Long back, I, a 13-year-old with twelve other younger kids was stranded outside a deserted school.
Our private bus didn’t reach the school to pick us up. Our homes were 30km away. Panic started to build like a serpent in my gut.
And then I made a decision that later changed my life forever.

My father got a posting at Musafirkhana (a very small town in Sultanpur district) and as we were familiar with KV Jagdishpur, we took admission there. It was 30 km away from our home.

This 30 km commute was done via a TATA 407 which used to pick up and drop 13-14 kids.
We were a bunch of 13 kids from class 1st to 8th. I was the eldest. We all would sit at the back, either play antakshari or some other game, crack jokes, or sleep. Life was all sorted until one day..

One day, in the evening, the bus didn’t turn up. We kept on waiting for almost half an hour but nothing happened. As the school was in the BHEL compound, all kids and teachers left it for their homes and it was deserted.

I being the eldest, everyone was looking at me. I decided something. But it could have jeopardized the safety of all kids. I still went ahead.

BHEL bus stand was roughly 1km from our school. I made groups and assigned an elder member to hold the hand of a younger kid. And then we started walking. We reached the bus stand but were still skeptical.

Finally, a UP roadways bus came and stopped. We all boarded the bus for the 1st time in our lives without any adult supervision. I was scared like hell but had to keep a brave face on.
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Once we boarded, I took a sigh of relief. But it was short-lived. The conductor, who was expecting a routine check after a few km, asked to get the tickets done for anyone who is above 5. None of the kids had money.

Except for me and my brother.

Thankfully, every year, my mom would give both of us Rs.20 to keep inside the cover of 1 book. It was always for such kinds of contingencies.

I got the tickets done for everyone eligible. But there was still a problem that need to be dealt with.

Small kids can’t stand for 30 km. Few kind passengers accommodated younger ones and for a few, I had to request. By the time we all got space, the home was still 20 km away.

The minute I saw the Musafirkhana bus stand, my joy knew no bounds. But one last task is going to be tricky.

I had to ensure that everyone reached home safely.

But there was one issue. While the rest of the kids were aware of the route, a 7-year-old who recently shifted to town having Telugu as his mother tongue didn’t know the route.

Thankfully he remembered his landline no. I called his mom from PCO and understood the route. Then I did rickshaws for everyone, explained routes to the Rickshaw paddlers, and instructed the kids to call me.

Soon, I got confirmation calls from everyone. It was a huge achievement for me and was appreciated by the parents of all kids.

I learned the importance of taking initiative, execution, and responsibility.