From High Scores to Hot Meatballs... A day that ended on a positive note!

I don't know who Zahra is, but this is my highest score in Fruit Ninja—a game where you slash fruits. Interestingly, I've never played it on mobile before. Thanks to traveling by public transport, we were provided with an LCD screen, a selection of movies, books, and video games. I didn't have my own headphones and didn't want to use the public ones for hygiene reasons. So, on a three-hour journey, my only option was these games. Reading was out of the question due to my intense motion sickness.

I played some of the games and got a little competitive with my eldest, who was also traveling with me. I ended up making two high scores. I didn't know how to change the username and wasn't interested in doing so anyway.

Picture this: I'm on this long bus ride, totally bored out of my mind. Then I spot this tiny LCD screen with video games. Score! With nothing else to do, I go all in. Suddenly, the bus isn't just a bus—it's my personal gaming arena. I'm dodging obstacles, beating levels, and totally crushing it. The ride goes from dull to epic, and before I know it, we're at our destination. Best bus trip ever!

Lol, stop picturing it because it was nothing like this picture:

• It was a smooth ride. We have one of the best motorways in Pakistan.

• It was not a particularly long ride.

• I wasn't bored at all! There were so many interesting passengers...

• It wasn't the best bus trip ever. I mean, it was okay.

• The ride itself was fine, except for the waiting part.

But yes, I made two best scores purely by chance and beat a long list of previous players. It's only less distinguished because the player name was still Zahra... Only I knew it was Maan who made the best scores. Or maybe my daughter who was sitting right beside me and was totally indifferent to my gaming skills and was also totally unimpressed. Kids these days!

So, yeah, picture it again: it was quite an adventure, and not your typical travel experience! First off, the wait.

It started an hour before departure. I was told 5 PM, but the bus wasn't leaving until 5:30 PM. To make things even more interesting, the bus decided to make an extra stop just 20 minutes into the journey.

Then, upon arrival, my father-in-law came to pick me up. Our city is practically a construction zone right now, so he had to take not one, but two detours (he became lost in the web of puzzles) before he finally reached the bus station. And get this—we ended up waiting for 45 minutes at the bus stand. The weather wasn't too bad, but with all the bus exhaust, it felt like we were in a giant oven!

No, I didn't take any pictures. It was not worth it! I was drenched in sweat. The hand carry was becoming heavier with every passing minute. And me and daughter had no where to sit!

Okay! I did take a photo, but it was of two buses that had just arrived at the bus station. No idea why I felt like capturing them. The eye roll from my daughter convinced me to put the camera away. Honestly, I didn’t feel like taking more photos anyway—the heat was killing me!

Upon arrival, I was greeted with the best meal from my mother-in-law: piping hot meatballs with white rice. Two of my kids were already there, and my son had come to pick me up with his grandfather. It was a day well-ended. As I lay in bed that night, I thanked the Almighty for the luxury of having our own conveyance. You can't imagine how lucky you are until you're deprived of it.