Every day Reva would leave home early, for the nearest bus stop to her home in the village. There were only a few buses that went to the neighbouring city where Reva had a job. Missing the one in the morning usually meant a long and brisk walk to another bus stop on the other side. No bus that could help Reva reach her destination stopped there, but there was an auto stand nearby.
But Reva preferred this bus stop near her home. At this time of day there weren’t many people around there. Apart from being near, the bus stop also had a sense of peace and calmness waiting for those who came here. There was an open field on the other side of the road, with trees huddled together that could be seen from afar. On a comfortable day, the passing breeze could cradle one to sleep.
Not many people took the first bus in the morning. There actually used to be three including Reva, the other two were Kalpana, a few years elder to Reva, she married and went away to another city to live with her husband and then there was Mr Ghai. He retired a few months back. There was a tea stall near it that opened early in the morning, the owner did not speak much, but had a kind smile.
Mr Ghai would still come by almost every morning and Reva would find him sitting at the bus stop with a cup of tea. He said he had made it a part of his morning walk, but Reva knew he just came to check on her.
“One day, they will have to send more buses. There will be more people. I see all those bright young children running to school every day, a lot more than before,” Mr Ghai said and he would often say things of such nature, thinking of a bright future for the village and Reva would smile, envisioning some of that thought in her mind.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 
One response to “That Morning Thought”
Very nice.
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