Acr-lic Colour

The roads were peaceful on Monday, the fifteenth of August, as Bangaloreans enjoyed the rare three day weekend inside their homes or outside the city. I walked briskly as I turned the corner into the street on which my music teacher lived. I came to an abrupt halt at her gate with a groan. The suspicion which had been roused by the absence of sound was confirmed by the lock on the door. She was away. I should have called. I hung about in front of the gate for a few seconds, trying to change what I saw with sheer force of will.  I realised then that I had nothing else planned for the next hour. It seemed like a waste to go straight back home after going through the trouble of making myself presentable. I decided to take a detour to a nearby bookstore. There was a birthday present to buy, and a visit to a bookstore is always an exciting prospect. I walked on with renewed energy.   I usually keep off the main roads, preferring the quiet side streets even if I have t...

I travel to school by the public bus. The regular buses are fine, but the Volvo buses are air conditioned and almost always less crowded.The other distinctive feature of my experience with Volvos is that I'm always missing them. Honestly, I could write a song titled, 'How do I miss thee, Volvo? Let me count the ways'! Let me summarize it for you. The  first and the most common way-I'm walking to the bus stop; I'm just fifty metres away, when whoosh! The bus comes, halts for a second, and  speeds away, leaving me panting and staring in indignation. Next- I give up on taking the Volvo because I'm getting rather late and get on to a crowded bus, when whoosh again! The Volvo speeds past my bus, starting later but reaching earlier. Once, the driver never saw me waiting and just drove past. Another time, another big bus blocked my path, and by the time I manoeuvered myself around it, the Volvo was gone. (On that day I was really annoyed because when I turned ...