Things that fall into ruin gloriously have a whacky air about them, being sufficiently off-kilter to draw attention, even admiration. Any adventure story worth the paper it is printed on has to feature a structure long in disuse and falling to pieces. That is a cardinal rule of adventure-story writing — recall Enid Blyton’s masterpieces.
Delectably dilapidated, a structure on Tank Bund Road can be carted into any adventure story as a minor prop. The only hitch is that this structure is much in use. It hums to life every few minutes when a bus stops by. It is a functional MTC stopover and is called Pushpa Nagar bus stop. It sports an old brick-and-mortar shelter. The pillars and roof are weather-beaten. The paint has peeled off. The ground under the roof is anything but a flooring. The bus shelter caps off the picture of abject decrepitness with a moptop of vegetation. Weeds have been allowed a free run right on top. The bus stop is located adjacent to old TNHB flats. Among buses that pause at this stop are those headed for Mogappair, Anna Nagar, Villivakkam and surrounding areas. On August 8, 2024, when The Hindu Downtown took a look at this shelter, a commuter was waiting for a bus to Mogappair, and was seated on what was a non-seat (the pillars widen at the base to offer a form of seating) and flanked by two bikes.
Published - August 12, 2024 11:19 am IST
