After a long while, I got up this morning at 6 without any gaps in the sleep as had been happening over the past few days! I felt quite peppy at going back to Guruvayur, wonder why, because I've been immersed with work over the last fortnight and had enjoyed every bit of it. Did my packing and went through the morning chores and was ready by a half past 8.
It was then that Manu had called up, saying that his grandfather was in the ICU of the Medical College Hospital because of complications rising out of the viral fever that he'd contracted and could he be spared of coming home to pick me up? He'd report for duty, in time, to drop me at the station he said. So, I drove to the office through pitter patter rain and Chambu had accompanied me. Incidentally, this morning he'd shown me a few exercises to tone up my prostate - damn sweet of him! His advice, "Chetta, at this age you must take care of that particular part of your body or it can give you problems", like a seasoned medical expert! Damn sweet of him and I've noticed that he's fond of me!!
On reaching the office, I'd once again run through my check offs viz.:-
(a) The oral invites for this afternoon's 'Aazhchakkoottam'. Padmakumar was already at it.
(b) The return of Rs.500/- that I'd taken, as loan, from Lekha last evening and
(c) A hard copy of the quiz competition question bank on Maman's table as he'd desired.
All too soon, it was time for me to leave and Aji - Manu had, still, not fetched up - drove me to the station. The train was to come on the third platform, the coach that I was reserved in was 19th from the engine and hence, I'd a long trudge which I didn't mind because there was sufficient time at hand. Had picked up a couple of magazines and the day's Indian Express for reading on passage. The Kerala Express, bound for New Delhi, left Thiruvananthapuram about 7' late but it maintained its time all through.
Since the coach I was in, had its reservation quota from Palakkad, it was comparatively empty and the journey was uneventful. Had an egg biriyani for lunch and it was nice - I think, the food standards are better, these days, in the railways!
It was rains, rains and rains all through the passage. I'd rung up George for his taxi but he talked of traffic snarls on the Thrissur-Guruvayur stretch. On getting down at the railway station, therefore, I'd hired an auto rickshaw from the traffic booth across its main entrance. Sudheesh, a lad of 20, was the driver and he was a decent soul. There were two stretches - Puzhakkal and Kecherry - where we'd to wait but the interruptions weren't that long.
I was at 'The Quarterdeck' by a quarter to 7, exactly after a fortnight I'd left it. Wonder why I got this impression that I'd been away for a long time. Probably, it was because of the numerous things that had happened and the large number of people that I'd interacted with during the period, that gave me the feeling.
Tailpiece.
Unpacking was over in a jiffy and soon, we're in front of the television set watching our favourite programmes. And yes, we did exchange notes!
It was then that Manu had called up, saying that his grandfather was in the ICU of the Medical College Hospital because of complications rising out of the viral fever that he'd contracted and could he be spared of coming home to pick me up? He'd report for duty, in time, to drop me at the station he said. So, I drove to the office through pitter patter rain and Chambu had accompanied me. Incidentally, this morning he'd shown me a few exercises to tone up my prostate - damn sweet of him! His advice, "Chetta, at this age you must take care of that particular part of your body or it can give you problems", like a seasoned medical expert! Damn sweet of him and I've noticed that he's fond of me!!
On reaching the office, I'd once again run through my check offs viz.:-
(a) The oral invites for this afternoon's 'Aazhchakkoottam'. Padmakumar was already at it.
(b) The return of Rs.500/- that I'd taken, as loan, from Lekha last evening and
(c) A hard copy of the quiz competition question bank on Maman's table as he'd desired.
All too soon, it was time for me to leave and Aji - Manu had, still, not fetched up - drove me to the station. The train was to come on the third platform, the coach that I was reserved in was 19th from the engine and hence, I'd a long trudge which I didn't mind because there was sufficient time at hand. Had picked up a couple of magazines and the day's Indian Express for reading on passage. The Kerala Express, bound for New Delhi, left Thiruvananthapuram about 7' late but it maintained its time all through.
Since the coach I was in, had its reservation quota from Palakkad, it was comparatively empty and the journey was uneventful. Had an egg biriyani for lunch and it was nice - I think, the food standards are better, these days, in the railways!
It was rains, rains and rains all through the passage. I'd rung up George for his taxi but he talked of traffic snarls on the Thrissur-Guruvayur stretch. On getting down at the railway station, therefore, I'd hired an auto rickshaw from the traffic booth across its main entrance. Sudheesh, a lad of 20, was the driver and he was a decent soul. There were two stretches - Puzhakkal and Kecherry - where we'd to wait but the interruptions weren't that long.
I was at 'The Quarterdeck' by a quarter to 7, exactly after a fortnight I'd left it. Wonder why I got this impression that I'd been away for a long time. Probably, it was because of the numerous things that had happened and the large number of people that I'd interacted with during the period, that gave me the feeling.
Tailpiece.
Unpacking was over in a jiffy and soon, we're in front of the television set watching our favourite programmes. And yes, we did exchange notes!
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