The Journey during lockdown

Today I'm writing almost after a year. Due to some of my personal reason. So I had to keep my blogging aside. I would like to appologize to all my readers for that and moreover until the lockdown is completely over I don't think that I would be able to put forword some content.

This is the journey that I have done during the lockdown. Hope you enjoy reading it. Lets jump into the journey without wasting time in the back story.

Our journey began from Kota, Rajasthan on 24/04/2020 with around 400 students and parents. Assam govt have done a admirable job in our return back home. There were 17 buses that brought us back to our state . This was my by far the longest journey that I ever had by a bus. And I dont think anything can beat this 2200km long journey in a bus. Yes it is true I can do it in a bike, car or even truck but not in a commercial bus that is something which I'm certain about.

We started from Kota, Rajasthan right around at 8:45 A:M in the morning but because of offical work it took us somewhat near of 12:00 noon to exit the city. But after that the journy started. I Saw the plight of the people on the road. Seeing the people we see in TV waiting for a transport to ferry them to their home. That day I again felt how much priviliged we are.

We were supposed to reach Khushinagar, UP at 10:00PM that day for a nightstay. But the journey started late so we kept on going and going then night struck. We reached UP at the Dusk and had some food and reached Jhansi, UP. There they checked few of our body temperature and did some of the routine stuffs. But they called up for a name called Haider Ahmed. I called out for the man and there were no one of such name in my bus. I checked out several times since it was a bus with 20 students so it was not that hard to notice that there was no one of such name. Later Jhansi, police called me enquiring about the person. I said if he would have been here I would have got him. Moreover the man was a parent and we dont have any parent in our bus. Later on I came to know that there was no Haider Ahmed in the whole group. Not only in bus 1 but neither of the buses. I have no idea who the UP police was looking for. Whatever lets go forward with the journey. Then we kept on going that night then I slept.

The next morning(25/04/2020) when I woke up the landscape had changed and much more greener and felt good. We were somewhere in UP crossed Lucknow and was heading towards Ayodhya. We kept on going and finally at around 12:30pm we reached Khusinagar, UP. There we stayed in a govt. of UP Made Resort. When I talked to few to staffs by seeing the influence of Buddhism in the area. Then I came to know that Khushinagar was the place where Gautama The Buddha took his last breath. Then I felt so good and blessed. Its a promise guys i will definitely bring you a detailed blog from Khushinagar in coming future.

Then at the time of deperture from Khushinagar. Me and my friend who were alloted the same villa took a nap and later everyone was on the bus and waiting for us. The resort staffs came in and asked us to leave since our fleet was about to leave. We ran to the bus and saw some very angry faces staring at us. Then we wents to the bus and did the counting and we were good to go again.

Then we keep on moving and reached Bihar Boarder by the Dusk. There we were stopped for about an hour. Then ones the bus started we were going again. As we had our dinner packed we only stopped for washroom breaks at few places. And in that same way the journey started and then I slept.

Next morning(26/04/2020) or to rightly say the last morning in the bus. We reached West Bengal boarder. And the big problem to deal was toilet. We stood by a petrol pump and brushed and washed us up but there were no toilet to be seen for. Few of my bus companions were desperate to go for a poop. So I found a place near a pond with sufficient bush as suggested by the locals there. I know it is not good unhygenic and all but what to do in that time of urgency. But they chose not to go there and returned to the bus. Then after we entered West Bangal it was so familiar and when we were about to reach Baghdogra the tea gardens popped up. At that time after a period of 10 month I felt like woo, this feels like we will reach home soon. When I saw the mountains from Baghdora I never felt so good. After seeing the stone laden hills with little scattered number of trees for the past 10 months in Rajasthan. Seeing this lush green mountains were like trat to my eyes. Then our journey kept on going and things got more and more familier. We got our lunch in our bus itself and we left West Bengal behind.

Then by the dusk we entered our homestate "Assam". There we were escorted by the police. We reached Kajolgaon, Chirang at around 9:00P:M. there we were welcomed by the police with applauds. I never felt so important. Then we were given our dinner. The dinner comprised of Pulao, Panner, potato and cauliflower fry, boiled egg, gulab jamun, a juice and an apple. The food felt so tasty it is incomprehensible. Eating basic food for the past time in the journey and suddenly getting good food is all that you want and the feeling was out of this world.

Then we started from there at around 11:30PM. And we reached our destination Guwahati's Indira Gandhi International stadium at around 3:30A:M 27/04/2020 , where our Hon'ble Health & Finance minister Mr Himanta Bishawasharma received us. There the girls were sent to the Hotels they are alloted and we boys are here in the Quarantine facility in Indira Gandhi International Stadium from where Im writing this blog.

The journey was not that smooth as it sounds. There were times when a bus got misrouted and went 40km away in the wrong path. One of the girl busted her head on the bus due to the jerking of the bus. But all in all it was a pleasent journey considering the grand scheme. I would thank all the police personals who had accompanied us and made our journey smooth.

Hope you enjoy reading this. Feel free to write me any suggestions, remarks that you are willing to share with me.

Thank you for reading....

Please do check out my other blogs...