We ran like kids in search of the right bus. It was useless. I feared I don’t meet Rishaan again .After 15 mins of running throughout KRSTC, we came to know that the direct bus had already left at 7.30 am….wow…n that’s the only bus for the day.
Now we have to catch a connecting bus to Chikbalpura n then from there 2 Nandi hills.
We got into a bus… no breakfast yet. My stomach giving signals like UPS during power cuts.
I can’t stand hunger n hence always carry food.
“Biscuits?...anyone?..”
Linz: uff dara ritu…bus e toh utheni…!!!
I kept quiet. We caught a bus to Chikbalpura n occupied 3 adjacent seats. Bengalis make a lot of noise no matter wherever they are, whatever age group they are…..we all started sharing our colg incidents loudly being 100% sure nobody cant make out a single Bengali word. After a few minutes my goodies were over. We enjoyed our journey a lot. Linz even played the world cup song in the bus loudly. No wonder people were staring at us…coz of many reasons…1 of them being my dress, maybe! I fell asleep listening 2 my MP3.
We reached Chikbalpura at 10.35 am n hoped 4 sum real food. Me n linz were searching a proper restaurant when swapratim shouted from behind…” oi…taratari aay…ei bus ta jabe…!” we ran according 2 direction n boarded the bus forgetting breakfast …
After 10 mins or so ,sum kannada native women informed us by hand signs that this buss wont go 2 nandi hills…….!!!!!
Nahiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn………………………..

I felt angry upon swapratim…
ki re??? tui bolli jabe?...i asked the conductor myself directly…,a worried linz staring from behind…!
Conductor assured me that it wud drop us at the foot of Nandi hills from where we have to catch another bus for 8km uphill…..!!!
Shit……abar bus???.....adventure was becoming irritating now…!!!
Jaai hok…..r toh kichhu korar nei…..we had already wasted a lot of time…n money!!..
rs. 38 + 15= 53 /-
We reached the said place in 20 mins or so….
Ami r ekta poisao khorcha korbona bus bhara te..!….i sweared 2 myself.
We were told we will find food n resturants there….
But 2 our luck…it was as clean n clear as Maidan after Bookfair. Only a few thatch-roofed shops selling coffee n chips….[ n cigarettes 4 ppl like swapratim]…we rested a bit n had coffee..
Thank god there was no bsnl tower. I like to be disconnected at times. Linz dad called…maybe 4 the nth time that day. We then had alu ka paratha at a restaurant which we spotted later.
Guess wot??.... it was extremely hot.
I wud have corporally penalized Anindya ..for informing about the pseudo-cold weather of Nandi hills. So I took off 1 set of clothes at the wash wash room in the restaurant. Thank god there was at least abathroom…linz dearie was also expecting a flush inside the the toilet…!!! :P We started our journey walking uphill.

Anindya’s intro: swapratim’s classmate cum best frnd at rajabazar campus, molbio. He was here too for the interview. Was supposed 2 join us but dint due 2 some other important engagement.
The scenery was awesome…we clicked a lot of pics. After 3 kms or so…I n linz sat down.. The gold medalist trekker[swapratim] suggested sitting wont be a gud idea…
This guy was trying his best 2 enter into my bad books by different ways…
1st he remarked me south Indian …then about my feeble health n that I walked 3 kms…wow..!
Then he actually succeeded by leaving 2 gals behind and climbing uphill through a short route…. God…I wish I cud have penned down the slangs I had given him that time…only linz knows… !
Linz received some gud news via phn when we were 4n half km or so…
“what?....dont tell me!!!...really???”………….
She was selected at neuroscience dept. too happy she gave a penny 2 a beggar nearby.n then started her calling sequences… at every halt she called up different ppl 2 make sure it was her name that was in the list at no. 1…….
I was happy…at least some CU candidate got through.
After 6 kms…I gave way…linz took out her puff n used it. We tried some shortcuts n it worked.. Reaching the gates of Nandi hills we were relived.!!!.just then some monkeys welcomed us..

“How did u come?”.. the gatekeeper at the entry point of nandi hilltop asked.
“By foot…I mean walking”
He stared at us… 2 hald dead ladies n a lucky guy..[ they thought maybe]…lucky u know y!!!
Swapratim bought a frooti which he n I quarreled over…n then a very funny incident happened…
He was carrying the drink in his hand when a young monkey tried 2 snatch it…he shoved his hand violently n it ran away…all other tourist who saw was laughing..
He turned around n remarked..” I thought it was u ritu!!..”
Well…I dint find it funny…

We climbed the top by passing through a forest. It was beautiful. I love forests…we reached the bare rock area where we rested a bit n then linz sat down permanently making more calls…a Nandi temple was there…in the mean time faithful bsnl made my dad call who was happy 2 hear that I dint get through but aghast at the knowledge that I climed 8km uphill.
Note: In the year 2008 I was hospitalized n sent directly to ICU after suffering hypoxia after my return form excursion from north Bengal. There I had trekked uphill n rest my physiopals knows better than me…. !!! coz I lost my senses n was also loosing my breathing capability.

Swapratim n I surveyed the place around…we reached the edge n clicked some funny pics…there were only couples around….God knows what they were doing at suicide point.!
Me n swapratim returned…maybe 2 prove that we were not amongst the lot.
We had time stringency… 3.25 pm we had 2 make it to the ticket counter from bus wud leave for Chibalpura.i made a fast visit inside the temple n we headed downwards through the forest towards the gate…
We heard that the 3.30 bus had left n another bus was waiting which wud leave at 4…
There was time… me n swapratim left linz inside the bus 2 occupy seats n once again looked around…the whole Bangalore cud be seen…it was beautiful……..
At least kuch toh achha hua!!!…had I made through the interview, I wud have making rounds inside the campus….missing all this natural beauty…

We boarded the bus n reached chikbalpura n again boarded another bus to KRSTC.

It rained on our way back. Some bong guy inside the bus tried hard 2 impress linz by shouting over the phn in Bengali but 2 no avail. Swapratim slept like a dead log…I bet even if he was molested by some South Indian aunty, he wud not have known in his sleep…
Jokes apart..he is a sweet guy…he carried mine n linz’s bags during our trekking uphill …I declare publicly…!!
I had that minimum energy 2 bargain with an autowala back 2 hotel…n as I reached I fell back 2 bed…
This is a real adventure……………I loved it…!!!
Had dinner n assured my maa that it was nothing serious n m fine with the journey…
Falling asleep to bed , I thanked God for all his plans [n mine too….]

Next issue : day 4 will release next week coz I shall be a bit busy.