On a new journey

Smartphones have changed the social dynamics of school bus rides

utorickshaws slowed down and came to a halt. Many twowheelers followed suit. A few swanky cars stopped too. A truck and a van arrived. The occupants made a beeline towards a makeshift stall by the side of the road.

A man was busy readying his wares on a table under a canopy made with a cloth and some bamboo poles. The scorching sun had told him that there would be a steady flow of customers. A small amount changed hands, and sombus (tumblers) filled with a deepbrown salted drink, topped with pieces of green chilli and finely chopped onion, were given in return. On offer were three types of chutney — coriander, mint, and tomato — to give that extra zing. Eager hands clutched the tumblers and emptied them in no time.

The conversation revolved around the relentless heat and local news. As one group moved away, satisfaction writ large on faces, another took the place. The drink in question was the fermented ragi koozh made from cooked ragi flour. With buttermilk added to it, there is nothing to beat this drink during the summer months. For the weary traveller, it provides a sense of satiety, keeping hunger at bay.

How many of us have tried this healthy drink without wrinkling our noses? The answer is, sadly, very few. I can hear our forefathers calling for more hands to popularise this wholesome drink. Teeny tiny ragi is eager to occupy that empty jar in your kitchen shelf. Will you let it in?

Achool bus rides have been the epicentre of my school life. This 15minute ride from home to school and back has exposed me to an eclectic set of toddlers, tweens, and teens.

From forging friendships to spurring a sense of blind confidence to stand up to bullies and then getting beaten up, the bus ride has taught me many things. I could feel its absence immensely during the lockdown.

When schools started

Sreopening, what excited me most was the fact that I would be back on the school bus. But to my surprise, the pandemonium had give way to eerie silence. Smartphones had become part of learning and most students, with earphones plugged in, brought them to school. This completely flipped the organised chaos of our bus! The usual games of notebook cricket and antakshari were replaced by Roblox, Free Fire, and Fortnite.

The backseat “rappers” stared at their playlist. Older students did not engage in their daily gossip but resorted to reels. It was as if all of them had forgotten to talk.

Among the few without phones, I was engulfed by the silence. I wondered if things would go back to how they were. This galvanised the reformative spirit in me.

To start with, I tried to initiate a conversation with a fellow traveller only to receive an eyeroll in response. But this did not deter me. I persuaded a few others to join a conversation about what they were watching. Soon, the bus transformed into a hub for exchanging music playlists, reel trends, and gaming tips. I saw my peers engaging in the old hullabaloo, but in a new format. The bus had gone through a version update.

Students were listening to songs together, playing online games together, and making reels together.

In the end, nothing can stop humans from socialising.