HYDERABAD TO PUNE

I seem to be the chosen one when it comes to travel nightmares.
I was in my hometown hyderabad for some work, which didn't materialise. Being a weekend buses were full and private operators were auctioning away seats.
I managed a last seat in a non-AC bus for rs 650.
The bus which was to depart at 6PM, on my further prodding the agent, now had a an actual departure time of 730PM and which thanks to the indian way of punctuality departed finally at 930 PM.
Even these few hours weren't without misadventure.
I was told later that the private operators weren't allowed to bring buses into the city. They worked around this rule by picking up passengers in the city in a mini bus which would transfer them to the Bus waiting on the outskirts of the city.
Hardly had i boarded the bus,my tour operator called me and said that i would have to cough up another 200rs as the bus arranged was an "extra" bus.
That was enough to set the temperatures soaring. At the time of this call there was only one gentleman along with me who was seated a couple of seats before me. To his shock i transformed, within the battling of an eyelid, from a calm guy-next-door to a abuse hurling machine.
I immediately had the feeling of being held ransom which i wasn't giving in too.
Dad had dropped me at the pick up point. I called him up and had quite an argument with the agent. That we had to pay 200rs eventually made my blood boil.
I called up dad and asked him to hand the phone to the travel operator.
In true "bhaigiri" style hurling abuses i had heard but never used I promised him that on my return he would have more than a piece of my mind.
i cant wait for the month to end, which is when i have another trip coming up!
Till then i will keep reading this blog of mine to keep the volcano simmering.
In the meanwhile a couple of letters to newspapers are bound to follow!
Mera Bharat Mahan! Indeed!!!