Sitting on the window seat of the Kaniyakumari express after a rushed up presentation at college, and a hurried travel to dadar, my mind just went numb, perhaps for the first time. In a week or so I have sat unmoved for an hour (or so) at a place, the time till then had been sprinting thru exams, farewell parties and what not, shifting the luggage to the hostel... hooray, it was a different feeling when our (402, agnishamandal apartments) names was officially listed in the notice at the hostel office, one year of endless errands perhaps will come to a meaningful stay next year..
Hmm, back to the train journey, kurla came n went, and left me wondering about the length of the platform, the same place where, I used to wait for the harbour line to go back home from fieldwork (what the heck...mumbai central), and then vikhroli, looking at the tall towers and envying of the godrej’s employees ( good engagement na ! – having homes in the campus) and the travel when Furqan was at hospital, and then mulund – Ann.. st Ann flashed into my mind, and so did Sudheer – whom am yet to meet after a stay of year in Mumbai and discuss all about F1.. These thoughts flash as the train runs faster n faster. “I came to Mumbai alone, going back alone... as we do with the world (too much of cliché right!!) … and finally comes Kalyan ( oops Kalyan Jn), only to see hordes of people detrain the compartments ( for a moment it was like another local). Later I found out why people took these long distance ones to Kalyan – it acted like another superfast local!! Without any stops and at no-crowd! – Clever people eh…………….
The thoughts of travel reimbursement tempted me to get the ticket upgraded to AC and were happy to find the whole coupe empty! It was now the time to open “The Kite runner”- the book read by my roomies and one of international acclaim. The beginning was difficult and then was reassured by baba over fone that the going will be just great, ending at a crescendo of emotion and emptiness, lets see if it comes... but Pune came in a while , and also brought a family of 4 and a kid – Mokshu into my coupe . Nothing much was worth remarking out except for the fact that I wondered how much grandparents love their progeny’s progeny (if am supposed to use that word). Mokshu (seems to be around 3 yrs or so) was constantly cuddled, joked, at times bullied by his daadu – a good engagement at his twilight years.
Once after reaching home after a full days travel, I found home at war front- the preparations for a formal feast commemorating my dad’s successful haj ( generally its given before the travel to wish luck). The venue was gurramkonda, a small mandal with say 10K odd inhabitants and a history running back to the last of the sultans – Tippu Sultan.
On the lines of an old habit, I went to Tope’s (yes, means a “cannon ball”- Liaqat) shop, to check out his new stationery and pens (wow). He as usual looked interested about my future ( if it existed !) and was talking about doubling or rather trebling his business- I was wrong if I was looking it was his good old stationery store. No, he meant his real venture – the wonder of direct marketing – the American way – Amway.
Hmm, back to the train journey, kurla came n went, and left me wondering about the length of the platform, the same place where, I used to wait for the harbour line to go back home from fieldwork (what the heck...mumbai central), and then vikhroli, looking at the tall towers and envying of the godrej’s employees ( good engagement na ! – having homes in the campus) and the travel when Furqan was at hospital, and then mulund – Ann.. st Ann flashed into my mind, and so did Sudheer – whom am yet to meet after a stay of year in Mumbai and discuss all about F1.. These thoughts flash as the train runs faster n faster. “I came to Mumbai alone, going back alone... as we do with the world (too much of cliché right!!) … and finally comes Kalyan ( oops Kalyan Jn), only to see hordes of people detrain the compartments ( for a moment it was like another local). Later I found out why people took these long distance ones to Kalyan – it acted like another superfast local!! Without any stops and at no-crowd! – Clever people eh…………….
The thoughts of travel reimbursement tempted me to get the ticket upgraded to AC and were happy to find the whole coupe empty! It was now the time to open “The Kite runner”- the book read by my roomies and one of international acclaim. The beginning was difficult and then was reassured by baba over fone that the going will be just great, ending at a crescendo of emotion and emptiness, lets see if it comes... but Pune came in a while , and also brought a family of 4 and a kid – Mokshu into my coupe . Nothing much was worth remarking out except for the fact that I wondered how much grandparents love their progeny’s progeny (if am supposed to use that word). Mokshu (seems to be around 3 yrs or so) was constantly cuddled, joked, at times bullied by his daadu – a good engagement at his twilight years.
Once after reaching home after a full days travel, I found home at war front- the preparations for a formal feast commemorating my dad’s successful haj ( generally its given before the travel to wish luck). The venue was gurramkonda, a small mandal with say 10K odd inhabitants and a history running back to the last of the sultans – Tippu Sultan.
On the lines of an old habit, I went to Tope’s (yes, means a “cannon ball”- Liaqat) shop, to check out his new stationery and pens (wow). He as usual looked interested about my future ( if it existed !) and was talking about doubling or rather trebling his business- I was wrong if I was looking it was his good old stationery store. No, he meant his real venture – the wonder of direct marketing – the American way – Amway.
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