My village is in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, about 35 km from Tuticorin town. I decided to go to Sivakasi to see the assembly election trend there. So I got into a bus (1) to Tuticorin. I reached the old bus-stand and was very happy to see a bus with the board saying Sivakasi.

I got in (2) and the conductor asked me where I wanted to go. When I told him, he said this bus would leave the new bus stand after an hour so I should go in an earlier bus.

So I got down and boarded a bus (3) to Kovilpatti as there was no direct bus for me. From Kovilpatti I took another bus (4) to Sattur. It takes 30 minutes from Kovilpatti to Sattur. Imagine my shock when after 10 minutes the bus halted at a restaurant for a ‘20 minutes refreshment break’. There were six other buses halted there. I got into one (5) leaving for Sattur.

From Sattur I got a bus to Sivakasi (6).

After finishing my work there I saw a bus (7) leaving for Tuticorin. A feeling of déjà vu when the conductor said it was better I bought a ticket for Sattur as there would be a 25 minute halt there. I did not argue. I boarded (8) another bus from Sattur to Tuticorin.

This one took me to the new bus stand there and I boarded a mini bus (9) to the old bus stand. There was no bus to my village but there was one (10) to Eral which is on the way. From Eral I got another mini bus (11) to Kurumbur. And one more mini bus (12) to my village. 

I was very happy. I had not waited even for one bus. I had been on the move throughout and covered 270 km.

--  Ganesh Nadar