Exam got over at 7:30 p.m. I was the last one to give the paper with the invigilator getting nasty and vehemently demanding my paper and me clutching the dear sheet for marking the few unanswered MCQs. Hope i managed to answer all the questions. I rushed back for a quick bath and tossed things in American tourister that was cogni gift and found i had 4 sms on asking to inform once the exams were over. So while my new mentor gave me company till the main gate, socks, also took on to grabbing my handbag and tried to get in between my legs. Socks got excited, for moments it didn’t let me take a step, at times, it let me walk to join me after a fierce chase. God, i was going to miss Socks, its soft brown sheen.
I found an auto waiting at the gate and boarded it and reached the station 40 minutes before the train was supposed to start, wish i had spent some time with my new patron, rather than waiting in the dark compartment. When the light came, i was surprised; i was the only gal in the compartment portion.
Being some one’s time pass.
I decided, if i need collective protection, i need to talk to everyone so that they would not misbehave at night and hence i started small talk. The compartment was full of youthful 18+ air force commandos who had just completed one training module from jalahalli and a Rajasthan police Shiv Bhagwan who was returning to some place 180 km from jaipur after deporting a mentally unstable Bangalore guy who had strayed near Pakistan border. I make it a point never to lose too much sleep over exams, nevertheless, i was sleep deprived and hence i promptly slept off after small talk. I ate lunch and slept off, since i had conveniently forgotten the 2 jhumpa lahiris i had borrowed from the library in my hurried packing. I had side middle berth in sampark kranti, so later the folks were saying, how i slept a lot, kabhi ulti, kabhi pulti. Day 1, evening, as usual, i went and sat near the steps to watch the sunset, and Guddu Dagar was there sitting next to me, and got me oranges and cup of tea, which i savoured, watching the sun turn into a myriad glorious colours before finally disappearing. Throughout the journey, i found the ground flying past by my right and the sky and the background, converging at my feet as i travelled northward. I was wondering, was the soolam direction conducive to that days travel.
Earlier, that morning, in between, when i woke up, the IAF guys would quiz me starting with time pass hi nahi ho raha hai and i patiently answered their questions adding masala about Amir Madhavan and the shooting. There was thankfully one tam, who gave me 3 podi idlies. In the evening, GD gave me company while i gazed at the sunset appearing now amidst the small ups and downs. I was surprised to find tea and oranges shoved into my hands. Later that night, GD gave me popcorn and when i woke up between my sleep. He showed me his assignments and said, he had so much to do within a fortnight. Simple questions on airport safety and mechanics. Crazy, to think abt stuff that ppl had to cram to pass these exams.
That night my train reached Bhopal at 11 kind and Shiv Bhagavan woke me up promptly, handled my luggage and he again got me a tea stating, accha time pass hua. I was wondering at being somebody’s time pass.
All the world’s troubles
It was little after 11:30 when i alighted at Bhopal and found a nice family of 2 kids - second daughter was Rithu and one son and loving parents. I was telling them, how our family was meeting together after 2 years and mom was telling how her elder daughter who was doing IT in Allencity (or some college like that) was missing her so terribly. Thanks to them, i had idli and sambar in the middle of the night. When the announcement came for Ahilyanagari, i left them and this is where all the world’s trouble started. A guy, whose name i later learnt as PKJ (Nov 1) started walking real close to me, invading my personal space, that i forced myself to talk to him, asking, how long would the train stop, before it started. He came to the same compartment, where i was about to board and asked for my ticket, which i refused to give and he asked which seat and he went n checked the reservation and said, yes, it was reserved under my name. But my berth was taken by two kids and the numbering was topsy turvy with the 8 thing being converted to 9 thing. The tt said, i could take SU, and i clambered on to it. But PKJ kept staring at me so hard, that i asked, what do u want?. I picked up a conversation with the Ujjain police guy Rudresh (blunder mistake). I was so scared of the PKJ that i jumped on the UB while Rudresh was in SM. In the middle of the night, i realized it was cold and bent down to switch off the fans and R woke up in the process and offered his bedsheet, mine was inside the suitcase, which was in the SU, which i had abandoned thanks to PKJ who was just below. Rudresh said, he was going to come to Ujjain in the night, so i could i return his sheet then and he got my no to coordinate at Ujjain that night.
At Ujjain, he was asking; if i would join him, so that he could drop me off at Indore in his bike. I said, no thanks, while PKJ was watching from his SM. Indore was the last stop, and PKJ, took my luggage n helped in the stairs. He said, we will have tea, i said, i need to brush my teeth before having tea. So he got me toothbrush and toothpaste and said; now we will have tea. I had forgotten my toothbrush in sampark kranthi, and PKJ refused payment. He said, wait till the sun rises and then we will go. My mobile had got switched off due to low battery and he let me make a call from his mobile to dad to tell them that i have reached Indore safely. I thought he would go away, but he persisted. He never let me lift my luggage, he hailed an auto for me and i was surprised when he and his chamcha sat in the auto with me to IIMI. I was asking, if his place was on the way. But no, it was not. He gave me company till my brother came out of hostel. He refused to accept payment for auto fare, toothbrush, and call. Even the auto guy was saying that gals came alone to IIMI. But PKJ went on to defend, how I can let her travel alone. Funny. Now Rudresh keeps bugging me over phone. But PKJ has not bothered me. Funny, how wonderfully, i have perceived people. The case of fence eating the grass.
Surprise Ujjain trip
I had just reached at 6:30 am and i had this urgent summons of getting ready coz cab to Ujjain sightseeing was ready. The only song that came to my mind was kaadu potta kaadu. I had seen the campus in Wikimapia, but nothing had prepared me for the vast dryness and parched earth spread all around. After seeing lush greenery of Blore, Indore n Ujjain was hot as oven, scorching as hell. Place where bhairav drank brandy, and mahakaaleswar sannidhi, where the guys in violet and maroon dhotis blotched ur forehead with various pratimas of om and other shapes. Then i decided to drop off, kaali temple and go instead to sudhama’s ashram. Good choice due to lack of time for convo. The paintings were simple yet alluring, i gazed at couple of paintings that were so striking. Avantika, Ujjain, Ahilyanagari, Swarnanagari so many other names for Ujjain. Mmm....
Convo
By word n deed, be worthy of this whatever. In B, it was by thought, word and deed, be worth of this crap. Was glad to c my bro on cloud 9. I was dead tired, after oveny train journey and scorching hot Ujjain trip. Food was okie. But lunch at Punjabi dhaba was quite similar n i was bored.
I kept my dad, bro, sis n mom awake coz my 3:50 am train from Ujjain. We booked to same cab. We reached the station at 3 am and we had to wait for almost an hour at Ujjain. Rudresh kept calling. Everyone at home was angry over his calls.
Trip back to blore
Luckily there was a wailing baby, cute little Fathima (who managed to cry louder than the baby) and Fathima’s mom n her father who looked more like her grandfather. Fathima slept between her father’s legs, with her head on her father’s groin. Three continuous sunrises saw me without taking bath. On the 3rd day, Fathima’s mother combed my hair, since it was a perfect mess. I again took on to sleeping peacefully without having to talk to people. Listening to stories being told to each other. Fatima’s mom thrust cream biscuits on my hand. There was once a heated discussion on how Muslims butchered cows. I felt bad on their being questioned like that. But Fathima’s mom answered with poise. She had this way of using her hands as if she was doing an abhinaya. I loved her. I somehow feel at home with them. Probably coz my zodiac says, that i will have thulukiyar friends.
Now i have to tell GD why i was not able to attend his calls, coz i was lost in MDA’s convo speech.
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