, I am not an alien to do so. Yet, I did not lose the hope as always. With an extravagant confidence, I packed the stuff I need and took an auto to chase this bus. I reached my boarding point 40mins later the bus had already left. Even that, was super fast. I travelled in the same auto till the next and last three boarding points hoping I could catch it somewhere. The auto driver was super cooperative. I tried convincing the bus driver that I will be right there in 10 minutes every time and he kept waiting and had to leave because I never could show up in 10 minutes. He stopped answering my calls. I reached late every time. I chased the bust till the outskirts of Bangalore till the end point. At all points, I had missed it.  

Yes, I missed it again and again!

Even better, my phone is dead now because I forgot to charge it. I forgot my power bank and charger too. It may sound like a sad coincidence, but these things happen normally to me. This time something beyond normal was going to happen. It's my gut. 

I am standing at the last stop of Bangalore with the auto driver. There were many buses to different routes except mine. The auto driver got so connected to my chase that he felt at a point that it is his responsibility to make sure I get into the bus. Since I couldn't, he refused to take money for the long trip of almost 40km. I insisted that he take the money and when I opened my wallet, even better happens. I have 70 bucks of cash and not a single penny more. This is because I forgot to withdraw cash for many days now. I gave all that to him and noted down his number promising to contact him after reaching home and deposit the money through some means. He feels so pity looking at me and wanted me to keep that money for emergency and in fact offered the cash he had if I I wanted. I was so touched.  Taking his auto is the best thing I have done in the whole day. I felt so lucky to having met this person. I haven't met such a wonderful person ever, definitely not such an auto driver at least. He was the best and only companion of my chase.

 A bus driver there, learning my situation gave me a brilliant idea to get into his bus and shift to my actual bus at a rest point where all buses drop for dinner on a highway. He said this bus would reach that point almost at the same time when my bus would be leaving from there. He also remembers having that bus driver's number, he said he can check and contact him along the way. I felt thrilled ,what a luck, I thought! I still have a chance. Without even giving a second thought, I got in to the bus as this was my last resort. 

Then, I took a pause to think what I am doing. I felt scared to death thinking in the mid-way what would I do, if I don't get my bus even this time. I would be alone on the middle of a highway. It was 11:30 in the night. My heart went from 70 to 0 in a second. I gulped. The bus driver found the mobile number and tried calling, it wasn't reachable. The bus driver is still confident but I was trembling. I prayed so hard that I get the bus because I had no backup plan. Atleast at the last boarding point, I still had a chance to go back to my room in that auto. I missed it! I was telling myself, "this is not right, this is not right, I should go back". Then, came the rest point. 

I see no buses around and started crying. His phone is still not reachable. I was furious with myself, asking what am I going to do now? Like seriously, what am I going to do? I am all alone, single lady on a highway. Don't know how to go forward or backward don't know how to even stay where I am. I was completely shattered. The bus driver was looking at me with complete helplessness.  In all his experience the bus I am supposed to board never leaves before his bus reaches that rest point. Well, that's the tragedy I am in. He feels guilty for putting me in this situation and says sorry. Well, its not completely his fault, I should have though about it before jumping on to his idea. 

No wonder why my mother wanted me to be responsible. I felt ashamed of all my irresponsibility and wished I was actually killed like I was in my dream for losing an eraser.