A fully paid ticketless travel

Yesterday evening, after checking up on my friend's transferred goods at the K.R Market (Bangalore), we were heading back to our apartment. Not having much luck with the auto rickshaws at rush hour, we walked quite a bit till we reached a major junction (the probability of finding an auto was much higher at this place; or atleast I thought so). As we were trying to lure an auto wala, I saw a bus approaching towards us and it seemed to be going through our place. Half hesitatingly, I enquired, if the bus goes via Shanti Nagar and the bus driver nodded in affirmative and ushered us to board the bus. Me and my friend quickly got into it, inspite of the fact that these local bus commutes never sounded appealing to me. I searched for the conductor in the crowded bus and gave him a 5 rupee coin and said "Eradu Shanti Nagar" (that is Kannada for those who don't know-the only Kannada word being "Eradu which means "two"!). The conductor gave me 2 rupees back and then gave a very sweet smile. I though that the man was really making his tiresome job a pleasurable one by smiling at people and easing out his tension. After all, how many strangers give you a nice smile in such public places? I duly acknowledged his smile. He then turned his head slightly to one side still carrying his grand smile as if his action when translated would mean, "Ah! Thanks, that is really nice of you". He brushed past me happily and went on issuing tickets to the other passengers.

Wait! "Where are my tickets? Why didn't he give me the tickets after taking the money and being very nice in his manners? " I was thinking to myself, confused as to why he did not give me the ticket. It then dawned on me suddenly, that all his nice gestures and warm smile were only to convince me that a ticket was not necessary though I had paid him the moolah. He was in the process of earning his day's share and I was probably the last of his victims for the day. I was tricked and I was the scape goat. I was embarrassed for a moment then angered and immediately calm. I tried to reconcile from my rapidly changing moods. I just exchanged surprised looks with my friend and both of us were hoping that Murphy's laws doesn't come true in the form of checking inspectors while we unboard the bus.

Now, you may ask, "Why didn't I demand for the ticket?", "Why didn't I be more assertive and aggressive when the conductor cloyingly evaded me the tickets?". I must admit, that I simply did fall prey to his mind tricks. That fake genuine smile and the pretense of a cordial gesture, caught me unaware and before I could react, he had closed the unspoken conversation. He was triumphantly moving ahead and maybe scouting for another knee-jerk passenger. Lucky for us, we did get down unscathed and I did heave a sigh of relief, thinking to myself, now that was quite an adventure for a paid ticketless travel.

I know, I have been playing innocent to the whole incident, but somehow I could not see myself going upto him and asking for the tickets. If there is a next time and such a thing repeats, I will know how to react and not be tricked. On the contrary, maybe it is because of such things that I prefer to stick to the 3 wheelers, inspite of manipulated meters, unjustified fares or simple apathy towards picking up a "savaari". And the best of all, there are no tickets to be issued in the rickshaws!