Revelations

There I was, at the Ankola bus stand, after 3 1/2 hours of a dusty bus ride along the west coast. Less fresh than I was at 3 pm, I stood there waiting to decide if I should take a rickshaw or another bus to reach Aversa, to my kuladevi Katyayani. Economy trumped comfort and I took a bus. It was going to be an 8-10 km trip.

It was around 6:35 pm and dark. I'd bought myself a ticket on the NWKRTC. I had to be at the temple by 7:30-8 pm for pooja.

Counting wholly on my memory cells, I figured that I had better get down at a shortcut to the temple - let's call this 'MyWay' - a little further along the highway. I had politely told this to the conductor before he bluntly rubbished my request. "This bus stops at the bus stand and no where else", he said.

MyWay would have saved me avoidable time and expense. Mad at the conductor for his 'inconsiderate' response, I continued to look for signs of MyWay on the poorly-lit lonesome highway.

After a while, the bus neared a spot with a couple of small canteens by the side -- and I was sure as hell this was where I had to get down! The bus was moving past MyWay and I almost pleaded that I get down there. The conductor however, was in no mood to comply. With joined hands, he 'requested' that I get down at Aversa bus stand. I reclined to my first row seat and waited for the "bus stand", wondering if I would make it to the temple before pooja, if I would make it to the temple at all!..

After a few kilometeres rolled past and clock ticked to 7 pm, the conductor announced we'd reached the bus stand at Aversa. I promptly got down and enquired about the way to the temple and to the sheerest of my disbeliefs - I saw 'MyWay', at a stone's throw from where the bus had stopped.

Had I gotten down where I wanted to, I'd probably have to walk kilometers on the dark lonely highway.. perhaps a bus would stop.. or perhaps it wouldn't.. How much I'd have regretted getting off that bus!..

first thoughts -- SHE knows BEST and takes me to all MyWays!
What I see, believe, feel and go through in the mean time is OPTIONAL .. Only always..

Jai Mata Ki! :)