I wanted to have a short nap after that helluva journey and headed to what I used to proudly call "my room" .It was defaced without an inch being spared and I was shocked to see that.A few months back SRK,Madhavan,Harry Potter,Brett Lee,Backstreet Boys etc used to stare at me and now my sister probably decided that I needed some change and decorated it with teddy bears,greeting cards and also some radium stickers!I no longer call it my room lest people have wrong notions about my interests and sexual orientation.So my room in my house is practically dead.
Picture this-You are sitting in a jewellery shop with only women around on a Sunday and the saleswoman eager to show out variety stuff and the customer doubly eager to try it out.Add a heavy lunch to the above scenario!Boredom,ennui,irritation and sleep!There was no one to even "put sight" and I had a tough time keeping sleep at bay.This shopping affair was after a distant relative's marriage which i attended for the obvious things-food,meeting cousins and you-know-what!The purpose of attending it was fully served in all senses and I was yapping non stop with my cousin.I made sure I went in early in order to have both breakfast and lunch.The rest of the day was spent in catching up with a few old friends.
Diwali,for which I had gone home, was simply great.After the traditional oil bath and bursting crackers before dawn we went to a temple and I followed it up with a visit to another friend's house.Then it was the usual wishing,meeting relatives,lunch,sleep etc .I spent the entire night bursting crackers with friends and family after a gap of 5 yrs.Bursting after 10 pm is illegal but who cares!Parents being with banks does help on the sweets count as we get many complimentary festive season sweet boxes.I devoured the sweets and savouries and I am surely going to have an extra inch of flab around my tummy.
My train to Chennai, which was on Wednesday was cancelled due to the floods and I decided to peacefully return on Sunday.I watched almost every ball of the Ind-SL matches which were being played that week and it has been a while since I had done that.My mom,needless to say,cooked some of my favourite dishes and stuff which i dont get to eat back in hostel.I hogged every bit of it.I also downed piping hot filter coffee daily{Yaa the Tam that I am,I love coffee} which is awful in our mess.I checked out a stupid sidey Hindi flick and a "once watchable" Telugu movie called Chatrapati with the "countriest" of crowds possible and IMO this is the way a movie ought to be watched.
It was a nice break from the monotonous life and homecoming was a kinda rejuvenation camp.The brief sojourn ended as I returned to Chennai on Sunday by bus.Guess what!It was raining cats and dogs when I landed in Chennai.Rain was my constant companion everywhere and if there is a drought anywhere now you know what to do!!!!!
Monday, November 14, 2005
Friday, November 11, 2005
IN THE LAND OF BIRYANI-1
Prologue:
It was slightly dark in the evening and there was a chill in the air.A phone call at 4 pm brought about a lump in the throat.He hurriedly scampered out of his room to inform his friends about the shattering message he received.Their plans were in jeopardy.The chilly atmosphere and wet weather could not prevent sweat droplets on the brow.Then followed a spate of phone calls and the 3 guys set out, braving the rain and the abominable weather.With a prayer on the lips,hope in the hearts and anxiety writ large on the faces they entered the place which was swarming with over thousand people.A small enquiry generated smiles on the faces and the 3 guys were elated and it was normal again.
Wondering what this is all about? OK i give it away.The phone call was from the Call Taxi bastard,supposed to come at 4pm, who called up at 3.55pm to say that his taxi brokedown and told us to look out for alternate means.The place-Chennai Central.Most of the trains were cancelled that day and the small enquiry with the help desk said that our train to Hyd was leaving on time and hence the happiness!
The train journey was not comfortable.The train pulled out of the station on time.The start was full of jerks akin to what you experience if you release the clutch lever in an instant after applying the first gear in a vehicle.Every time the train slowed down,it generated huge no. of jerks.Only after 2 hours or so did the train pick up full speed but with infinite no of stops at every arbit station.The only consolation was that it was a new bogie and so the berths,seats,lights etc were good.There were also a couple of good looking females but had to crane the necks and change the seat for a better view to watch them and so i gave up.5 of us in 3 seats did not help either!
It was 9 pm and we began to experience those hunger pangs.Little did we know that food would be the biggest problem in a train journey.I hog every small bit of junk that comes my way in the train but this time much to everybody's chagrin there were no vendors and thus began the vendor hunt.All the people looked out eagerly with high hopes at every station for the food outlets but the incessant rain all along the journey led to their closure.We survived on biscuits,chips and cool drinks that night.
I was immersed in Deception Point and thanks to Dan Brown the night passed away quickly ,which would have been a nightmare otherwise.The next morning was also similar and there was a huge clamour for breakfast at every station.It was exactly like a refugee camp where people jostled and pushed aside others for food packets thrown from helicopters!We got our first taste of proper food at 11am and inspite of the small quanitity it was one of the most satisfying meals in the recent times .Our train got delayed due to floods along coastal Andhra and reached Hyderabad after a cool 8 hours delay at 3pm.
I was greeted by rains once again in Hyd .That day was marred by accidents and destruction.In a few hours we got the news that shook the nation-the Delhi blasts and the train accident in Nalgonda which left more than 130 dead.The accident was one of the reasons for the delay and i thanked God profusely for being fortunate enough to escape such disasters as I myself was travelling through a rain ravaged route.
It was slightly dark in the evening and there was a chill in the air.A phone call at 4 pm brought about a lump in the throat.He hurriedly scampered out of his room to inform his friends about the shattering message he received.Their plans were in jeopardy.The chilly atmosphere and wet weather could not prevent sweat droplets on the brow.Then followed a spate of phone calls and the 3 guys set out, braving the rain and the abominable weather.With a prayer on the lips,hope in the hearts and anxiety writ large on the faces they entered the place which was swarming with over thousand people.A small enquiry generated smiles on the faces and the 3 guys were elated and it was normal again.
Wondering what this is all about? OK i give it away.The phone call was from the Call Taxi bastard,supposed to come at 4pm, who called up at 3.55pm to say that his taxi brokedown and told us to look out for alternate means.The place-Chennai Central.Most of the trains were cancelled that day and the small enquiry with the help desk said that our train to Hyd was leaving on time and hence the happiness!
The train journey was not comfortable.The train pulled out of the station on time.The start was full of jerks akin to what you experience if you release the clutch lever in an instant after applying the first gear in a vehicle.Every time the train slowed down,it generated huge no. of jerks.Only after 2 hours or so did the train pick up full speed but with infinite no of stops at every arbit station.The only consolation was that it was a new bogie and so the berths,seats,lights etc were good.There were also a couple of good looking females but had to crane the necks and change the seat for a better view to watch them and so i gave up.5 of us in 3 seats did not help either!
It was 9 pm and we began to experience those hunger pangs.Little did we know that food would be the biggest problem in a train journey.I hog every small bit of junk that comes my way in the train but this time much to everybody's chagrin there were no vendors and thus began the vendor hunt.All the people looked out eagerly with high hopes at every station for the food outlets but the incessant rain all along the journey led to their closure.We survived on biscuits,chips and cool drinks that night.
I was immersed in Deception Point and thanks to Dan Brown the night passed away quickly ,which would have been a nightmare otherwise.The next morning was also similar and there was a huge clamour for breakfast at every station.It was exactly like a refugee camp where people jostled and pushed aside others for food packets thrown from helicopters!We got our first taste of proper food at 11am and inspite of the small quanitity it was one of the most satisfying meals in the recent times .Our train got delayed due to floods along coastal Andhra and reached Hyderabad after a cool 8 hours delay at 3pm.
I was greeted by rains once again in Hyd .That day was marred by accidents and destruction.In a few hours we got the news that shook the nation-the Delhi blasts and the train accident in Nalgonda which left more than 130 dead.The accident was one of the reasons for the delay and i thanked God profusely for being fortunate enough to escape such disasters as I myself was travelling through a rain ravaged route.
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