3 minutes

Screeching noise of the wheels and I woke up. It was a small nap and I was feeling very tired. FM RJ was talking about a new game show; other vehicles were honking from behind. Total chaos on the road and the counter showed 180 at the red signal. The other parallel road was still running. One hand came out of a Mahindra Scorpio and threw one burning stub of cigarette out of the window, on the running road. It was a nice breeze outside the bus and I was wishing for some drops of rains also. And here the radio station started playing “Nothing else matters”. The other person sitting beside me is still in the same world from where I woke up just now. His head was bending towards the front seat and tie hanging like a pendulum. It reminds me of the branches hanging freely from Banyan tree, which was my resort for my summer vacations. Mean while the counter reached 170 and I saw the cigarette butt is still glowing, lying freely on the dark road. Two cars passed by and both went over it. It moved slightly from it position towards the drainage area on the roadside. Two labors were sitting there, their knees folded, back making an arc shape, hands crossed over the knees, eyes on the fly over bridge and talking vaguely. It seems that they were discussing about work left to construct the bridge. See the irony, when they want to finish this work as soon as possible and also want to continue as paid labors. They saw the cigarette butt and smiled. Only they knew if their smile meant for their good luck or they were smiling at the cigarette’s. One of them started to pick up the cigarette. Suddenly one truck arrived and he had to go back. Because it blew wind fast enough, the cigarette butt again moved to the middle of the road in front of a car. The labor moved back cursing the truck driver (might be his luck also).

“So close, no matter how far
couldn’t be much more from the heart”.

And again the cigarette butt was under the open sky. The signal counter was showing 100.

Two small kids in torn clothes were trying to sell the Indian flag to one Honda City driver. The car owner, on the back seat, was talking on his mobile, waving his hand like a perfect ballet dancer and trying to look over the vehicles standing in front of his car. The small kid knocked the window and driver tries to keep straight first and then scolded the kid. The kid was still not intimidated and forced the driver to buy one. The car owner could only see the moving lips of the kid. He patted on the driver’s back and gave him 10 Rs form his wallet full of credit cards. Driver stretched his hand, saw the brand new note, mumbled something and gave it to the kid. The kid asked driver if he can put the flag on the vehicle, driver again looked at the owner and got a nod form him. The kid this time did not even look at the driver and put the stem on the bumper of the car.

“Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say”

The kid saw the burning cigarette butt lying there in front of the car and kicked it, as if he was waving the flag on Lal Qila and could not bear a small trash there. Still the cigarette was glowing but dimly. Signal counter was at 30.

Rain drops started falling from the hands of God. Every one was feeling anxious now in the bus. Even my co-passenger was rubbing his eyes and changing his position. People were resting their necks on the seat-head, all the opened books were closed or half closed but the girls were still on their mobile. I stretched out my hand outside the window. Any drop could end the dim light of cigarette stub. I felt to go outside and to give it a shelter. Outside, Bikers were taking all circus kind of turns and moving between cars and buses, people were crossing road in hurry and traffic controller was yelling at full volume. Traffic started moving as the counter showed 10 and cigarette stub was under a danger of being crushed down by any vehicle. My bus also started moving. My eyes were still on the dim orange light saying slowly in my ears again and again

“Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters”