Dumb Me…!

I did something stupid this Saturday and just realized how dumb I am…! Anyone who knows me and has travelled some distance with me knows that I am direction challenged. Never do I get the right-left right… east n west are the same to me, be it anytime, day or night! This situation is heightened when I am in the train and keep wondering till the last minute which side the platform will come. But this Saturday, the blunder I committed really takes the cake…!!
Now before I narrate my bungle, let me give u a simple overview of the western Mumbai suburbs around Borivali where I live:

(Virar end) Dahisar-->Borivali-->Kandivali-->Malad-->Malwani (Andheri end)

On Saturday I had to run an errand at my bank in Kandivali. I also had a visit to the dentist due. I decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone, go to the bank and later take the bus route 207 (Malwani<-->Dahisar, via kandivali and borivali) to reach the dentist. I also took a single day bus pass of Rs.20 by virtue of which I could travel any Mumbai suburb on that day without further paying for tickets.

Work at the bank done, I crossed to the other side and immediately got a 207. Because of my pass, I didn’t have to tell the conductor where I needed to go. The bus was nearly empty. I sat at a window seat enjoying the rains outside. Surprisingly, I noticed quite a few burqa clad girls in the bus, a rarity in the borivali-kandivali area.

10 mins later I noticed that till then I had not passed any place I felt familiar. The area looked new to me. But I attributed this to my general lack of direction and the fact that I had not used this route in a long time. 20 mins down, I passed a popular Mumbai college, Atharva, which is in Malad.

I got confused… do we have to pass Malad again to get to Dahisar in 207? Common sense told me that that was not possible. Means I am in the right bus, but the wrong direction. Oops!!! I wanted to ask someone and confirm my fears, but to do so would mean a total loss of face… wont they laugh at me! Then I had a brainwave. I asked the schoolgirl sitting next to me:

Yeh bus malwani jaa rahi hai na?
Haan, 207 hai na, malwani jaayegi!

I was totally taken aback! Malwani is a known muslim ghetto (check out Chandan Arora’s recent movie ‘Striker’ set in Malwani). I started thinking what to do. I had never visited the area before and was hoping that I could get back in the right direction soon.

I got down at the very next stop, not at all sure where I was. But I crossed the road hoping a 207 for Dahisar would come soon. A few minutes of waiting later, a 207 came. I thanked my lucky stars and got in, this time sure that I had the direction right (obviously, there was no other option :-P).

I reached the dentist just in time for my appointment, thanks to the detour I took. Anyway, the incident is too embarrassing for me, hence disclosing it only on my blog… ;-) I am actually very smart, just on a few occasions do I end up making an ass of myself, so please, kissi se na kehna ki Saturday ko Sri gadhi ban gayi…!!!