Chennai

It was foggy when I got up; the slow rhythmic music of the train brought back memories of all the many train journeys I have had before.
We (Sister and me) were to reach Chennai Central Station at 7:20 am. I waited for the voice calling out Kaapi Kaapi Chaaya idly vada…but to my disappoint nothing came along :(. We reached the station and my cousin came to pick us up.

On the way to Velacheri where they were put up, we saw the building of southern railways and many more buildings that were built during the British reign, as we moved on the older buildings were replaced by new ones and history once again lost.

I had expected Chennai to be very hot but it was bearable. We reached our cousin’s place had a nice breakfast and lunch and then me and sis left to meet my friends. We were to meet up in Spencer mall. Around 3:15 pm we reached there and Elizabeth (my close friend) was already there.

I expected to see some more faces but apparently not this time. We sat there catching up on lost time when my sister did some brief shopping then around 5 pm we left to Marina beach, this is where the adventure begins:-D

On Marina beach, first there was MGR’s grave. Apparently if you keep your ear close to the tomb, you can still hear his watch ticking. I could not hear much but agreed that I did so that the enthusiastic guy in front of me didn’t feel let down.

Eli left me and my sis alone and sat looking at the mighty sea. We both took a long walk playing with waves and it is one of the moments that will always be with me. We didn’t do much but it meant more to me than many things we had done together in the past.

Heading to Guduvenchri

From Marina beach bus stand we got into G21 bus to get to Tambaram and from there we were to travel to Guduvencheri. We boarded the bus and were enjoying the ride talking about the traffic jams we face in Bangalore when suddenly the bus stops… a traffic jam …thanks to elections.

The bus was moving at a pace slower than a snail’s and as we sit there my phone starts ringing and it’s an international number. I pick the call and it’s my onsite coordinator, apparently there was some production issue and I try to explain to her that I am kinda away from my desk. By this time there is a noise growing louder around me and through all that noise I finally convey that I am out of station and that she is left on her own for now :).

The noise now starts taking some shape and I start understanding couple of words and then get the whole context; there was this old lady standing next to me who wanted to sit and there was a man sitting in the ladies seat, this is where I truly appreciate Chennai crowd, everybody including men, only with the help of strong verbal communication made that guy get up. I had never seen such an act of oneness and was happy.
Now it was 9:00 pm and the traffic seemed to be getting worse. A lady sitting next to my sister told us that there was a railway station just around the corner and it would be better for us to go in train. Now when we are kids our parents advice us not to believe strangers and that kind of gets engraved within you, but thought we’ll take a chance as there were three of us anyway and we could check out if there was the station else we could catch the same bus :), optimistic I know.

So we set out to go around the corner and to our not so very pleasant surprise the lady was genuinely trying to help us. For a moment we all felt bad that we doubted the poor lady who just tried to repay her debt of having taken a Happy Dent from us. Now, I say unpleasant because there is this long queue at the ticket counter and we start wondering whether we would reach home at any point of time, but decide to wait, and this is where I witness another marvel.

Time 9: pm, Location: No Clue, Destination: Ticket Counter

There were some obviously human souls who tried to break the line and get ahead of everyone and they were put right back to place by everyone, not one or two brave ones but EVERYONE. It was amazing to be part of such an action as it felt like a majority of the crowd fights for what is right. My respect for Chennai crowd increased a little more. We got to the ticket counter successfully and got to the platform.

Time 9:15 pm Location: No clue Destination: Guduvencheri

As we were getting down the stairs to the platform we missed a train to Tambaram. The next train was to be at 9:30pm. Now we decided to get into a Guduvencheri train, so at 9:30 pm when the train was to Tambaram we let it go. Now we changed out decision due to time factor, we decided that we’ll go in the next train be it to Guduvencheri or Tambaram (though secretly we hoped it would be Guduvencheri)

At 9:40 pm there was the next train but to our dismay it was to Tambaram and we had decided to board it. We wanted to get into the ladies compartment but just as we were getting in the train started moving, now my friend Eli the brave jumped in successfully and then me the foolish followed and tripped and was rescued by Eli the brave. We were happy with ourselves as we got away with our foolishness and then we feel that a third happy soul is missing, we look around and then peep out to see my sister moving away from us as the train picked up speed (Lakshmi the sensible). I think of jumping down, and then Eli the brave now Eli the sensible stops me.

Climax

I call my sister and she apologizes to me for not having jumped in, she sounded like a soldier who lost a war. In between all the tension she somehow manages to bring a smile on my face. The whole point is she apologizes for having done the right thing :).

We decide that Eli and I will get down in the next station and she (my sister) will board the next train and we’ll board the train from the next station. As we wait there we just think of how a simple journey from Marina beach to Guduvnecheri had taken such a turn.

My sister calls up… she boarded the next train… the train stops in our station …we board in and the train is to GUDUVENCHERI…

We reach Eli’s place and her friends prepare dinner for us, very sweet of them let me add. Each of us smiles thinking of the wonderful day and how we would remember this for ever.


After many days when I was narrating this episode to one of my friends, he asked me just one question which chills my spine even now “What if the train had not stopped in your station?” :)