Light at the end of a tunnel

Arjun RaghunathFirst Published : 19 Apr 2010 12:23:00 AM ISTLast Updated :

It might be the most memorable ‘Vishu kaineettam’ I would ever receive, a fine gesture from the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), popularly referred to as a white elephant.


As usual, I went to my native place, Kollam, on this Vishu day to visit my relatives. As the chat sessions with my cousins prolonged, I was a bit late to catch my return bus.

By about ten minutes past 9 p.m., I reached Kottiyam junction (near Kollam). As the nail-biting wait for a bus crossed more than 30 minutes, I rang up the KSRTC bus station in Kollam to know whether the next bus to Thiruvananthapuram would materialise in the near future. Not to much of a surprise, the phone kept on ringing. I repeated the call for at least ten times during the next twenty minutes, but was greeted only by unending ring tones and even engaged tones in-between.

My blood pressure shot up as an express bus sped away even after I frantically waved my hands from the middle of NH 47. The wait finally ended as a super fast bus reached a few minutes after my watch ticked 10 p.m.

By around 11.15 p.m., I reached Palayam and moved towards Museum bus stop with the hope of getting a long distance bus passing through Peroorkada, where I live. After waiting for a few minutes, I rang up the KSRTC Thampanoor station and enquired whether there was a bus via Peroorkada. The last bus via Peroorkada is at 11.30 p.m., was the reply. I enquired whether the bus would go through Museum bus stop, where I was waiting. Yes, the KSRTC official replied.

As my lonely wait dragged on for another couple of minutes, my mobile phone rang. I was taken aback on seeing the display, ‘KSRTC Thampanoor calling...’ on my mobile phone screen.

The conversation went like this:

KSRTC: ‘‘Sir, did you call now and enquire about a bus via Peroorkada ?’’

Me: ‘‘Yes’’

KSRTC: ‘‘Sorry sir, following the traffic diversions at Thampanoor, the bus is going via Vazhuthacaud and not via Museum. So, you will have to wait at Vellayambalam’’

Me: ‘‘Ok sir, thank you’’

Reaching Vellayambalam from Museum in five to ten minutes is quite a tiresome task. But I was least concerned about it at that moment as I was yet to recover from the ‘shock’ of getting a service from the KSRTC which one could never ever dream of, till then. All the grudge I had towards the KSRTC for the horrible experience in Kollam faded away with the fine gesture of one employee at KSRTC Thampanoor station.

And, my journey concluded amicably as I got a lift from a two-wheeler rider.