Never a dull moment

 Change ! Change ! Change ! Where do you go for change ? Now I have become a regular bus and metro traveler. Metro card is a useful a “change” avoider but no such luck in buses. Moe often than not , I am in a newly introduced  bus running through our colony but it has no number- it says STL in the place of three digit route number. There is a provision for buying online bus ticket with DTC app with bus number. But the effort to pay Rs 15/Rs 20 through the app  is a herculean effort with the excellent service of Vodafone. I would value the labour involved at Rs 100 with the prospect of being branded a ticketless traveler if a checking squad boards the bus. Conductors accept Rs 100 notes on occasions but be prepared for more cellophane tapes than currency notes with your Rs15/ Rs 20 tickets. A mild protest would make the conductor show you a partitioned space in his cash bag which will put to shame a museum of cellophane tapes hands down. If you extend Rs 50, the conductor ...

Boarded the metro at Chatharpur. A young girl in a cap and a middle aged man were occupying the senior citizen's two seater. On seeing me, the girl looked at the man ( hmm... dad and daughter) and he got up. "You are getting down AIIMS ?" "Yes" I patted him on his shoulder twice. As I got up to deboard the metro, I whispered into his ears," Everything is going to alright. You are going to the best doctors" He said something which I could not catch. He kept looking at me as the doors of the metro doors. I waved at him. Brought back memories of several journeys on the same the route years ago. Like this dad and daughter combo, we were also silent looking nowhere in particular. It will take a while for me to smile.