Kannur To Madgaon 30.10.11

Sunday, 30th October, 2011. Around 6:15 AM, I was out after a brief holiday at home spending some unforgettable moments with my parents, sister and nephew.  Before leaving, I had my breakfast. At Kannur station there was a huge queue at the ticket counter. I got the ticket to Mangalore. Malabar Express was at platform no.1. I stepped into the train and got a seat too.

It was about 10:20AM, I reached Mangalore Central. This time I didn’t have to wait for long time to get the ticket to Madgaon, Goa.  Matsyaganda Express was scheduled to depart at 12:50 PM.  Since there was sufficient time, I have planned to make a trip into the city. The church of Our Lady of Miracles was on the right side of the busy road. When I entered its campus, I heard the announcement of providing breakfast, lunch and a game of housie. Since it wasn’t for me, I walked away from the church and entered the polo sale. Since I was not in the mood to buy anything, I paced out quickly to have a bottle of 7up from a nearby store. While returning, I found Sree Muthappan Temple where I had spent some fifteen to twenty minutes praying to the god to take care of me. 

When it was nearly 12o’ clock, I entered station and had bananas before heading towards the general compartment of Matsyaganda Express. I got a seat to rest. Since it was hot, I sporadically stood up to feel the cool air from the fan over me. Exactly at 12:50 PM, the train moved slowly and then sped towards my destination. I had my lunch around 2:00 PM. I spent some time thinking about my parents, sister and nephew. I did not know when I would be able make my next trip to meet them.

It was over 7:00 PM when I reached Madgaon Station. I rushed to buy a bottle of water and dashed towards the nearby bus stand to catch the bus to Madgaon bus stand. There I got the bus which took me to Ponda. At Ponda I reached right in time to board the last bus around 8:20 PM. I reached my room at Usgao near Nestle just about 8:45 PM. After a brief chitchat with my room-mate, I had my dinner and went to bed.

Madgaon To Kannur 26.10.11

Wednesday, 26th October 2011. It was the day of Diwali. Exactly at 6.00 AM, I set out towards my native place from Usgao, near Nestle. Since it was the festival day, the bus arrived a little over 6:30 AM. Before 7:00 AM, I was at Ponda. The bus going to Madgaon was already there to be boarded. The bus took me to Madgaon bus stand from where I took the bus to the station.

When I had thought about going to Kannur, a few days ago, I had a little hope of getting SL reservation. Therefore I have planned to travel unreserved. The train Mumbai – Mangalore Express, which was supposed to depart at 8:30 AM, was late a bit. So I had enough time for not only getting the ticket but also having a quick breakfast.

The train arrived a little over 9:00 AM. And I got a seat to rest myself, not getting even a short nap as I always find very difficult to sleep in train. As the train zoomed towards Mangalore, I thought of the second train which I would have to catch to reach Kannur. Meanwhile, I ate a packet of Good Day biscuit.

Around 4:00 PM. Mangalore junction. I went to platform no.1 to get the ticket to Kannur. I was told to go to Mangalore central where Chennai mail was expected. Subramaniam Rd. -  Mangalore Central train took me to Mangalore Central where I found Mangalore – Kannur passenger train. A lady informed me the train would depart at 4:35 PM. Chennai mail, which would depart at 4:15 PM, had already arrived at another platform.

I strolled along the platform to find the exact position of the general compartment at another platform, intermittently dashing inside the passenger train. When I had got it, I placed my luggage on the passenger train, jumped on the railway track, pulled down the traveling bag, carried it towards the mail, placed on the train and finally jumped into the train. What a relief!

Over 4:15 PM the train started to drift away from Mangalore and speed towards Kannur. I had to wait for a seat till Kanhangad. While traveling, I had wada and chutni as snacks or, to be accurate, my lunch. The thoughts of meeting my parents, sister and nephew recharged me. It took less than three hours to reach Kannur. An auto rushed me home where I got the red carpet welcome. Besides, the lamps were burning brightly. Happy Diwali!

QUEER FISH

It happened when I was staying at Bauria in West Bengal. We were going to Kerala on 31st July, 2002. Our chief worry was about the aquarium. What to do with it? At first we decided to keep it with our neighbour, but it was changed and finally decided to keep it where it was - on my study table. I bought worms worth Rs.2 and just before leaving, put the whole lot into the aquarium, some dry food and dry worms. The main switch was put off and we were off.

Travelling by Madras Mail and West Coast Express, I was thinking about fish. We reached Kannur station and finally home where whenever I ate fish, I was reminded of our aquarium. We knew all the fish would die of hunger, but there is one chance. If they began to take the plants in the aquarium, they might live. But there was none to support this view. All believed that all the fish would die. One even said all the colourful fish would die and become colourless. I, sometimes, agreed with them, but I was feeling that if, however, the fish dined the plants,they might live. I had sometimes imagined that all were floating in the aquarium.

Whatever the result would be, it was certain that we would have to change the water as it had not been changed for three months.

We returned by West Coast Express and Howrah Mail, a local train to Bauria, finally an auto which took us to our quarter. My father opened the door and I rushed in to see the aquarium. We were astonished to find our fish alive except for a Gold fish which was dead and two others, whose dead bodies were never found. They were so small that they might have been devoured by the giants.

I put some dry food into it and all the living fish began to swallow them. To our amazement, none of the plants were touched. The water was as clean as we left it. The main switch was put on and I switched on to let the filter work and the air bubbles rose to the surface of the water.

We could not believe it, so could not the people who had heard it. I wondered about it as I changed the month to August and the day to 21st, Wednesday.

For full 20 days, the aquarium full of fish had stayed on my table, without the motor working and without food.

In May 2003, we sold the aquarium full of gallant fish, as we

had to move to Medchal, near the twin-city Hyderabad and 

Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Read my other Short Stories

Creativity in Goa

I always believe creativity is directly related to place. Little did I realize that creativity in Goa would be different from the places like Medchal in A.P., Bauria in W.B., Kannur in Kerala, etc.

In the month I arrived i.e. May, the reservation issue was hot enough to make me write my opinion regarding it and send it to The Navhind Times. It was published. It was my first letter to editor. Numerous letters followed it in addition to one published in The Week and I got them added to my site. A poem: ‘On the Pavement He Lay’ was also published in the Sunday Magazine of The Navhind Times: Panorama.

If my creativity got its wings while staying at Fort Gloster Staff Quarter where my mood got much time and more space to develop and what followed is now seen in Goa where many of my work are published although those were without any payment. It will come when it has to, I believe. Now it is the time to develop more and more and reach where my creative power would lead me to. 

The computer has brought more development to my creativity. My experiment with HTML and Adobe Photoshop and ImageReady has to said noteworthy as it has given new dimension to my creativity.