He waited in the dark. It is said that ‘patience pays’.Well, if that were true, he would certainly have been a king by then, as he had waited for more than two hours.
A big dark blue bus appeared and camouflaged itself with the darkness, in the dead of the night.
Paul wore a big scarf and black gloves. He shivered in the cold. The bus had no lights and a blank nameplate in the front.It was certainly foolish to get into such a bus. Yet, it was also wise.Wiser to get into a bus, than stand on a platform surrounded by the music of isolation, and the hum of fear.
Thus, Paul gingerly touched the iron rod and looked at the windows. They were all covered with curtains. It was impossible to make out if even a single soul, happy or sad, rested within.
Still flowing in the lake of thoughts, he got into the bus and closed the big door behind him.
The gold colour of the massive door glistened as the bus began its journey.
Paul was in the bus alone and he felt quite uneasy sitting inside. The bus suddenly stopped, and Paul fell on the floor with a jerk.
A tall, hooded traveler entered the bus. Paul felt scared and thought it was best to get out of the bus. But as he tried to stand on his two legs, the bus once again started to roll towards its destination.
Paul was frightened. He now realized his mistake. He removed the curtains and tried opening the window, but there were bars. He then looked sideways at the hooded figure, who sat near the window on the other side.
With shivers running down his spine, Paul got up and sat two rows behind. The hooded traveler in a flash of a second stood up, and slowly looked in the direction of Paul. Paul licked the beads of perspiration rolling down his face and tried to stay cool.
The traveler walked over and sat beside Paul and uttered in a strange, male voice.
‘This bus has no destination. Neither do I know where to go. You shall not reach where you want to go.’
Paul went pale. He could not bear it. He leaped towards a seat that was few rows behind himand occupied it. Suddenly, the bus came to a halt and the doors opened. A man entered. The man smiled and sat in the row behind the hooded traveler.
Paul was in a fix. He had several thoughts running in his head. What was happening? Did the bus take in only this number of people, or was it his bad luck?
He looked at the man and the hooded traveler, andtried to evade them both, by hidingunder the seat in front of him.
Just then, Paul felt a tight tug at his jacket, and he got out from under the seat and looked above. It was the man. Paul stared into his eyes, and surprisingly, felt nice.He sat on his seat and felt mesmerized. The man was neither too dark, nor too fair. He had black and white hair, and his voice was soothing.
‘Hey Paul, why are you so afraid?’ asked the man. Paul was surprised that the man knew his name. The man continued to speak.
‘What did that traveler say to you that you fear to even sit beside him? Sit with him and I shall see that he does not harm you.’
Paul saw a sparkle in the man’s eyes. Paul felt confident and walked up to the hooded traveler and sat next to him.
The traveler hissed and spoke under his breath, without looking at Paul.
‘This bus reaches no place, like I said before. Let it be.’
Paul felt angry, scared, and helpless, when the man also got up and walked over to Paul. He whispered in Paul’s ear.
‘This bus shall stop at the destination you want. Do not listen to the traveler.’
The hooded traveler kept on repeating the same words, whereas the man encouraged Paul with his words.
‘Fate is for you to decide, and so are your wants, Paul. No outsider can say and decide for you.’
Perplexed, Paul stood up and went inside the driver’s cabin. He was about to open his mouth when the driver spoke.
‘I cannot think myself or help anyone decide, where to stop or which place to leave. I am directed by none of them, but I await someone else’s decision. Until then, I shall keep on driving like this.’
Paul was amazed. He could not understand what was going on. He came out of the cabin and the hooded traveler stood up.He uttered the following words.
‘My wish is somebody else’s wish. I cannot tell the driver to stop as I do not listen to myself, but to others. And they don’t want that.’
The man suddenly stood up and shouted at Paul.
‘I listen to myself, and I could tell the driver to stop, only, when you share my decision.’
Paul replied.
‘Then come with me and we shall voice our decision together.’
‘Do not do so!’ screamed the hooded traveler as hegripped Paul’s hand. Paul tried to release himself from the tight grasp. The traveler then spoke.
‘If you do so, then I shall be destroyed, and this man shall grow.’
‘I will not stop,’ said the man. ‘Never! I shall only diminish if I am discouraged by his fears,’ he pointed towards Paul.
Then the traveler grabbed Paul by his neck, and ran towards the end of the bus, bellowing at the man.
‘I shall exist, and you shall die, as Paul will never listen to himself, and thus he will become me.’
Paul pushed the traveler away and went to the driver and spoke.
‘I want to stop here, as it is my decision and not anybody else’s.’
The bus stopped.
The man got down from the bus with Paul, while the hooded figure disappeared. As the bus rolled on, four letters gleamed on the nameplate on the back.
‘LIFE.’
