Two exams in a day!

PUNE, March 22: The passengers had purchased their tickets and settled back for a long drive, as the Pune Municipal Transport bus route ...

PUNE, March 22: The passengers had purchased their tickets and settled back for a long drive, as the Pune Municipal Transport bus route no 145 set out for the Pune Railway Station on Monday morning. Seated were the usual lot of passengers 8211; people beginning their work week, and also a couple of students going to write their HSC examination papers.

Engrossed in a last minute revision, they did not notice the bus had halted just before the NDA security post at Chandni Chowk. But not hearing the familiar double ring of the bell, they looked up from their books, only to see a crowd gathered by the sentry8217;s tent. A closer inspection revealed a dharna of sorts, people squatting all across the road, refusing to let anybody or any vehicle to pass either way. In rapt attention they listened to their leaders as they protested against the defence ministry 8220;stalling the permission8221; for laying a pipeline to the Warje Malwadi area.

The loudspeakers, the vehemence of the speakers and the audience, the press and police posse8230; the scene got the already-tense school kids even more jittery. The driver had switched off the bus engine, the conductor said calmly they could not proceed; it was a rasta roko.

While some turned back to find ways to return to home in NDA, others negotiated with the agitators to let them proceed to work. The students hung around 8211; unsure and fidgety. Turning to persons they knew, they entreated help, 8220;Bhaiya, what do we do now? How will we go now?8221; Some were almost in tears, whispering amongst themselves. Till some of the press people and passengers decided to approach the protestors of their situation. And they in turn took the responsibility of escorting the students across to the bus-stop opposite Banjara Hills resort from where they could go on.

But those were a few minutes, the anxious students would prefer to forget, as they headed for their examination.