The Other Perspective

By Kumaresh Gopal

You’re sitting in a bus. The bus is moving at a regular speed, neither too fast nor too slow. You don't remember how you got in or what was your life before the bus. As far as you are concerned, this is where you have always been…this is Home!

You spend most of your time just looking out the window, admiring people driving by, the roadside vendors, traffic light intersection, the children playing, and occasionally the lush green fields with moths fluttering around. There are so many places where you wish to stop and relish the moment, but the bus keeps on moving. Your memories become blur as one thing quickly leads to another. The only thing giving you company apart from the driver, are your dreams of finally making it somewhere, someday.

Sometimes, people get into the bus and tell you stories about their lives, which you listen with rapt attention and imagine yourself in their place, but they always get down at their destination and say goodbyes. The kind ones even invite you to come along, but for some reason, you can never leave the bus. There is always this invisible rope tugging at you and pulling you inside.

The driver has always worn a mask as far as you remember. You’ve never seen his face or asked him any questions, fearing his anger, or fearing the answer itself. He drives all the time, stopping by, only to get something to eat and to rest, driving to some unknown destination which promises to be your salvation.

You feel trapped and helpless. Your mind screams for you to escape this hellhole. But then your doubts peg you back. “What if you don’t get anything to eat? What will you do then? How will you survive? Will you still be able to enjoy the new places and interact with all those people? What if you get attacked?”. These questions keep coming through, attacking your insecurities like brutal mercenaries at work and making you retreat.

However, you’ve had enough one day and somehow gather the courage to march up to the driver and demand to be let out. The driver refuses straightaway and keeps on driving. Enraged, you punch him so hard, his nose starts bleeding. In return, he kicks you in the chest, knocking the wind out of you. He then grabs you by the neck and begins to choke you. Running out of breath, you begin to thrash wildly as your survival instincts kicks-in. You are losing consciousness fast and need to do something soon. However, he keeps dodging all your attacks, refusing to release his grip.

As a last-ditch attempt, you land your kick directly on the steering wheel, as the bus careens wildly to the side and comes in the path of an incoming truck. The driver quickly releases you and cuts sharply towards the left, narrowly avoiding the truck! However, he is late to cut for the sharp bend ahead and realizes that the bus is heading towards a ditch. He slams hard on the brake, but it was too little too late. With seconds left before the fall, the driver takes off his mask, smiles at you and pushes you out of the moving bus. You land hard on the concrete and are left in shock, processing what happened. The last few moments will forever be etched into your memory.

For behind the mask, smiling sadly and with a look of utmost resignation, were you staring back at yourself!!

So, who are you?

Are you the driver or the passenger, in the journey of your life?

By Kumaresh Gopal