ODE ON BMTC..

READERS NOTE: I received a ‘feedback’ of sorts that too through e-mail, which i quote –“ONE SUGGESTION, I DONT THINK PEOPLE THERE LIKE VERNACULAR STUFF THOUGH YOU HAVE TRANSLATED IT.BETTER STICK TO ENGLISH.”. Please let me know if its not allowed as per the rules of the lounge.

BACKGROUND:

BMTC happens to be the lifeline for Bangloreans especially those like me who swear by it for travelling in and around the city. Though it has improved over the years, I can still recall the days when it wasn’t even half as good as it is now. Anyways, this work, though was written in late 2005, it was reworked and put on ORKUT late last year. But the inspiration behind was the same as the incident which will tell you in a better manner. The conversation is in a language called KANNADA and since none will be able to comprehend. I have put the translation in [] brackets!!.. Hope it makes an interesting read to one and all!!

CHARACTERS:

C=CHINMAYA ie me

M=MAGA ie some friend of mine.[MAGA literally means SON. But kannada speaking Bangloreans use it to like how DUDE is used in English!!]

(One Sunday morning at Majestic bus stand..Around 11 AM, October 2005)

M=maga..[dude]

C=hey maga..hegidya??[hey dude, how’ve you been??]

M=naa parvagilvo..yeno nim Bangalore heegide??..full different Mangloreg compare maddaga..[me ok..whats this??your Bangalore is so different when compared to Mangalore ]

C=howd maga..adu sann city..idu dodd city! [yes dude. That’s a small city..and this is a big city!]

M=iga naavu yelge hogodu maga?[so where do we go to dude?]

C=baa nan jothe,busnalli, nan maanege karkondhogtini..[come with me, I’ll take you to my place in the bus]

(We spot a direct bus and when I tell “M” to run towards it..)

M=yak maga odebeku?kai torsdre, stop madalva??[why should we run dude? Wont it stop if we show our hand?]

C=ayyo,idu Bangalore maga..Mangalore alla..[ayyo,this is Bangalore dude..not Mangalore]

(As we somehow managed to get the bus and got talking, I went upon explaining the ‘funda’ behind each kind of bus. Simultaneously an idea came to my mind as to why not I write a work on this ‘lifeline’..Wait till tomorrow when I share what I wrote!!)

It is something just like vintage wine

as of many Bangloreans,it is their lifeline.

One the city roads,one can easily

seewhat the state refers to as the BMTC.

Earlier,it used to be painted in red

as if to denote that danger was ahead.

Now we see it in many a type and hu

ethe funda behind it, none have a clue!!

One look from outside makes it evident

the kind of people who travel are diffident.

Though it is known that it can cause suffocation

they are happy that it takes them to their destination.

Since it is the only public transport available

one has to travel in it as it is inevitable.

Especially when we know that it takes its own time

and makes us not understand why so without a reason or rhyme.

Even though, one may not, to it,adjust well

and travelling in it maybe like a trip to hell

in someways, in public's minds, they are a hit

as it somehow it has, offlate, made a lot of profit!!

This is what,on our BMTC,i thought to write

as it is something that i regularly sight.

As and when, in it, i think to travel

hope many more things i can unravel.