THE MISERABLE NIGHT! - SHORT STORY I woke up still tired in a lodge as though someone shook me violently holding my neck. A really bad dream. For a few seconds I could not place where I am. But I could register soon enough that I am in Bhuj, Kutch on an official tour. With great difficulty I tried to focus my eyes. I still felt a little disoriented. It was dark inside and outside of the room. It is already night! I could barely see a picture Calendar and a Clock on the whitewashed wall. It is the month of May in 1986. And to my utter shock of this lifetime, the clock showed 10hrs 11min. It is already past 10! And my bus, which is supposed to be the last bus, was at 10! Now there is a genuine reason to panic. (Read more in Caption) THE MISERABLE NIGHT! - SHORT STORY I woke up still tired in a lodge as though someone shook me violently holding my neck. A really bad dream. For a few seconds I could not place where I am. But I could register soon enough that I am in Bhuj, Kutch on an official tour. With great difficulty I tried to focus my eyes. I still felt a little disoriented. It was dark inside and outside of the room. It is already night! I could barely see a picture Calendar and a Clock on the whitewashed wall. It is the month of May in 1986. And to my utter shock of this lifetime, the clock showed 10hrs 11min. It is already past 10! And my bus, which is supposed to be the last bus, was at 10! Now there is a genuine reason to panic. As I had meant to just relax last night, I had not changed. I just picked up my brief case and ran to the bus stand which was only about half a Kilometre away from the lodge where I was staying over the last night. But the bus station itself is a little away from downtown. While running as fast as I could, dragging my feet due to tiredness, I kept hoping all the while that my bus would wait for me as I had already booked my seat. But, to my horror, I was welcomed by a totally deserted bus stand, much like a haunted place! Not a soul around. Why should there be? It is one hour past the last bus. I didn't know what to do. I just screamed aloud out of frustration. Suddenly, the homeless who was sleeping on the bench got woken up and frightened seeing me in such an eerie hour. He just picked up his bundle which he had kept as a pillow and ran away without a sound. Even the small shops around were closed. I searched for some kind of Bus Schedule Board. When I found one, it gave me another shock. Next bus to my destination Ahmedabad was only at 9 PM next day. These long-distance buses ply only overnight. As I was pretty new to Gujarat, going by multiple connecting buses was ruled out. Moreover, I had to reach Ahmedabad at least by evening so that I could catch up with the DCP. The journey was about 8 to 9 hours by bus.
