"Silence is golden" - Wish some people understood this..

So I'm a frequent traveler between Hassan and Bangalore and the Club Class Airavat (Bus) is my preferred mode of transport.. It certainly burns a hole in the pocket because a regular non stop 'kempu' bus ticket would cost jus 200..but then I would have to meet a lot of unpleasant people on the kempu bus and endure their company for a good 4 hours on an uncomfortable bus ride.. Hence the journeys on the "more expensive but comfortable and free from clowns" Airavat..

Normally I spend the journey time trying to catch up on sleep/listening to music/playing Candy crush (Oh yes! I'm still addicted to that game.. lol).. On one such journey a lady happened to be sitting beside me.. I was answering an official call.. Just as I hung up she turned towards me and struck up a conversation with me.. Now all you people who know me closely know how much I hate small talk...and what I hate more is when strangers sitting next to me in the bus, try to start a conversation with me..

Anyway, I answered her questions in mono syllables hoping she would get the hint that I'm not interested in a conversation with her and by extension not interested in "getting to know" her.. But she just wasn't letting go and went on to tell me all about herself.. blah blah blah.. Oh God! I just wanted her to shut up.. You get the dilemma I'm in.. she's trying her best to be my new best friend but she's not my best friend so I can't openly tell her to shut up.. And so I give her my fake smile and pretend to listen to her while she's telling me about her career and other details about herself.. Fortunately for me she got a call and she proceeded to answer it.. Seeing her talent for endless chatter, I thought the phone call would keep her busy for an hour atleast and away from me.. Just to be safe I plugged in my ear phones and started listening to music..

Contrary to what I expected, her phone call didn't last long.. and hence her thirst for conversation was not quenched.. anyway since I was listening to music on my earphones I was confident she wouldn't try to talk to me.. Just to ensure she didn't try to initiate a conversation, I pretended to be asleep.. A few minutes later I feel someone tapping my arm.. I open my eyes and Ms Chatterbox is asking me something.. Grr! I was so annoyed.. I believe that the earphones are the best device to avoid any human interaction in public places.. It's the universally accepted " Do not disturb" sign.. but my travel companion totally chooses to ignore the sign and taps my arm.. I removed my earphones from my ears and turned to her.. and again she began asking me questions to which I gave short, curt replies.. She finally understood I'm not in the mood for conversation.. Anyway we had already reached the destination and she got off the bus.. Fortunately she did not insist on exchanging phone numbers.. It's probably because I didn't disclose to her that I work in a bank.. Anyway I thought "good riddance" and forgot about her and went about my life..

Last week I travelled to Bangalore.. I got into the bus and found my seat and kept my luggage on the overhead rack..I was waiting for the bus to start when a lady walks up to me and says "Excuse me..This is my seat".. I make way for her to sit in the next to me.. I usually don't notice people and hence have a difficult time recognising people whom I've met just once.. I felt that this lady looked familiar but I couldn't place her.. It was only when she sat next to me and gave me her broad "So we meet again" smile, did I realise that the next 4 hours are going to be longest 4 hours of my life..

I quickly plugged in my earphones.. But to no avail.. Ms Chatterbox was determined to break down the ice and have a meaningful conversation with me.. I decided to give her the cold shoulder and answered her questions in mono syllables.. fortunately for me a couple of my friends called me so I spent some time on the phone.. but as soon as I hung up Ms Chatterbox was waiting for me.. and again I began answering her questions as curtly as possible.. Now don't get me wrong.. I'm a fantastic conversationalist.. And my wit and humour can give the best stand up comedians a run for their money.. But I choose to have these fun conversations with people close to me/ people whom I'm comfortable with.. anyway Ms Chatterbox finally pins me to a corner and makes me divulge information about me like where I work and in what capacity..

Before getting down she says " I don't know your name".. I'm tempted to reply with "It's because I don't want you to know my name".. But out of courtesy I tell her my name.. and she tells me hers and again out of courtesy I tell her "It was nice to meet you".. She happily gets off the bus..

I've decided if I meet her in the bus again and if she initiates a conversation with me again, I'm going to ask her for her credit card no and PIN.. Hopefully that will shut her up and make her realise that "Silence is golden"..

P.S - No Bank Official ever asks for Debit Card/Credit Card/Internet Banking passwords.. If a Bank official DOES ask you for these details you're probably trying to make unwanted conversation with them and he/she probably just wants you to shut up..;-)