141. Missed the Bus

The last bus had left.

'I shouldn't have come to this town to witness a dance performance' Sruti cursed herself.

'I should have left the theatre a little earlier, without sitting through the show till the end. I foolishly stayed till the end, out of my interest and a false hope that I would be able to catch the last bus.'

When Sruti told her husband Krish about her plan to go to this town to watch the dance show, Krish asked her, "Should you go to a far off place to watch adance show?"

"We will never have a chance to watch such shows in our place. If you don't like the idea of my going alone, why don't you come with me?" replied Sruti.

"I have to prepare for tomorrow's class. Moreover, I don't have the patience to sit for two hours and watch a dance performance, with no clue about the meaning of the movements of the artist. You may travel by bus. But, take care to catch the last bus leaving that place at 9.10 pm" said Krish.

"A friend of mine residing in that town is accompanying me to the show. In case I miss the last bus, I will stay with her for the night and return in the morning. If I have to inform you over the phone, I should call the principal's home and request him to inform you. Though he is friendly towards you, giving him such trouble won't be appropriate. So, don't worry, if you don't get any message from me."

Krish was working as a lecturer in a college, located in a place twenty kilometers away from the town. The teaching staff and other employees working in the college were provided residential quarters in the campus, which had essential facilities like shops, medical facilities etc.

The place was a small village. The village had no theatre or other sources to provide entertainment. Sometimes, Krish and Sruti would come to the city during weekends, to watch a movie or to do shopping. For the first time, Sruti traveled to the town alone, to witness a dance recital.

The plan was for Sruti to visit her friend's house and then proceed to the show along with her. 

When Sruti visited her friend's house, she found that the house was locked. A neighbour informed Sruti that her friend had to unexpectedly leave the town earlier that day, on an emergency.

Thus, the option of staying with her friend for the night also became unavailable to Sruti.

As Sruti was thinking about what to do and weighing the option of staying in a hotel, she heard someone calling out her name.

"How are you, Sruti?"

Momentarily startled by someone addressing her, when she was stranded in that town, she turned back to see who the person was.

Sudhakar! Her classmate in the college.

"Oh, Sudhakar! What a surprise! I missed the last bus to my place and I am stranded here" said Sruti.

"I have the same problem too. Don't worry. I will take care of you" said Sushakar, smiling.

A feeling of apprehension began to raise in Sruti's mind.

When Sruti was studying in the college, Sudhakar was madly in love with her. Even after Sruti had rejected his overtures several times, Sudhakar continued to pester her. 

Sruti learnt that Sudhakar had entered into a bet with some of his friends that he would somehow win over her.

It was only after Sruti threatened to file a police complaint against him that Sudhakar stopped making overtures to her.

"I don't know what to do. Is there a good hotel, safe for a woman to stay?" asked Sruti.

"This is a small town. The safest place here is this bench at the bus stand. If you are prepared to sit her for the entire night, I will remain here, guarding you" said Sudhakar.

Wondering whether she could be sitting on the bench for the entire night, Sruti cursed herself again, for her foolish complacency that resulted in her missing the bus.

"Don't worry. I have someone known to me living in this town. I will take you to their house. You can stay there for the night" said Sudhakar.

"What about you?" asked Sruti.

"I can manage to lie down even on the pavement. Don't worry about me."

After being in a dilemma for a couple of minutes about going with Sudhakar to the house of the person known to him, Sruti made up her mind to go with him.

Sudhakar engaged a cycle rickshaw and gave the rickshaw operator directions for the destination. The rickshaw began to move, carrying the two of them.

The rickshaw went on a main road for some distance and suddenly turned into a narrow lane. Sruti's sense of apprehension was intensified.

The door of the house was knocked at 5 o' clock in the morning.

The old lady who opened the door looked at Sudhakar and nodded her head.

Sruti who was inside the house stood up, on seeing Sudhakar enter the house.

"You have come so early!" she said, smiling at Sudhakar.

"Yes. I wanted to take you to the bus stand in time for you to get the first bus leaving to your place" said Sudhakar.

Sruti looked at the old lady and said, "I take leave of you, madam! I am thankful to you for giving me shelter in your house" said Sruti, looking at the old lady. 

"This is a small house. Well-to-do people like you may not find staying here comfortable. I am happy that you stayed here" said the old lady.

"She had no other option. She chose staying here over sitting on a bench at the bus stand for the entire night!" said Sudhakar, laughing.

When the two were walking to the bus stand, Sruti told Sudhakar, "I am sorry, Sudhakar. Considering how you were pursuing me in the college, I was apprehensive of your intentions. But, you acted like a perfect gentleman and helped me get a safe place to stay during the night. I am happy that you have changed" said Sruti, in an apologetic tone.

"I have not changed Sruti, It is you who have changed!"

"What do you mean?"

"When I went after you in the college, you were an unmarried woman. Now, you are married to someone. I moved with you in a way I should, with the wife of another man" said Sudhakar.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 15
Not Desiring Another Man's Wife

Verse 141 (In Tamil)

piRan poruLAL pettu ozhugum pEdhaimai jnAlaththu
aRam poruL kaNdArkaN il.

Meaning:

The indiscretion of desiring another man’s wife will not be found

in those who are enlightened about virtue and possession.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thavaRa vitta bus' by the same author)

Verse 142
Verse 140