The first Step

For the first 10 years of my school, I mostly took 18 to go to school, and if i had the choice i always preferred 2258. There were too many 18's so we referred to the buses by their number plates.

2258 was our favorite coz it had the most aggressive driver.It was during this period that i realised what aging is, by seeing the same conductor on and off over 10 years, observing his features changes, see him get more irritated with school kids as he grew old and observing his hair go white.

The other buses we took were 90D, 290,280 and other variants of 18 like 18c et all.Our fav, if we got it was 280 which headed to Ghatkesar. As it was a suburban bus it had fewer stops and an enterprising driver who did not halt even at the scheduled halts.

For most of my first 8 year, standing at the mettugudda bus stop , i use to see 250 zip by . We never took it, coz it turned left at Habsiguda and did not go to our school.

Then one fine day sometime in 8th or 9th standard, I had to go to ECIL crossroads to pick up the application form from Omega. That day I took a 250.It was scary. I did not know how soon or how late to expect ECIL cross roads and I was alone. We did not have cell phones so that I could call Anand and ask him to give me some indications of when i will reach my destination.

Later I did take that bus many more times, sometimes to write the A S Rao talent search exam,sometimes to visit Anand in Ashoknagar(I think his colony was/is called this). Anand today is sitting in USA designing civil structures.

I did not made it through Omega and neither through AS Rao. I never liked the format of AS Rao also, too many Reason/Assertion questions. Why bother how does the cloth dry up, because of the sunlight or because of the blowing wind.