The sun shone radiantly in the cerulean sky, sending rays of searing sunlight onto the earth. Fluffy white clouds floated around lazily in the endless expanse of blue, and the Earth was bathed in a warm glow from the ball of fire hanging in the sky. I was trudging out of the school gates lethargically, my shoulders hunched from carrying my bag. All around me, I could spot several smatterings of students strolling out of school. Buses were trundling to a stop by the nearby bus stop, and I espied a long queue of cars snaking down the main driveway of the school premises all the way to the main road.
I could briefly hear bosom buddies chatting away animatedly, and the intermittent sound of traffic filled my ears. The smell of freshly cooked noodles wafted from the nearby food center to my nose, making my stomach rumble in huger and my mouth water in delight. I simply could not wait to reach home and gulp down my mother’s delectable delicacies. I also caught a whiff of the exhaust fumes, causing to have a pounding headache. Just then, I noticed that my bus had arrived. Sprinting as fast as I could, my feet pounding the ground with all my might, I made it.
People were shoving each other out of the way to make their way on the bus. Squeezing in with a commuter, I stepped onto the bus. A cool blast of cold air enveloped me as I stepped onto the bus. I could hear the beeps of the card machine sounding, and the voice of the friendly bus driver greeting the passengers. The commuters on the bus were all minding their own businesses. Some were engrossed in reading books, some were engrossed in tinkering with their electronic devices, and some were just having forty winks. I immediately went to the back of the bus to take a seat.
The whole bus was silent, broken by the groans of the ancient diesel engine. As I settled down for a comfortable ride home, I noticed two men glaring at each other in a hostile manner. If looks could kill, both men would have withered there and then. Both men had tattoos branded on every inch of their skin, and they looked extremely threatening. If they actually fought in the bus, I had a feeling that things were going to get ugly for the passengers in the bus real fast. However, I assured myself that they were not going to do anything violent.
It’s not like they were going to whip out knives and start fighting each other. On that note, I closed my eyes, and drifted off to dreamland. Suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue, I heard the hoarse voices of someone shouting. I jolted awake at once. Apparently, the two men I saw earlier were shouting vulgarities at each other. Both of their fists were clenched and they looked livid. Their faces were as red as a beetroot, and steam were pouring out of their ears. The other commuters all seemed very interested in this interesting turn of events in the bus.
Some of them were capturing video footage of the incident on their phones, some were trying to calm the men down, some pretended to take a nap, and some even ignored the whole thing plainly. The bus driver had stopped the bus by the roadside and was making efforts to cool down the heated men, but his efforts were in vain. I asked the passenger beside me what was the cause of this argument. Apparently, one man thought that the other man was trying to pick a fight with him, as he had stepped on his foot three times. The first time, when they were boarding the bus, he managed to keep his temper in check.
The second time, when they were getting off their sears and walking down the cramped narrow aisle, he suppressed his anger. However, when he was stepped on for the third time, while they were alighting the bus, that was the last straw. The other man feigned ignorance. Just then, the passengers decided that they had had enough of that nonsense, as the men’s voice were increasing in volume every moment, and a fight might break out any moment. The passengers, along with the bus driver, chased the two men off the bus.
Even though the men put up a struggle, the combined strength of the passengers was no match for the two struggling men. The bus driver then shut the doors and the bus resumed its journey. I was certainly shaken by this experience and heaved a sigh of relief that we did get to witness the two men fighting. From this experience, I learnt that we should learn to keep our emotions in check and not let them rule our actions. Even though someone could have irritated you, just tell him nicely and in a civil manner to stop it. There was no need to use vulgarities. It was certainly an unforgettable experience.
