New behaviours

I haven't seen anyone I know in a while. It's been four days since I did, and it feels like months.
I arrived in Hoshangabad, a village 2 hours away from Bhopal on a hot, sweaty day in the beginning of May.
I slept on the bus, and only awoke to find that the driver was asking me a question. Seated a foot away from him, I could hear him quite clearly before my eyes opened.
Oh no, I thought. I've done it again.

"Where do you want to go?" he seemed to be saying.
"Hoshgangabad", I replied slowly.
"arey madam. This is toh Itarsi! I thought you were awake when we crossed Hoshangabad! Yeh toh mere (and here he used a beautiful Urdu word, which means 'attention') zehen mein hi nahin raha"
"Oh, theeke bhaiyya, thank you", I heard myself say as I stumbled off the sticky bus.
As I walked a little into the Itarsi bus stop, I noticed that the driver had gotten off with me, and now, without touching me, seemed to be steering me towards a bus that would take me back.

As a spotted one and climbed onto it, he screamed to the conductor inside-
"Arey bhai, this madam was in my bus, she slept on her way to Hoshangabad, and has now reached here, Itarsi. Please take her there, aur haan, unse ticket mat katvana !" (don't take a ticket from her!)

This bus was stickier than the last, the people more irritated, the time of day hotter, but would you believe me if I told you that they didn't take a ticket from me?

It was the coolest ride ever.