Those days very few buses plied between Ranchi and Khalari. The roadway was mostly deserted, apart from the buses only few other vehicles belonging either to the colliery or the cement factory travelled. Such an empty highway was an ideal ground for robbery, though not frequent, but couldn’t be ruled out completely. In one such bus journey, Kaila- around two years younger to us, was travelling and he had his unforgettable experience.
One had to travel through hills and forest to reach Khalari, especially if coming from Ranchi. The hills covered with greenery made a pleasant spectacle through the bus windows but for an additional thrill-close to a roller coaster ride, one need to travel on the roof top. Few travelled on the rooftop by choice while several passengers had no other choice, the inside of the bus already bursting leaving the rooftop as the only option. While the view was magnificent from the top, one had to be careful and alert. Every time a low hanging branch of a tree arrived, the ones who sighted it shouted “HEAD” and the others swiftly lowering their heads as if in obeisance to the mighty branch capable of smashing the human skull like human hands did to coconuts on the feet of lord Hanuman in the “Pahari Mandir”. Few dare devils even plucked mangoes from such branches, if it was a mango season, and munched them. The wind brushed their cheeks and blew their hairs while the ones inside the bus could not even move their hands to wipe the sweat beads from their faces. Buses groaned in the curvy mountain road that circled around the range, arriving at several halts marked by nondescript tea stalls with raised bamboo benches, mostly empty and the stalls shut, where few passengers alighted and disappeared in the unpaved roads through the bushes and trees taking them to some sparsely populated villages.
Barely in his early teens, Kaila seated majestically in a window seat was witnessing the dusk which was falling rapidly. Kaila had a series of strange and unusual experiences in the recent past.
In one occasion, while having a boat ride with his parents in Varanasi, he had suddenly dived into the mighty Ganges. The timely action of the ferryman saved his life. When questioned for his strange behaviour he had retorted to the much horror of his parents “We anyways had to take bath so I thought why not jump in the middle of the river”.
In another instance, while waiting for the school bus, he suddenly started a mock fight. He raised a leg in action and fell the next moment tearing his trouser and a ligament. The other waiting students could never make out as to what suddenly came upon him.
Khalari was still an hour away when a band of brigands emerged out of their hiding from behind the bushes and flashed sharp torch lights on the bus from the front. The driver, accustomed to the modus operandi of dacoits brought the bus to a screeching halt. There were murmurs among the passengers and then soon after pin drop silence, only the slushing sound of window glasses being pulled to block the open area. Kaila was reluctant to close the window, his father seated next to him had to give him a quick slap and then only he obliged.
It was not clear as to how many brigands were there and what kind of arms they were carrying. They generally wanted only money and jewellery and didn’t want to harm passengers. And, they wanted the exploit to be quick and never wanted to be identified.
“All of you throw your wallets and jewellery if you want to escape alive” barked one of the brigands. They stomped on the metallic road with their heavy boots and banged on the body of the bus with the butt of their rifles. They flashed the torch light on the windows. The female passengers started to weep while taking out their earrings, bangles and other jewellery that they wore. The male passengers also started to take out their wallets. The few children in their mother’s lap started to wail. A commotion had started to build in the bus. Amidst this ruckus Kaila suddenly pushed the window glass and craned his neck out. ‘SMAAACK’ -Soon after a loud and tight slap landed on the fair and fleshy cheek of Kaila. This time it was not his father but one of the brigands. In the dark sky outside stars must have been sparking but Kaila saw stars inside the bus.
While this was happening a speeding jeep crossed the bus. The brigands must have sensed some risk, one for being identified by the young boy and another for the jeep which crossed. They retreated, the running boots falling on the metallic road and the torch flash going faraway towards the bushes. Once assured that the dacoits had gone the bus began the remaining journey much to the relief of the passengers.
It was only much later when the bus almost reached Khalari that a curious passenger asked Kaila with a sympathy in his tone “Beta why did you open the window and peek out”.
“I had never seen a Dacoit so wanted to see how a Dacoit uncle looks like” expounded Kaila to the amusement of the fellow passengers and much embarrassment of his father.
One may laugh at the stupidity of Kaila but it was he who foiled the armed robbery that evening. And, the smack, an indelible memory in his mind, indeed.
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