When you lose something in a BMTC bus

What I thought was going to be a lazy Saturday afternoon turned out to be a busy, tensed and learning Saturday. I left home at 8.30 for servicing my car. After checking the car for my belongings, the security at the service station handed over my ‘car stereo front panel’ saying that he can’t keep it with him as it is an expensive one. I carried this and the service manual and took an auto to Basavangudi to complete some work in the bank. In less than five minutes I was finished and out on the streets again. Went to near by Darshini and relished the Masala Dosa. Now it was time to go back home and watch TV and take an afternoon nap.

Since I had the entire day with me (or may be to save that 100 Rs) , I thought I will take a BMTC bus to reach home. It had been ages that I had used a BMTC. I knew there was no direct bus to Silk Board from Basavangudi. I caught a bus to JP Nagar and was planning to get down on the ring road and get another bus to Silk Board. As I sat in the bus (yes I could get a seat in the BMTC) I was very conscious of the ‘thing’ I was carrying as it was expensive. I made sure it was on the seat next to me every few minutes (yes, I had kept the service book and this ‘thing’ on the seat next to me as this thing could not sit properly in my pocket). The ring road JP Nagar stop arrived and I got down.

Soon I got another bus to my destination. I could get a seat in this one too. After few minutes I felt something is missing. I looked into my pockets, and I found the same valet and the cell phone. I had the service book in my hand, but still something was missing….and oh…the ‘thing’ is missing. I looked beneath the seat; I looked around, but in vein. People around were giving me strange looks. I had left the ‘thing’ in the previous bus. I thought of jumping out of the bus, catching an auto and following the bus, but soon realized that would be the stupidest thing to do.

I controlled my self and managed to reach home with heavy heart. Mean while I was telling myself, ‘ok…that would probably cost 1 or 1.5K’, that is what I should pay for being careless. I reached home, rang up the car accessory shop to know that, that ‘thing’ would cost me about 4K. I crushed into the bean bag, cursing my Saturday, cursing my fate, I started telling myself ‘penny wise pound foolish’.

Soon came the advice from my sweet wife call up the BMTC. Ok..I would call up the BMTC and what would I tell them. I don’t know the bus no. I don’t know the origin and destination of the bus properly, neither do I know the route no. I just kept quite, still cursing my self. It is just 10 weeks before that I had bought this ‘SONY car audio player with front USB (I paid a premium for this USB option)’ and it is already in some stranger’s hands.

Ok, I convinced myself, this was brought from my hard earned money and I should get it back. I got the BMTC Jayanagar depot no. from Yellow pages, but no one picked up that call for a long long time. Still continuing to curse myself, I called up the main depot no. Luckily they picked up the call. I felt I am very close to getting the ‘thing’. I told him, ‘one bus from NR colony to JP Nagar at 12 noon…..I need the driver detail….umm….’. The voice from the other said, we can’t find out anything from this. Do you know the route no…..No,……..ok, do you have the ticket….ticket….yeeeaass…I jumped to the dustbin at my home and found the ticket. That turned out be the most expensive bus ticket that I had ever bought and retained even after the journey.

He asked me the ticket no. and after some time said, this belongs to depot no. 4 and that is JayaNagar. Go with the ticket and enquire in the accounts dept., they should be able to tell you the driver details. Only then I realized the importance of that small piece of paper that we throw soon after getting down the bus. I rushed to the JayaNagar depot, narrated the story about the ‘thing’ that I had lost to the lady at the security. She let me in. At the accounts dept, I got to know some bag no. to which this ticket belongs to and I was asked to go to the traffic section. I wanted the driver details, what I will do with this bag no. I was skeptical, and asked the traffic section guys, who is the driver for this bag no. Soon came the answer “DeveGowda”….what do you know the driver, so I can talk to him then…give me his cell no. No, we don’t keep their cell no.s. …uhh..I was down again…but there was some hope. The traffic controller said this is GiriNagar to JP Nagar bus, bearing no. 3058, if you go immediately to the JayaNagar bus stop, you can spot him there.

I rushed my Dio to JayaNagar, waited there for about 90 minutes, looking at every bus that passed through, for the bus with no. 3058. Exactly at the 93rd minute came this bus, but from the opposite direction than I was expecting it. I took my scooter again and followed him, but to see a board that read ‘KempeGowda Bus Nildaana to JP Nagar’. I was disappointed. I felt the traffic controller fooled me. I went back to the depot. I told him what happened. He still strongly said he was right and he can’t be wrong in this, he has been doing this job for years. I cursed my eyes this time, or rather the glasses that I wear. I left a note to the driver with my cell phone no. Looks like I still had the hope.

The TC asked me to come back at 7PM, when the driver returns back from his shift. I collected my car from the service station, staring at the empty panel space, I drove to the depot. As soon as the TC saw me, he said, DeveGowda is inside. I ran inside, looking at the no. plate of each bus and before I was lost in hundreds of similarly looking BMTC bases, I spotted the 3058 and along with the driver.

Idu GiriNagar JP Nagar bassa, (Id this GiriNagar to Jp Ngar Bus)
Howdu… (Yes)
Beligge 12 ghantege neeve idra ee bassalli… (Were you driving it at 12 noon)
Howdu… (Yes)
Nimige idralli ondu SONY car panel sigtha… (Did you find a SONY car panel)
Hooon…(the drive sounded like, ya I have got it, so what) (Yes…)

I was so happy to hear it. My all day effort did not go waste, it had saved me about 4K. But, that ‘thing’ was not with me yet.
I asked him…

kodthira… (Will you give it to me)
He said..”What will I do with that, it is of no use to me and more it does not belong to me either”
Sari…Kodi mathe…… (Then give it)
Adu illilla…. (It is not here)
Mathe… innellide…!!!!!!!!! (where else)
Manelide… (At home)

I told myself Oh god ..where his house now…

Ellide mane…. (Where is the house)
JP Nagar 6th phase…Oh illena… banni naane karkondu hogthini…(oh..very close by..come lets go together)
Nimige hege siktu... (How did you get it)
He said, some woman who entered empty handed was carryign this ‚thing’ with her while getting down. One ajji who observed it asked her, what that thing is..and the lady said that ‘someone had left it here’ and gave it to the driver.

I waited for him to clear his accounts for the day and followed him (he was on his bike) to his house and my ‘thing’ back. I opened cover it was intact. I gave him some money, he took it, though reluctantly.I was back on the road to my house, listening to all the 9x.x stations…….

Lessons learnt:
* Retain the ticket of your journey for few day at least.
* There are still good people around.