The bus that took me home from Bangalore left late at night and was usually full. I always reserved seats a day or two in advance, especially during the holiday season. As predicted, it was full with people returning home to spend Christmas with their families.
I took my place, a window seat in the middle of the bus. With my constant journeys to and from Bangalore in the bus, I've gotten over my motion sickness, but I still preferred taking precautions, hence the middle rows.
There was just one seat next to me which was currently empty. The opposite row had three seats each and they were all taken up by a group of boys. From their appearance and general behavior I concluded that they were college students like me. Knowing how they'd snap at a chance to get another 'conquest' I kept my attention focused on my phone.
Back home, my mom would be up and waiting at the break of dawn for me. Initially my visit was supposed to be an early Christmas gift; but my mom being really perceptive caught wind of my surprise even before I booked my ticket.
Usually I slept soundly during the six hour long trip. But on rare occasions, I stayed up and spent time texting or reading with the overhead lamp on. Since I had gotten a really good book from the library before leaving, I decided to stay up and read. I could sleep more comfortably in my bed once I reach home.
So, I didn't happen to notice the seat next to me being occupied or the bus leaving. I just went through the book, page after page, thoroughly enjoying the feels that came with a good read.
And so, I also got really annoyed when the person next to me made their presence known by constantly clearing their throat. I tried my best to ignore the annoyance and continue reading. But my bus mate had other plans.
"Excuse me" he said, for it was a he.
"What is it?" I asked rather rudely, still feeling pissed about being interrupted.
When I saw the guy, his face struck me as very familiar. He was dressed completely in black except for his gray t-shirt. He wore a beanie over his longish dark hair which matted his forehead. He had hazel eyes, a square jaw and he looked slightly undernourished. His eyes were baggy and he had dark circles. He looked like he'd been through a lot and that alone drained out my anger.
"Could you please put out the light? I'd like to get some rest."
Wordless, I carried out his request as his appearance attested to his words. He looked tired and alone.
I bookmarked the chapter I was reading and stuffed the book inside my rucksack. I thought about going to sleep too, but for some reason I couldn't help but wonder about the guy seated next to me.
I couldn't shake off the feeling that he looked awfully familiar. I tried to recollect if I had seen him around the university. But he didn't seem to fit into the picture of the college campus with his aura of gloom. I wondered if I'd met him in some busy mall or street of Bangalore, but I drew a blank.
I looked at him again and saw that he was sound asleep. In this state he almost seemed childlike in his innocence. I've never been so curious about a stranger like this before. We hardly spoke to each other, I didn't even know his name. But somehow I felt connected to him.
The next few hours I spent alternatively playing games on my phone and gazing out at the sceneries flashing past me. Occasionally I chanced a glance at the stranger next to me. He slept peacefully. I was tempted to wake him up and sate my curiosity but I curbed myself from doing so.
When I got down at the bus station the sky was beginning to lighten up. The hues of purple and pink and red and blue combined with the slightly chilly air gave me a wonderful feeling. Also the fact that I'd soon get to see my mom again made me elated.
