A Traveller’s Blog

(text and photos by Dishant Bhatia)

My distant memeory

I was not a ‘traveller’at all, during my early days. My school was just three kilometres from my place and that gave me the opportunity to have a ride in the bus for almost 15 valuable minutes, both up and down. Course it was much secured and was away from the menace of the heavily-crowded roads, especially during the ‘peak hours’, as we call them. When I was a kid, it was fun as I used that ‘precious’ time for thinking and day-dreaming which apparently has been my best time-pass (till date). In my eighth standard, the introduction of CNG Buses raised the transport charges to such extent which was not acceptable by many, particularly for those living near to the schools. 


That, unexpectedly, gave me the chance to ‘step out’. I was introduced to a much capable, cheaper and lenient mode of transport – DTC. I got a bus pass meant for students and when I say it was cheap, I mean it, as it was mere Rs. 12.50 per month, with which one could travel in any DTC Bus, anywhere in the city. I was told that the sum had been the same since the time my dad used to travel back in ‘60s - ‘70s. Clearly, I picked the DTC over School transport which would have costed me 50 times more. That gave me the opportunity to move about and provided me with a sort of independence. I could go to different parts of the city which also helped me become a part of it. Thanks to my dad, I was roaming around Delhi and was inadvertently getting trained about the paths (arteries) of the ‘heart of the nation’. (Now when I witness people, knowing anything about City & Urban Planning, mentioning Delhi - being radially planned - as a ‘confusing’ network of roads, I disagree with them due to obvious reasons.)



Delhi's life-line on a chilly morning



The radius of my scope of travel expanded rapidly after my shift to College, in the ‘J’ part of state of J & K. What was once a short ride in the bus, now transformed into a Journey of 14 long hours. A person, who used to travel within the city, now had to cross many cities so as to reach the destination. My love for travelling eventually became directly proportional to the amount of travelling. More the number of ups and downs, more I started loving it. The 640 kms of distance also gave me enough time and space to think more. Travelling in a private bus service or government roadways, whichever the way it gave me a chance to ‘move out’ further. Studying and memorising the activities going on around me was already in my blood (thanks to the training I had in my early days). What enhanced it more was the longer span of the distances. Now, instead of city roads, I was travelling on Highways. I learnt a new language - A language of driving on Highways. It was all together a different and a larger domain. I started meeting different people of different tastes; Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and even Punchh, I met them all.



On NH-1, one of my favourite captures



Punjab’s hospitality – The bus broke down in the middle of nowhere in a place called Tunda and an early morning breakfast of pakoras and ghar ki chai was arranged and served by the villagers and mind it, it was for forty people. The bus conductor of Punbus (the official Punjab Roadways bus service) in Jalandhar city shared his lunch with this college lad just because the boy was looking weak and was starving as he didn’t have much money, I’ll never forget those ghar ki bani aloo poori.. The stress is here on ghar ki bani and not on the aloo poori! (Any person who has ever lived in any hostel will understand this). 


Haryana’s Dabangg­–attitude – the understanding between the driver and conductor (I call it the best relationship on Earth), the experience they have gained from continuously riding together all these years. For those who don’t know, these guys have shifts according to the number of chakkars (rounds) they complete in one go and thus a driver starting from Delhi completes his shift when he reaches back Delhi on the next day. Hats off! They also get an extra point for their hospitality, despite the fact that their voice ranges so high that others think they are howling at them. Not to forget the hawkers, those who can sell the whole world in just 10 minutes with their confidence and expertise. Sometimes I feel that the kar lo duniya mutthi mein concept was actually coined looking at them. From pens to diaries, the handy juicer machine to table mats, the artificial jewellery to the ‘all-ailment-healer’ medicine, they have it all and that too, for very cheap, with a price range starting from mere Rs. 5 to Rs. 20.

I have grown used to all this by now and find pleasure in these ‘negligible’ activities and events going on around me as I learn something from them every time I travel.



Highways @ night.. Through my eyes!



I started with saying, “I was not a traveller”, but now I am and I know that sitting at home/office, watching T.V. or working on your laptop, listening to you favourite music or watching the movie you are very fond of, having the ‘home-made’ stuff and spending time with the family and friends can give you pleasure. Still, you are missing out on Something! As a traveller I would advise you to ‘Move Out’ and explore where the ‘joy’ lies instead of bringing it into your place in terms of materialistic comfort!

As I end this I really wonder why I always loved the Royal Enfield commercial with the tag line – LEAVE HOME!