The Bus


“It’s Diwali time, it’s Diwali time.” Sanjeev squealed, as he bounced around his room from corner to corner. His little white teeth were displayed in a permanent grin. His cheeks were flushed red.

“It’s Diwali time.” He raced into his parent’s room. Papa sat on the bed, glancing up briefly, before going back to his newspaper. Mumma sat next to the dresser, combing her hair. She turned to her seven-year-old son and smiled.

The festival of Diwali always got him excited. The entire city lit up with an amazing diversity of diyas and lights, of all sizes, shapes and colors. The fridge in every home was stocked with fancy sweets and mithai.

Sanjeev loved the lights and the mithai, but neither were his favorite part of the great Indian festival.

“Diwali is tomorrow.” Papa interjected, folding his newspaper.

“I know that, Papa.” Sanjeev replied, still skipping around. “But, today we go to buy the firecrackers.”

He beamed at his mother. Her eyes met his in a knowing gaze.

“When are we leaving? When are we leaving?” Sanjeev demanded.

“In ten minutes.” Mumma told him.

“Yayyy,” Sanjeev roared his approval. “How are we going? Are we taking the bus?”

“Yes.”

“Yayyy…is it going to be the big red double-decker bus, Mumma? “

“Yes, beta, we’ll take the double decker.”

“I love that bus. Can we sit on the top level, Mumma?”

“Yes, beta, we can sit wherever you want.”

Sanjeev went to his room and brought out his red toy bus. It was a tiny replica of the double-decker buses that adorned the streets of Mumbai.

He came back into his parent’s room, singing, “Wheels on the bus go round and round; wheels on the bus go round and round…”

Mumma grinned at him. Sanjeev rolled his toy bus on the floor.

“You know which crackers I’m getting this time? I’ll get the Ashoka Zamin Chakras, you know the ones that go on for extra-long, and give colored sparks.”

Mumma put her comb down and started putting on makeup. “Okay, now let Mumma get ready. You also go put on your shoes.”

“I love those ones, Mumma. Also, this time I’ll get the Peacock rockets, you know the big ones that go really high and burst into a rainbow. Those are soooo awesome. Can I get those rockets, Ma? The big ones this time?”

“First, go put on your shoes.”

“You know Rahul was telling me about this new cracker called Phoenix Comets. He said they are like square blocks that jump up in the air, spin round and round and give amazing sparks. And you know, after they stop, you think they are done, and then suddenly they start spinning again.”

“Can I get those ones also, ma?” The sparks in Sanjeev’s eyes also appeared to be spinning round and round.

“Yes, beta,” Mumma smiled. “We’ll get the cool new crackers also. Now, will you put on your shoes quickly?”

Sanjeev dashed off to his room, and returned within the blink of an eye, with his shoes on. He entered the room mid-sentence. “…go round and round. Wheels on the bus go round and round…”

Mumma started walking towards the door, with Sanjeev trailing at her heels. “We’ll be back by lunch time.” She called out to her husband, as she stepped out of the house.

“Wheels on the bus go round and round.” Sanjeev continued to sing. “It’s Diwali time, its Diwali time.”

Mumma took his hand as they walked down the slope leading to the street. Their place was part of a cozy residential society, located in the heart of South ‘Bombay’ or ‘SoBo’ as the kids had started calling it. There had been some unseasonal rain last night, and the ground was still wet. Small puddles formed in the ever-present potholes that littered their streets.

The bus stop was right at the bottom of the slope. As they came nearer to the stop, she saw the red frame of Bus No. 132 already stationed there.

“Let’s move quickly, the bus is here.” Mumma said, and increased their pace of walking. The next bus would be half an hour later.

They just reached the bus stop when the bus engine revved into life. The big wheels started to roll forward.

“Hold on a minute.” Mumma shouted. But, those double-deckers only had an entrance at the back, and the driver probably didn’t hear her.

Mumma put Sanjeev ahead of her and lifted him onto the bus.

“Hold onto something, beta.” She yelled.

Sanjeev went silent with this sudden surge of activity. He followed his mother’s instructions and grabbed a hand-rail near the entrance.

The bus picked up some speed. The fumes of its diesel engine made their way to Sanjeev’s nostrils, mixing with the smell of recent rainfall. He winced, and looked to his mother.

Mumma grabbed a handle on the entrance with one hand and ran with quick strides, alongside the bus. She lifted her right foot and put it on the platform, inside the bus entrance. Her other leg was still outside, on the ground.

Sanjeev looked into his mother’s eyes and registered a look of panic.

Mumma’s tried to swing her left leg into the bus. But, the bus jerked ahead, and she couldn’t hold her footing.

“Shit,” Mumma shouted. The bus began to gain more speed.

Mumma skidded her left foot against the ground, still holding onto the hand-rail. Her right foot wobbled on the platform.

Sanjeev stared at his mother, with a knot building inside his stomach. He moved his hand towards Mumma.

The bus shot ahead again. Mumma’s right leg, which was inside the bus, was thrown off balance. Her hand left the handle, flailing in the air.

Sanjeev’s heart nearly stopped beating. He saw his mother’s fear-stricken eyes right in front of him. His arm remained outstretched, but it was too far from her.

“Aaaararghh.” Mumma screamed. In a flash, she was airborne. Her body hurled forward and landed with a thud face-first, a foot ahead of the rear entrance of the bus. Her arms and legs spread out in every direction.

The rear wheel of the bus went round and round over Mumma’s leg, pressing it against the ground.

“Yaaaarrrghhhh,” Mumma screeched louder than Sanjeev had ever heard anyone scream in his life. All the color drained from his face.

The bus jolted to a stop. Sanjeev was thrown forward, along with many other passengers. He fell to the floor, but immediately picked himself up, and jumped out of the bus.

A crowd had gathered around the fallen body of Mumma. Sanjeev ran to her side. The bus driver also made his way there.

Mumma lay on her back, her eyes half-closed, wailing loudly. Her left arm reached for the wounded leg.

Sanjeev’s face remained white as snow. He head was spinning, his vision blurring.

The crowd began to yell things.

“What should we do?”

“Call the police.”

“Let’s take her to a hospital first.”

“Did you see what happened?”

“It’s her leg. The bus ran over it.”

“Wasn’t there a kid with her?”

A young woman bent down and massaged Mumma’s leg. “Does it hurt?”

“Where do you live, madam?” Somebody shouted.

“Which hospital should we take her to?”

“Where’s the boy who was with her?”

Mumma opened one eye, and pointed towards Sanjeev, who stood like a statue. Strong arms grabbed his shoulders.

“What’s your name, beta?”

“Are you her son?”

“Where do you live?”

Sanjeev opened his mouth to say something, but no words seemed to come out.

The arms that held him shook him gently. Sanjeev blinked and saw a pair of soft eyes looking at him. The Good Samaritan was a middle-aged man, who pulled Sanjeev aside, and patted him on the head. “Don’t worry, beta. It’ll be alright.”

“She’s my Mumma.” Sanjeev blurted. “She’s my Mumma.”

“Ok, good.” The man nodded. “Can you tell me where you’ll live?”

“Shyam….Shyam…Shyam Niwas.” Sanjeev gestured up the slope.

“Good. What’s your name, beta?”

“Sanjeev.”

The man looked up the slope. “Wait here a minute, Sanjeev. I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

He spoke to a few of the others who were gathered on the scene. Within moments, he returned to Sanjeev. “Is there anybody at home right now?”

Sanjeev nodded. “Papa is there.”

“Ok, good. Now, let’s go to your house and get your Papa. Can we do that, Sanjeev?”

Sanjeev stared at his Mumma. An ambulance with its flashing lights had appeared and was parked nearby. She was being lifted onto a stretcher.

“Mumma,” Sanjeev yelled. “Mumma.”

But Mumma didn’t hear him. Her eyes were closed. Soft moans continued to come out of her mouth.

“Don’t worry, beta.” The Good Samaritan told him. “They’re taking her to Breach Candy Hospital. She’ll be properly taken care of. “

Sanjeev stood there, breathing heavily. He began to feel dizzy.

Strong arms gripped him again. “Sanjeev, you must take me to your Papa and tell him what happened.”

Sanjeev nodded and started walking up the slope, along with the Good Samaritan.

He raced into his house. “Papa, papa, where are you?”

The Good Samaritan waited near the door, while Sanjeev found his father. Sanjeev jumped to his Papa and hugged him.

Papa looked alarmed. “What happened?”

Sanjeev looked down at the floor, trembling. “Mumma…Mumma…”

Papa put an arm on his son’s shoulder. “Where is Mumma?”

Sanjeev’s eyes had a glazed look. “The bus…we were running for the bus….and…we were late…and…”

Sanjeev felt his body shaking.

“Don’t worry, Sanjeev.” Papa said, but his eyes grew wider and wider. “Just tell me what happened.”

“I got into the bus, but Mumma couldn’t….” Sanjeev babbled on. “Mumma was running and running…and trying to get on the bus…but she fell down…and then…and then…the bus drove on her leg.”

Papa took a deep breath and exhaled. “Where is she now?”

“They took her to the hospital…the man with me knows…”

Papa let go of Sanjeev and went to meet the Good Samaritan, who succinctly explained what he knew and informed him that his wife was at Breach Candy Hospital.

Papa took it all in, and his face appeared calm. “It’s lucky that Breach Candy Hospital is right across the street at least.” While he was talking, he was buttoning his shirt, and putting on his shoes.

“Sanjeev, I’m going to the hospital where Mumma is, you stay at home till I…”

“No.” Sanjeev cut him off. “No, I’m coming with you.”

“Sanjeev, you don’t need to…”

“I’m coming.” Sanjeev had a defiant look in his eyes.

Papa shrugged. “Let’s go then.”

Breach Candy Hospital was full of hustle and bustle. Doctors in white suits walked with clipboards in their hands, and black stethoscopes around their necks. Nurses in blue scrubs, went from room to room, doing their rounds.

Papa insisted that Sanjeev remained in the waiting area while he went to find out what was happening. Sanjeev sat on a wooden bench, observing the constant movement around him. Families gathered in and around every room, with grave faces. A pungent, medicinal odor filled the air, and was making him nauseas. He hated the smell of hospitals.

Sanjeev’s mind conjured up images of the big red bus, and of his Mumma falling under it. He could still hear her screams inside his head. He rocked his body back and forth, without realizing it.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only twenty minutes, Papa emerged back outside. Sanjeev stopped rocking, and sat bolt upright in his seat.

Papa slowly walked over to him. “Mumma’s going to be fine. Her leg is fractured, but the doctors say it will heal soon.”

Sanjeev nodded, holding his breath.

Papa put his arm around him. “Everything is going to be alright, beta.”

Sanjeev nodded again. The screams still rang out in his head.

“Mumma’s sleeping now.” Papa said. “You go on home and have dinner. I’ll come and get you in some time.”

Sanjeev looked at his Papa, whose serene look comforted him.

“I’ll see you soon, beta. We can talk to Mumma tomorrow, after she wakes up.”

Sanjeev gradually rose to his feet. He walked out of the hospital, and onto the street. He felt a cold numbness had gripped his body. He entered his room, feeling light-headed.

The red toy bus lying on the floor caught his eye.

‘Wheels on the bus go round and round…’ He heard the tune in his head.

Sanjeev picked up the toy bus, and stared at it. He took it to the kitchen, opened the garbage can, and threw it inside. He slammed the lid shut.

‘Wheels on the bus go round and round…’