Rajiv unfolded his ticket one last time. The pink copy was smeared, the ink had bled from the humidity, and the edges were soft from the sweat in his pocket. It was ruined. Useless.

Users are advised to print e-tickets immediately after booking to avoid last-minute issues.

He tucked it into the crack of a stone wall near the temple gate. A small, silent offering to a machine that never asked for a password, a login, or a digital signature. It only asked for sixty-three rupees and a place to go.

With his ticket in hand, Rohan proceeded to board the bus. As he entered the bus, he showed his ticket to the conductor, who verified the ticket details using a handheld ticket validator. The validator scanned the QR code and checked the ticket number against the GSRTC's database.

After verifying the ticket, the conductor welcomed Rohan aboard and directed him to his seat. Rohan settled into his seat, feeling comfortable and relaxed, and the bus began its journey to Vadodara.