Chennai is one of the metropolitan cities of India. How huge it is, I have no idea. (Google search anyone :-) Just Kidding) I have begun to fairly get a sense of direction about what is where. It's amazing how places don't matter when you have people you love around you.
Few years back, Chennai was a place I was not so happy to go to. I had eyes judging me and watching my every move. I was filled with fear and apprehension when I left for Chennai and when I used to come back - of guilt. Guilt that I was probably not a good person, guilt built on people's expectations and wants and demands. Nope Chennai was hot, sticky and not at all friendly.
Well thankfully, that era ended and this time round I have actually begun to like Chennai. Catching an overnight train with an airbag, getting my cousin to chauffer us around the city (This is so far the city with the largest number of bill boards I've ever seen), attending a wedding where we got to eat four bowls of ice creams! It was an amazing feast. Main thing was the welcome that my aunt and uncle give us.
Well coming to what we did- drove around for almost three hours, attended the wedding lunch, caught a rickshaw to Gandhi beach and sat there for sometime. RBI (Reserve Bank of India) employees were doing a worthy cause on the Independence day of India by collecting all the rubbish they could find on the beach. They were wearing white caps with the RBI logo on the front. They had turned up with their friends and family and it great that they took out one of their precious free days to do a community service. Keep it up RBI!
Nisreen and I then decided to go for a walk till the shore and on the way passed the baloon shooter. We decided to play a game. The last time I had played was with my late friend A.Rahman. He had taught me how to shoot the baloons. This time, I hit all 12 on 12 including the flying one's. Nisreen managed 10 on 12 which means we girls are not bad shooters, eh?
After that we did the usual rounds at the malls - City Center, Spencers and Reebok. The mall culture is there in every city. What amazes me is the different kinds of goods we get. The best part was I bought books! Lots and lots and lots of books. I got "The Kite Runner" at Rs. 60 vs Rs. 350 at Landmark. I also bought a copy of "A thousand splendid suns" for my 'Boss' under whom I did my internship. I got Sidney's and Chicken soups and a puzzel book for my cousin (She is those left-brained people who hate reading and love numbers) I think it's after buying books that I feel wonderful. I now have books for the next one month and I'm looking forward to my reading :-)
Rushing back, we got ready in a frenzy for the night function. We went to the Dulah's home, saw him being wished well by his family, his sehra (face veil) being tied and finally the mount on the horse (one last chance to run away hehehe). We followed in the car and as family got V.I.P treatment. All flowers on us and being welcomed etc. Food was excellent.
At 10.30 pm, we left for the station, caught our train and had a pretty good sleep coz we were frazzeled out. Touched Bangalore by 6.00 am and home by 6.30 am on my good old scooty (Poor baby had to carry us two and our two bags!) It was a good ride coz we got no traffic and the morning breeze is amazing.
All in all, an amazing trip :)
Few years back, Chennai was a place I was not so happy to go to. I had eyes judging me and watching my every move. I was filled with fear and apprehension when I left for Chennai and when I used to come back - of guilt. Guilt that I was probably not a good person, guilt built on people's expectations and wants and demands. Nope Chennai was hot, sticky and not at all friendly.
Well thankfully, that era ended and this time round I have actually begun to like Chennai. Catching an overnight train with an airbag, getting my cousin to chauffer us around the city (This is so far the city with the largest number of bill boards I've ever seen), attending a wedding where we got to eat four bowls of ice creams! It was an amazing feast. Main thing was the welcome that my aunt and uncle give us.
Well coming to what we did- drove around for almost three hours, attended the wedding lunch, caught a rickshaw to Gandhi beach and sat there for sometime. RBI (Reserve Bank of India) employees were doing a worthy cause on the Independence day of India by collecting all the rubbish they could find on the beach. They were wearing white caps with the RBI logo on the front. They had turned up with their friends and family and it great that they took out one of their precious free days to do a community service. Keep it up RBI!
Nisreen and I then decided to go for a walk till the shore and on the way passed the baloon shooter. We decided to play a game. The last time I had played was with my late friend A.Rahman. He had taught me how to shoot the baloons. This time, I hit all 12 on 12 including the flying one's. Nisreen managed 10 on 12 which means we girls are not bad shooters, eh?
After that we did the usual rounds at the malls - City Center, Spencers and Reebok. The mall culture is there in every city. What amazes me is the different kinds of goods we get. The best part was I bought books! Lots and lots and lots of books. I got "The Kite Runner" at Rs. 60 vs Rs. 350 at Landmark. I also bought a copy of "A thousand splendid suns" for my 'Boss' under whom I did my internship. I got Sidney's and Chicken soups and a puzzel book for my cousin (She is those left-brained people who hate reading and love numbers) I think it's after buying books that I feel wonderful. I now have books for the next one month and I'm looking forward to my reading :-)
Rushing back, we got ready in a frenzy for the night function. We went to the Dulah's home, saw him being wished well by his family, his sehra (face veil) being tied and finally the mount on the horse (one last chance to run away hehehe). We followed in the car and as family got V.I.P treatment. All flowers on us and being welcomed etc. Food was excellent.
At 10.30 pm, we left for the station, caught our train and had a pretty good sleep coz we were frazzeled out. Touched Bangalore by 6.00 am and home by 6.30 am on my good old scooty (Poor baby had to carry us two and our two bags!) It was a good ride coz we got no traffic and the morning breeze is amazing.
All in all, an amazing trip :)
2 comments:
habibty, its impossible to leave the comment in your stories-by-alefyah... :( and the story is just BEAUTIFUL, like always,anyway.. :)
YA CHENNAI IS GREAT.....LUV U
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