The Journey...

After journeying a day and a night in bus and train I'm at home. Travelling alone in the Andhra heat and the appalling Chennai weather was never amusing, I always hated it since the first time i had to travel a few hours in the Unreserved compartment , sharing my seat with three other ladies, i counted every minute till i saw daddy's face in the station.

This time i told myself that i'm going to make it different, i resolved to observe things positively even if its an eunuch asking for money. When i was thinking about the book I'm gonna carry along, i immediately chose Chasing the Monk.. I knew that Pico Iyer describing the clean and serene Japan wasn't going to be of any help when i'm travelling through some of the dirtiest places ever. Mishi travelling through the heat and dirt of china would blend well with my little travel and give me a solace if nothing else, i thought.

I boarded the train with a light bag, fearing how heavy its gonna get on the way back, found my seat and settled down. It was early evening and the fans only circulated the hot air around, i looked around to start a conversation.

Everyone around was equally discomforted by the heat and the thought of the journey ahead, their faces clearly told so. I looked around to see the man on the side berth silently wiping his tears away biding a farewell to his father on the platform. The dude opposite already burried in a copy of Outlook, a old man anxiously waiting for the TT to check if his berth got confirmed and few others who blended into the rattling noise of the train.

I took the book out wishing a better weather and a peaceful journey. I think its the colorful cover of the book that attracted the people around, almost everyone who sat around wished to see it, though none seemed to be interested after they read the preface, the old man asked me if the Monkey king mentioned by the Chinese historians was related to Hanuman and if the book is full of such stories about the Monkey king. Well, he'd reduced a mighty travelogue into a simple fantasy tale.. I was amused by this thought, smiled and attempted at the simplest explanation i could give, i could see that he wasn't interested when i revealed that the Monkey king credits no further mention in the book.

The gentleman seated opposite was still burried in his Outlook though his eyes silently followed the book as it was passed on, but never gathered the courage to ask me for a glance of it. After a while i tried smiling at him thinking it would encourage him to ask for the book, he never looked up and i held on to the book tightly and started reading it before another one was going to ask for it.

Mishi turned out to be a typical journalist writer who never straitlaces and constantly tries not to exaggerate things that might have nevertheless pleased her. Her opinions about China were painstakingly neutral though she loves the country and states her interest in it. Every piece of information was adequately researched with enough details that tempts you to follow the trail.

It was Summer when she started her journey following the trails of Xuan Xang, and the weather utterly miserable... I looked out of the window and smiled to see the sun setting already. I read while i ate the dinner i had packed, covering food with the book to prevent the tiny little insects diving into my food. If non-vegetarian I'd prefer it cooked.

Its always an early bed in train, if you aren't traveling with a bunch of friends. I closed my book soon after i saw everyone on their berth stretched out already. I shut the lights off and closed my eyes. Sleep always escapes me when i deliberately want it and i tried day dreaming about some pleasant things that'll eventually bring me some peace if not sleep.

It was late in the night when a mother and her young daughter rushed in the compartment and stood near my berth, the mother saw me awake and asked if she could sit in the edge of the seat. I needn't tell what a pain it is to sit in the seat sticking your neck out. Not able to sit like that any further, they spread whatever they had on the floor and lied down only to be woken up by the harsh words of TT asking them to leave at once. I was watching everything without uttering a word, simply because i had nothing to say.

There are very few matters on which my opinions aren't binary, this one such. Trained reached Chennai late as destined and i grabbed my baggage to get freshened up for a journey by bus. A prepaid auto took me to the bus station, i realised i have to take a minimum of three buses to reach home. Boarded the bus thinking that i should blast dad again for staying in such a God forsaken place, Well..you don't get lignite just anywhere...

I was waiting for the migraine to pop up any moment as i swallowed chocolates without tasting them just for a few calories that might take me a step away from a headache. I had an hour of travel left when my head started aching, i mused it wasn't bad afterall.. there were times when i had it throughout the journey. I didn't bark at dad when called and said he cannot bring the car..

When the bus dropped me in the middle of nowhere owing to some festival in the village nearby i didn't expect dad to be there, forget the bearhug and the car. A bath and food was all i could ask for. When i finally sat on the couch scrubbed and fed, I couldn't help counting the days left to start back to Hyd. sigh..