Priyanka's wedding day!
I'd packed my overnighter after the morning chores and also after ensuring that the towel was reasonably dry. With the laptop slung on the left shoulder, I'd locked up the series of doors of the house before venturing out. Earlier, the caretaker of our house, had brought me a light breakfast of dosas and tea. I'd walked the short road to my cousin's house where my belongings were put into a car chauffeured by one of my nephews, Vishnuprasad on the pretext that he'd a lot to catch up with me!
The car for the bride that was tastefully decorated with flowers and five others left for the venue, on the dot at 9 AM. They'd a tryst, enroute, with a powerful goddess of the nearby temple. There were three buses that were to carry the rest of the guests and we stayed back till a quarter to 10 to ensure that all the guests had embarked on board.
The venue was about a half an hour's drive from the start point. Once the venue was reached, it's a steady stream of guests that kept trickling in and I was able to meet up with a lot of my relations after what has been a long time. The trysts were interesting and quite a few of them said things that shall remain evergreen for the times to come. Age seems to have caught up with a few but meeting them did give me a high!
Soon after the wedding, I'd taken off for the Adoor bus stand for my return journey. Appukuttan kochachan's sons and my nephews, Unni, Balu and li'l Unni took me in their car and as we sped, I'd quickly changed my dhoti and sandals with a trouser and keds, for the journey, within the cramped space of the pillion seat! The connection bus came in soon after and I'd pressed on with a change over to the weekly super fast train, 'Kochuveli - Hubli' at Chengannur which enabled me to reach Thrissur at 1815 hrs. And an hour later, I was at home narrating each and every frame of the trip to my mom who was very keen to know about "all those who'd missed her"...... and indeed, there were very many!
* * *
Varughese, headed for Hubli!
I'd an interesting tryst with a gentleman named Varughese during my journey. After boarding the train, I'd bought a snack of crispy vadas and chutney which were devoured in no time. He, who was seated opposite to me, had also gone for the same snack and at the end of it, offered me water to wash it down. He carries boiled water during journeys that catered to the requirements of his ultra sensitive throat!
He's all of 70, a native of Pathanapuram - a hamlet, near to mine - and was a permanent resident at Hubli till last year when his 97 year old father-in-law required looking after and consequently, he and his wife had shifted bag and baggage to his wife's place because six other children of the elderly gentleman were staying far, far away - two within the country and four, abroad!
Varughese was off on a day's assignment to Hubli to cater to his daughter's urgent requirement! The train, incidentally, had no pantry car and hence its passengers depended on the vendors at the stations where it halted, which were few and far between, because of it being a super fast! And therefore, I did feel touched by Varughese's generosity in offering me water that was at a premium for him and had to last the whole journey which would end tomorrow by lunch time!
Soon after, a coffee vendor came by and I'd ordered one for myself since he said that he preferred tea which I promised to fetch him when I got off at Thrissur.
And I'd got off, bought a cup of tea from the platform vendor and handed it over to the kind gentleman who'd a ten rupee note folded in his hand and insisted upon my taking it as he accepted the cup of tea with trembling hands!
I'd refused it saying that 'the glass of water that he'd offered me was much dearer than the cup of tea' and walked away........ I must admit that I felt nice!
Tailpiece.
A similar trip needs to be made on 08 Feb to attend the wedding of another nephew. Wonder how much I need to walk, to put back my tummy in, with all the rich food that I've been indulging in?
I'd packed my overnighter after the morning chores and also after ensuring that the towel was reasonably dry. With the laptop slung on the left shoulder, I'd locked up the series of doors of the house before venturing out. Earlier, the caretaker of our house, had brought me a light breakfast of dosas and tea. I'd walked the short road to my cousin's house where my belongings were put into a car chauffeured by one of my nephews, Vishnuprasad on the pretext that he'd a lot to catch up with me!
The car for the bride that was tastefully decorated with flowers and five others left for the venue, on the dot at 9 AM. They'd a tryst, enroute, with a powerful goddess of the nearby temple. There were three buses that were to carry the rest of the guests and we stayed back till a quarter to 10 to ensure that all the guests had embarked on board.
The venue was about a half an hour's drive from the start point. Once the venue was reached, it's a steady stream of guests that kept trickling in and I was able to meet up with a lot of my relations after what has been a long time. The trysts were interesting and quite a few of them said things that shall remain evergreen for the times to come. Age seems to have caught up with a few but meeting them did give me a high!
Soon after the wedding, I'd taken off for the Adoor bus stand for my return journey. Appukuttan kochachan's sons and my nephews, Unni, Balu and li'l Unni took me in their car and as we sped, I'd quickly changed my dhoti and sandals with a trouser and keds, for the journey, within the cramped space of the pillion seat! The connection bus came in soon after and I'd pressed on with a change over to the weekly super fast train, 'Kochuveli - Hubli' at Chengannur which enabled me to reach Thrissur at 1815 hrs. And an hour later, I was at home narrating each and every frame of the trip to my mom who was very keen to know about "all those who'd missed her"...... and indeed, there were very many!
* * *
Varughese, headed for Hubli!
I'd an interesting tryst with a gentleman named Varughese during my journey. After boarding the train, I'd bought a snack of crispy vadas and chutney which were devoured in no time. He, who was seated opposite to me, had also gone for the same snack and at the end of it, offered me water to wash it down. He carries boiled water during journeys that catered to the requirements of his ultra sensitive throat!
He's all of 70, a native of Pathanapuram - a hamlet, near to mine - and was a permanent resident at Hubli till last year when his 97 year old father-in-law required looking after and consequently, he and his wife had shifted bag and baggage to his wife's place because six other children of the elderly gentleman were staying far, far away - two within the country and four, abroad!
Varughese was off on a day's assignment to Hubli to cater to his daughter's urgent requirement! The train, incidentally, had no pantry car and hence its passengers depended on the vendors at the stations where it halted, which were few and far between, because of it being a super fast! And therefore, I did feel touched by Varughese's generosity in offering me water that was at a premium for him and had to last the whole journey which would end tomorrow by lunch time!
Soon after, a coffee vendor came by and I'd ordered one for myself since he said that he preferred tea which I promised to fetch him when I got off at Thrissur.
And I'd got off, bought a cup of tea from the platform vendor and handed it over to the kind gentleman who'd a ten rupee note folded in his hand and insisted upon my taking it as he accepted the cup of tea with trembling hands!
I'd refused it saying that 'the glass of water that he'd offered me was much dearer than the cup of tea' and walked away........ I must admit that I felt nice!
Tailpiece.
A similar trip needs to be made on 08 Feb to attend the wedding of another nephew. Wonder how much I need to walk, to put back my tummy in, with all the rich food that I've been indulging in?
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