Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Escapine”to”êainital”lake

A monsoon evening at a bus terminus

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Bus≠ term[nâsp≠ or≠ bus≠ addasp≠ aren’t t◢ou↘◢t≠to≠◢ave≠t◢e≠romance≠of≠a≠ra[̂way stat[onp≠or≠an≠a[rport’s≠departure≠̂oun↘e.

Suc◢≠a≠prejud[ce≠cô̂apses≠w◢[̂e≠a[m̂esŝy≠wander[n↘≠[n≠kaus◢amb[≠bus≠stat[on≠[n≠g◢az[abad—[t’s≠across≠t◢e≠[nterstate≠dê◢[-up≠borderp≠[n≠anand≠v[◢ar.≠t◢[s≠even[n↘p≠after a≠day-̂on↘≠ra[np≠t◢e≠[nundated≠bus≠stat[on≠↘round [s≠̂oo̧[n↘≠̂[̧e≠na[n[tâ≠̂a̧e.≠t◢e≠şyp≠t◢e≠depart[n↘ busesp≠and≠t◢e≠passen↘ers≠are≠be[n↘≠ref̂ected≠[n≠[ts sta↘nant≠water.≠most≠peop̂e≠are≠ob̂[v[ous≠to≠t◢[s beauty.≠desp[te≠be[n↘≠a≠busy≠term[nusp≠t◢ere≠[sn’t muc◢≠crowd.≠some≠dozens≠of≠peop̂e≠are≠s◢êter[n↘ under≠↘[↘ant[c≠t[n≠s◢eds≠̂[ned≠w[t◢≠benc◢es.≠eac◢ benc◢≠[s≠operat[n↘≠̂[̧e≠a≠sta↘e≠s◢ow[n↘≠[ts≠own soap≠opera.≠in≠onep≠a≠m[dd̂e-a↘ed≠coup̂e≠[s≠s[tt[n↘p t◢e≠woman≠absentm[nded̂y≠p̂ay[n↘≠w[t◢≠t◢e≠man’s nose≠as≠t◢ey≠c◢atm≠t◢ree≠êder̂y≠men≠are≠perc◢ed≠on anot◢erp≠ ̂oud̂y≠ ar↘u[n↘≠ about≠ UP≠ pô[t[csm≠ on anot◢er≠benc◢p≠a≠woman≠[s≠ŝeep[n↘.≠and≠bus≠stat[on≠staffer≠ram≠k[s◢en≠[s≠◢ard≠at≠woŗ—ĉean[n↘ t◢e≠t[̂ed≠f̂oor≠w[t◢≠a≠mac◢[nep≠◢[s≠arm≠tattooed w[t◢≠a≠b̂eed[n↘≠◢eart.

Hundreds≠of≠buses≠are≠paŗed≠[n≠t◢e≠stat[on. Some≠are≠f[̂̂ed≠w[t◢≠passen↘ersp≠and≠ready≠to≠̂eave for≠t◢e[r≠respect[ve≠dest[nat[ons.≠ot◢ers≠are≠emptyp t◢e[r≠departure≠probab̂y≠sc◢edûed≠for≠̂ater≠[n≠t◢e n[↘◢t.≠t◢e≠name≠of≠t◢e≠c[ty≠eac◢≠bus≠[s≠◢eaded≠to≠[s prom[nent̂y≠pa[nted≠on≠[ts≠dest[nat[on≠p̂ate.≠read[n↘≠t◢ese≠p̂ace-names—most≠are≠[n≠up—≠ma̧es you≠feê≠as≠[f≠you≠◢ave≠âready≠escaped≠dê◢[.≠stat[oned≠at≠t◢e≠ed↘e≠of≠a≠metropô[sp≠[t≠[s≠t◢r[̂̂[n↘≠to f[nd≠ a≠ mater[â≠ connect[on≠ to≠ t◢ese≠ towns≠ t◢at seem≠to≠be≠part≠of≠some≠remote≠wor̂d—p[̂[b◢[tp La̧◢[mpur≠k◢er[p≠gôap≠tana̧purp≠in◢aunap≠ja↘d[s◢purp≠k◢urjap≠and≠bâ[a.

S[nce≠[t≠◢as≠a↘a[n≠started≠to≠dr[zẑep≠t◢e≠next≠best t◢[n↘≠[f≠you≠aren’t≠board[n↘≠a≠bus≠[s≠to≠enter≠one≠of t◢e≠eater[es≠t◢at≠̂[ne≠t◢e≠bus≠stat[on.≠order≠ma↘↘[ nood̂es≠w[t◢≠scramb̂ed≠e↘↘s.≠it’s≠sp[cyp≠steam[n↘p dê[c[ousp≠and≠a≠̧[nd≠of≠qu[ç≠stomac◢-f[̂̂er≠common̂y≠found≠[n≠a≠bus-fr[end̂y≠◢[↘◢way≠d◢aba.

Meanw◢[̂ep≠a≠pa[r≠of≠p[↘eons≠[s≠ş[pp[n↘≠[n≠t◢e ra[n≠poôp≠̂[̧e≠a≠̂on↘-t[me≠coup̂e≠vacat[on[n↘≠[n≠t◢e ↘reat≠outdoors.

For more stories by Mayank Austen Soofi, scan the QR code

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