I sank into my bed in my room, i looked up at the lord Ganesha's pic. I was still not able to digest that i had just got into the biggest schools of engineering, also got into neck deep trouble. i told myself "idliangam suthi suthi adikaporange da vne" sub titles "idliangam those northies are going to have you for breakfast,lunch and dinner. I would be their 24X7 entertainment channel. Appa called me for dinner, but all these sudden happening's around me had somehow robbed me of my hunger. i settled down for a glass of milk and got into bed.
Appa had got the tickets booked for delhi, this was the first time i was going out of Madurai. My heart sank, far away from home, away from Appa, my friends, and "Rice" :'( . Being a resident of the southern part of the country, love for rice comes all but naturally to me. I still remember when i used to ask my grandma, whats for breakfast paati "grandma in Tamil", she would say with pride "Pongal and Gothsu" Pongal is a rice item made with equal measure of Dal and Gothsu, well it is a type of sambar, people from chennai and southern part might have their mouths watering at this deadly combination, this combination would give even the strongest sleeping pills a tough competition. I remember the days that i would struggle to stay awake after gorging on Pongal.
It was time to leave, Appa called me up saying "Beta" take Amma and the god's blessing. Yeah my amma is no more it has been 2 years, she was fighting brain tumor. I had found it very difficult to cope with her loss, So much so that it took me into depression. i was always jovial, i loved talking to people but somehow, the void of missing my amma was very difficult for me, she was my strength she was the one who made me believe that i could make it big, i was born with Dyslexia, i struggled with words and speech also came very late to me, In fact at the very beginning a lot of my relatives had told my parents to put me in a school for the special children. It was only due to the efforts of my parents that not only have i picked up speech, that nowadays i suffer from verbal dysentery.
Amma you only have to save me, as i did my namaskarams, this was the day she waited for, and when i had that achievement, god did not allow her share of happiness. It is right when they say that "God doesn't give you everything, cause if he did we would stop remembering him". I somehow managed to place my large suitcase and carry bag in the waiting Auto, as my appa was busy trying to strike a deal with the auto driver. i wondered if there is only one set of profession in this world that was driving auto's. Am serious any Auto driver that you catch would start with the daily rent that he has to pay to the owner of the Auto, and how hard he finds to make ends meet, and us we people have to do nothing, just pray and god will drop bundles of money from up the heavens.
The Auto roared and i was away to the railway junction, We were going by train to Delhi coming from a middle class family air travel was a luxury which we could not afford. Appa checked the chart we were ready,having placed the luggage's i settled down near the window city. No matter how many train travels i undertake, sitting beside the window seat was a joy which i could not let go off. As the train made its way out of the Madurai station, i could see the gopuram or the pillar of the madurai meenakshi temple. i sent out a small prayer, as i turned i saw the poster of "Super Star" Rajnikant s new movie releasing the next week. i said to myself gone i am going to miss thalaiva or the leader's first day first show movie... :'(
The train travel was close to 36 hours, the train left madurai at around 8:00 pm and it would reach day after tomorow in Delhi by around 7:00 in the morning, the first night of the journey was hot and humid, but the second night was extremely cold, i was chivering i could see my fellow passengers saying "Waah kya climate haiii" i said to myself climate maannn this is so cold, having grown up in madurai i did not what winter is. i had heard about delhi's cold, i heard about it more in the Travel section of the New's channel, than in the Weather section. Cause whenever flights got cancelled it would have to be a fog or a blizzard.
The Train was on time, an hour late but after my conversation with a very senior railway employee i became assured that being late by an hour is not at all late. Appa and myself got out of the station and headed for the Auto stand. As reached the Auto stand Appa started negotiating with the Auto driver's, the rate to reach IIT campus. IIT Delhi had in its welcome letter sent out the detailed route along with the rate of traveling if by Auto or private mode of transport. Appa decided that he would bargain for the route by trying to spell the charge in hindi, cause he felt if he used english then the auto driver's may try to ask more. Appa went up to a standing Auto Driver and asked "IIT Delhi kitna" ? The Auto driver a Punjabi replied "Sirji Dedso dedo" Appa roared back "kitna bahut zyaada too much, you guys are so greedy" the driver said "Achaa sir aap hi bolo". Appa still having the angry undertone replied back "Adaiso se ek paisa kam nahin dega" .
Appaaa i called him to my side, what did you do, Appa had messed up "adaiso" and "dedso" big time. Well "dedso" was 150 whereas "adaiso" was 250 bucks. My dad in his urge to bargain in hindi ended up offering a 100 bucks more to the Auto driver,hmmm the punjabi driver gave a smile and said no problem sirji whatver u give i will take. The drive almost took us close to 50 mins, the Auto made it's way through the twists and turns of delhi, Wow i looked out in amazement i could see a Bullock cart and a BMW standing at the signal at the same time. Girl's there they were so beautiful and so white, yeah guys from down south always fantasies about the fairer sex, guys like me from down the corners of madurai have always wished for a girl friend who would be very fair and beautiful, and it was famous saying that "Girls like Guy's who are Tall,Dark and Handsome" made me fit the bill aptly. but i wondered "Tall, Dark is fine, but how shall i find and replace the word Handsome with "Fat and Ugly".
The Auto landed at the gates of "IIT Delhi", even before we could manage to get down from the Auto and get the bags out of the way, we could hear the honking of car's from behind us. i rubbed my eyes again what car's they were all out from the "Auto Magazine" that i would never let go to lay my hands, on these beauty on wheels. "Hataooo Andhe ho kya" move it man are u blind shouted the car driver as appa and myself struggled with the luggage's. Suddenly the window in the back seat of the car came down "Sorry Uncle, i apologies on behalf of my driver" came a sweet voice, i wanted to hear the voice again. I wanted to say "Once More", but my appa's reply broke my dreams, "NP Beta".
The car made its way into the gates of IIT, i can still not fathom how a girl's smile suddenly turns a donkey into a tiger, i now wanted to go in to find out where she was heading, i did not know her name nothing, but something had struck me. i roared to myself "idliangam has landed, Delhiiii idhooo varen daaaa..... " subtitles "Delhi Billy here i come " ....
Or maybe i spoke too soon i guessed
- Anand
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