8:00 pm ! I thank Dona in my mind for ending the call well before schedule and rush out of the conference room to my cube; Send in a report to my PL about the clients call, quickly shut down the system and run towards the swipe out machines. It’s been just a minute that I’ve thanked my access card for working fine at this moment that it suddenly stops responding at the turnstiles. Time to curse the facilities department for not having issued me a new access card. Fortunately the ‘beep’ finally sounds and I’m given access to the exit! Huh! The swearing continues…

All this for catching the 20:15 service. This was going to be my first day after becoming a billable software engineer to reach home early and I just didn’t want to be languishing in the food court with sparrows for another hour for the next service! and more so who’d want to work for another hour when it was not required? I just couldn’t miss the bus…

I run like crazy towards the Phase II gate as i see the Medipoint bus moving . The security at the gate totally oblivious of my pathetic situation stops me right in front of the gate. His duty .. can’t help is all i say to console myself. Thankfully the check is done quickly and he gives me a sarcastic smile hinting…Bhago! :-)

I run behind the bus and finally get a seat. Thumb on the GoGear with the plugs in my ears and in moments I’m blacked out totally.

The honk from an adjacent TT suddenly wakes me up from my slumber and I have a look at my watch by instinct. 21:15! I should have ideally reached Aundh by now. But wait , the surroundings were no close to resembling any known locality. It took just seconds for the angel to loom over my head! Damn! Just another day of Oversleeping in the bus, and it happened to be on this fateful day!

I request the bus driver to stop by the wayside and jump out. A few enquiries here and there and I realize that I’m at Senapati Bapat Road! A cool 10kms away from Aundh. :-) . Fortunately, I spot a local transport service back to Aundh. and reach at 22:15.

And..there’s something more! I boarded the wrong bus! The Medipoint bus has it’s last stop just a couple of stops away from Aundh. I would never have reached SP Road had I boarded a Medipoint bus!

I could have rather stayed back at the Food court! Would have at least reached home on time!

And by the way, Whats the word for ’ Fear of Slumber in motion’ ;-) ?