The bus driver looked familiar, but she couldn’t figure out how she knew him.
And then Priya was suddenly catapulted back to her school days. The bus driver was then a peon at her school headmaster’s office.
Those combative and competitive days when every day represented an opportunity to be active, alert and upbeat in an otherwise sluggish life. After all, there was only so much excitement in a railway station master’s daughter’s life.
The bus driver didn’t quite understand why Priya smiled at him.
Little did he know that he had opened up some long lost memories in her.
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This post has been written for the following prompts –
Today’s Author Write Now prompt for December 17, 2013 where the post had to include the phrase – the bus driver looked familiar, but she couldn’t figure out how she knew him
Velvet Verbosity 100 Words # 359 where the post had to include the word catapult
Three Word Wednesday 3WW CCCLVII where the post had to include the words – combative, represent, sluggish
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Verses for Introspection: 2
आहारनिद्राभयमैथुनं च सामान्यमॆतत्पशुभिर्नराणां|
धर्मो हि तॆषामधिको विशेषो धर्मॆण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः||
Aahaara-nidraa-bhaya-maithunam cha saamaanyam-ethath-pashubhir-naraanaam
Dharmo hi teshaam-adhiko vishesho dharmena heenaaha pashubhihi samaanaaha.
– Hitopadesha, 25.
Meaning:
In the matter of taking food, sleeping, fear and conjugal life there is no difference between the humans and the rest of the creatures in the world. The knowledge associated with Dharma or righteousness is what makes man different and superior to other creatures. Without the wisdom acquired by righteousness he is equal to animals.
Inspired by Swami Bhoomananda TirthaJi’s talks and satsangs.
Mahabore's Mumblings 
The story is cute. School memories are definitely for keeps.
Also the shloka is great. A nice way for me to begin the day. 🙂 Being Human!
@Kajal, thanks for the kind words regarding the post 😀 And the shloka idea was that of my wife, will add them as a regular feature to all my posts going forward 🙂
A pleasant day for Priya. The verses for introspection along with its meaning is a good start of the day. Knowledge and the ability to take a decision and further action sets humans apart from other living creatures.
@Kalpana, the entire credit for the verses for introspection goes to my wife, will make them a regular feature for all my posts 🙂
I thank you better-half for the verses which impart true gyaan.
@Kalpana, duly noted and gratitude extended to her as well 🙂
Cute one Jairam!!
Will now look forward to each morning with more gusto thanks to your inspirational verses. Great idea…keep enlightening us… 🙂
@Aditi, you can thank my wife for the verses idea, will make them a regular feature of all my posts going forward 😀
A sweet story. Old memories have the power to warm you up from the inside!
Inspiring shloka and a good series to have on your blog! 🙂
@Shilpa, thank you, and all credit to the shloka goes to my wife, will try and make it a regular addition to my blog going forward 🙂
Jairam you are a master at this. I mean weaving stories around prompts and that too three of them and still make sense.:)
I like the way you are incorporating the shlokas. I had started that last year end but then stopped it and instead used some teachings and wove around them 🙂
@Bhagyashree, thank you so much for your kind words. As for the shlokas, they are courtesy my wife who add them. Am working with her to try and make this a regular feature for all my posts 🙂
You never know what is going to trigger memories!
@Velvet Verbosity, so true 🙂
Ah! a very nice short story. Memories come back so unexpectedly.
@Diwakar, yes they do, don’t they 🙂
Nice story! You’ve tackled 3 prompts very well in one post!
Making ‘Verses for Introspection’ a regular feature would be like the daily ‘Moral Science’ class in school. Good idea!!
@Proactive Indian, the verses is my wife’s idea, and we will try and make it a regular feature on the blog 🙂
Memories revisited. Happens many a times.
The shloka clearly shows that majority of our species is equal to animals. A noble idea it is to include these shlokas for the less privileged like me. 🙂
@Rekha, yes, the funniest of things bring back some old memories, don’t they? 🙂
And the shloka idea is my wife’s. Given that she is going to be extensively travelling all of January, we might just see a small interruption in the shlokas in the next month 🙂