Bus No.33- A complete journey Page #2

A real-life experience that revived my hope in humans and trust.

• Short story
• Non-Fiction

								

 
Govind reassured me, “We will get it, no matter what.”
The driver didn’t fully understand my words, but he felt the energy in the car, sensing the depth of our urgency.
“Put the last stop in the Uber destination,” he said. “Let’s catch the bus and get your phone.”
Eachi changed the drop location to Western Miller hill.
After Royal Infirmary, we were now headed to the outskirts of Edinburgh, familiar landscapes transforming from buildings to farmland and small colonies of houses dotting the horizon. The bus was getting closer to Miller hill, not stopping at any more stops and heading directly for the last stop.
We had been in the car for 45 minutes, chasing and hoping to find the bus. The map showed we were nearing our destination, but soon we found ourselves in a remote, lonely area with no humans in sight. A roundabout loomed ahead, surrounded by abandoned roads, our car moving like a ghost in a deserted town.
The driver, panicking a bit, asked, “Where have you got me?”
Clueless, we replied, “Five more miles. The map says the bus is somewhere nearby.”
There was no trace of the bus or any bus stop, just a barren road flanked by farmlands on one side and large, empty flats on the other. The map indicated the road would end in two minutes and that it was closed beyond that point.
“One last right turn,” I thought, hearing heartbeats quicken throughout the car. Everyone was anxious, hoping we’d find the bus and my phone. We needed this to work out—if we didn’t find the bus, we wouldn’t know what to do next.
The road literally ended after the turn, and we couldn’t see what lay beyond it. All of us leaned forward in curiosity and hope.
“F**K!” cried the driver, taking the right turn.
Bus No. 33 Miller hill stood at the road's end—a visual we would never forget. The bus was empty as if waiting for us after making us chase it all this while. It was there at the end of the road.
We couldn’t wait for the car to stop; we jumped out and rushed toward the bus as the driver came down from the second floor.
With a broken voice, I asked, “Did you find a phone?”
Tears threatened to spill as I awaited his response.
He asked for identification. I realized I had forgotten how my phone looked. “There’s a polaroid behind it,” I stammered, fumbling for the right words.
“Yeah, take it. It kept ringing, so I went up to switch it off!” he said. It was Kavi and Chaka trying to ensure no one had stolen it.
The cab driver waited for us, anxious to see if we succeeded.
We nodded, a joyful affirmation, shouting, “We got it!” The relief of retrieving something I thought I had lost flooded my heart. It was a revival of my trust and hope.
At that moment, I shared a tight hug with my friends.
That day, I realized many things. Govind had become more than Kavi’s groom or husband; he had transformed into a trustworthy friend. He restored the faith I had lost in people without even realizing it. His friends called him “Captain,” and that day I understood why—he was steering the entire ship. We had been sceptical about this man when Kavi received the marriage proposal, but he earned new approval as the kindest and most genuine person on my list. My sister had always been on my side, but she would have supported me regardless. It was hard for me to trust someone from the outside.
Humans are a complex mix of personalities; the moment we decide to lose faith in them, someone like Govind comes along, rewriting our assumptions. I can’t thank him enough for that night, and I owe him a debt of gratitude for teaching me not to give up and to keep chasing.
We got back on the same bus, taking the same seats as Bus No. 33 began its return to the city. We called Kavi and Chaka, sharing the good news. They said, “We knew you would get it. We believed you would.”
Laughing, we retraced the magical moments of spotting the bus at the road's end. We returned to South Hall, reuniting with Kavi and Chaka, only to realize our plans had transformed into an unforgettable bus chase. Now, everyone just wanted to climb Arthur’s Seat and breathe.
Akshay Chettan joined us at the foot of the hike, and we made our way to the top around 10:00 PM. Just us on the path, surrounded by darkness, our music loud, laughter echoing in the night. As we reached the summit and sat gazing at glittering Edinburgh—the castle, the college, and the beautiful moon—I knew I had the best bunch of people with me.

"Chase that bloody bus, no matter how far it seems to run ahead. Some things are too precious to let slip away. When you're surrounded by people who believe in you, you’ll find your way—even when the path feels endless. As Ratan Tata said, ‘If you want to walk fast, walk alone, but if you want to walk far, walk together.’ In the end, it’s not just the destination—it’s the people who run beside you that make the journey worth everything."
							                                        -Thi Aalma
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