A Love-tale in Lovedale.

Part 3: Off to Lovedale

The next day, early in the morning around 5 AM, Arya boarded a bus from Coimbatore to Ooty, which will go through Lovedale.

Although he has visited Ooty/Lovedale a lot of times, this time was different for him and he felt some kind of an excitement in him this time around. And sitting on a window seat, listening to his favourite playlist, and watching the outside world move while travelling in the bus was just a blissful addition to his excitement and he eventually fell asleep listening to songs.

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After an hour or so, the bus had gone past Mettupalayam & was about to start climbing the Nilgiri hills which has 14 hair-pin bends in it.

He got up just when the bus turned into the first hair pin bend, and he was welcomed by the chill & fresh breeze of the Nilgiris. It was a nice way to wake up from his nap for Arya.

After the second bend, the bus stopped at Burliyar for a few minutes, where there are a lot of food & snack shops along the hill road. The early morning buses usually stop there for a quick tea break for the driver and the passengers.

Arya got out of the bus to capture some pictures of the scenic hill-view & the Nilgiri monkeys along the road.
As he was drown into those beautiful moments, he forgot about the bus & when he returned the bus had left the place.

Thankfully he got down carrying his back pack with at least. However, he still had 30 - 35 kms of journey left & he had to take some other bus.

Meanwhile, a vegetable truck driver stopped in there, to drop some vegetables & the rest to be delivered in Ooty. But the truck driver had no helper along with him that day & asked Arya to lend his hand.

After dropping those loads, Arya asked for a return help to drop him at Lovedale, for which the truck driver agreed.

40 - 45 mins later, the truck driver dropped him at Lovedale Railway station, just opposite to Dharshan's book shop. To his surprise it was open very early in the morning.

"Thanks na.." said Arya to the driver.

"Paravala thambi" replied the driver raising his hand. (It's fine brother).

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Meanwhile, Dharshan saw him getting down from the vegetable truck & came out to receive him with a mocking smile.

"Bro.. you hitch hiked all the way to save some money it seems?" Dharshan mockingly asked Arya.

"Don't get me started now. I missed my bus when I got down in Burliyar & then I got help from this truck driver and reached here", Arya explained with tiredness on his face. And he just went into the shop & laid on the couch in the entrance. Later they both went home.

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