An Awkward Encounter: A Day at the Bus Depot That Left Me Speechless

An Awkward Encounter at the Bus Depot:-

Today was one of those days when life decided to throw an unexpected situation my way. After finishing my lectures, I headed to the market to buy some vegetables. Feeling accomplished, I made my way to the bus depot, intending to catch my usual city bus home. But what awaited me there was nothing short of awkward and peculiar.

As I stood waiting, a young man, possibly in his early twenties, approached me. At first, his questions seemed ordinary—he wanted to know about the Ahmedabad bus. I told him I didn’t know and pointed him to the inquiry window. To my surprise, he confessed he couldn’t see the sign and went on to criticise how foolishly “literate people” hadn’t printed “Ahmedabad” on the board.

From there, his questions only grew stranger. “Do you have a bus pass?” he asked. I explained that my city bus didn’t offer such a facility. Then came the unexpected: “Where are you going?” I naively shared my destination, only for him to reply, “Take me with you.” Stunned, I reminded him that my route didn’t lead to Ahmedabad.

He then started talking about himself—how he belonged to this place but lived in Mumbai. By now, I was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. When I thought I had spotted my bus, I quickly walked away, only to find out it wasn’t the right one. Returning to my original spot, I was relieved to see a friend from another college waiting for the same city bus.

As I narrated the bizarre encounter to her, I noticed him still lingering around, puffing on a cigarette. What made the situation even more off-putting was how he initially spoke with pan masala and vimal in his mouth. Yet, despite his questionable habits, he addressed me as “madam” throughout, which added an odd layer of respect to the awkwardness.

Looking back, this experience was both unsettling and puzzling. While the young man didn’t seem harmful, his persistence and invasive questions made me uneasy, especially given his habits. I think any girl in my place would have felt the same—it's hard to trust a stranger who approaches you like that.

However, it reminded me to stay cautious and mindful while travelling, even on something as familiar as a city bus. Sometimes, people’s behaviour can surprise us in ways we least expect. For now, I’m just grateful the encounter ended without further complications.

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