My nostalgic memories about Madras on its 375th birthday

Today Chennai celebrates its 375th birthday. And my 

memories about Chennai:

When I was a kid studying in b'lore, after vacations friends would ask wer did u spend ur vacations? I said proudly to my native "Chennai" and they mostly confuse with 'China' and lose their mind coz we were such kids not knowing the difference btw a city and country.

A week before leaving to Chennai I dream about it a lot, how I'd enjoy with my cousins and how carefree I'd roam around in the hot afternoons. As my parents hardly book the ticket in advance, there would always a be a hurry on catching the train. The early morning bus journey to Majestic(KBS) is the only mornign I'll look so refreshed.

The announcement in B'lore railway station "Lalbagh express will be arriving on bla bla bla" That lady's voice would give me the joy of my class teacher reading out the memo "Tomorrow will be an holiday!". After managing to get a seat in the train to Chennai and hear Tamil words all over and the vendors also yelling in tamil, I'd feel like I am already in Chennai. And I once took a book and pen with me to note down all the stations so that it'd be useful while playing "Name place animal thing"  And the most worse thing was when I get a peer and hearing from him that he has more no. of holidays than me 

My most dreadful journey would be from Basin Bridge Jn to Chennai Central station, I would have reached with 5 hours from Bangalore to Chennai and with that gaandu my mind voice would be "Dei na nadandhe poidren da".

After the train screeches at the Chennai central station and entering into that kind of a doom and the atmosphere with low light, those announcement in kannada would turn out to be in tamil  The coolie would take the luggages me and my mom used to carry in bitterness all the way Just Like That. He looks like the real Rajinikanth for me! And carries with the kindness of your blood relation and not uttering a word bout the money till he reaches the auto stand  And seeing any of my cousin to pick me up would be like that I'm coming from foreign country, that feel!

As the auto driver asks "enga ga ponum?" I'd reply him before my mom saying it. That feel you get when talking to auto driver our bus conductor in your mother tongue Tamil after a long time being in a completely diff place. Chancey illa! 
As I walk out of the station I admire the grandeur beauty of Central station It's architectural n the paint color so appealing though I knew nothing bout architectural stuffs. Something in a grandeur way with a clock in it was awesome for me. As in every tamil movie the hero reaches chennai first they show namma "Central station" Unma dhan ga adhu Chennai oda getthe adhan 

And the auto anna always cursing those going in cars, "Naadhari avangua appan road madhri otran paaru" and those paavam rickshaw thathas struggling to peddle with a huge marwadi aunty with her luggages  Gazing through the streets. And seeing all name boards and movie posters in tamil, though I couldn't read it. Was something creating a bliss. Share autos everywhere. It would like the autos are pregnant  As I reach the destination I get down when my mom's having a mouth fight about the fare, and not caring about the luggage
And getting into the house, first they provide water because of the scorching sun, all cousins gather inquiring about random stuffs, firstly about my sokka that I buy for my b'day. And wearing my cousin's pyjamas coz too lazy to open my luggage.

Roaming through the streets in the hot hot afternoon wearing my cousin's flip flops as I always forget to bring mine  Going to parks, drinking Neer moru, 1 ruba Ice with the begged money from grand parents. And showing off my cycle riding skills in 'vaadagai cycle'. And addressing every elderly as "anna/akka" though they maybe the age of my parents.

And people asking like "Thambi Bangalore la padikiriya pa?'. Bangalore was like a foreign country for them in those days.

Using Madras Baashai like "Gethu, scene, mass, chanc ey illa, weight u," which I can't use in any other city coz ppl won't understand it. Though few words are in English we have our meaning for it.

Marina would always be my first hangout in Chennai. And eating molaga bajji after playing with waves. Returning back with sand in your sandals, pants. Eww the irritating part. Visiting Egmore museum fondly called as "Setthupona museum". Trade fair in Island grounds, which looks like a modern oor Thiruvizha. VGP, statue thatha, golden beach  Abhirami Mega Mall the giant lady, watching movies there. Mahablaipuram just wow, as a kid, those days I was confused whether it was a temple or beach. These are all the places I primarily visited in Chennai. Nostalgia !!

Returning back to Bangalore, I always don't go the starting first week of school I'd still be in Chennai, postponing as much as possible. Crying to convince your relatives and grandparents. Leave with all the newly bought toys inside the luggage. Going back all the way to Central station with a depressed face. Finally boarding the train, after Bangarpet ppl start conversing in Kannada and the fresh breeze I get and realize that I'm gonna reach home soon. Now Majestic turns Pathetic to me. The place which had put a smile on my face a few weeks back would turn out to be the opposite.

First few weeks of the school would be so depressing thinking of when the next vacations would come. When will I grow up so that I'd travel on my own. And calling out neighbour's and friends with my cousins' name and take a week to cope up with it. And my friends would make me forget those stuffs in a few days.

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Now, After coming to Chennai and pursuing my studies here things have turned slightly vice-versa. Starting few months in Chennai had problems like the seating order for ladies in bus which was different from that from Bangalore's. Differentiating between deluxe, non deluxe bus was too tough. I'd give the bus conductor 20 rs in non deluxe and get abuses. Get confused with Chennai Central suburban and Chennai central. And hearing passengers saying the price of the ticket to the conductor instead of saying the stop. All passengers voluntarily buying tickets by going to the conductor's seat and him giving back the ticket with exact change were all a quite a shock to me.

Now in my college at SRM, students have come from different parts and can see them cursing Chennai of being so hot and other stuffs. I feel like "Bitch please, wait and watch Idhu Singara Chennai, you will definitely regret for what you said".

Chennai is more than a city, filled with more emotions, historical legacy. You can see from modern to cultured people here. Vandhaarai vaazha vaikum Chennai. Ending with this as a proud Chennaite though brought up in the culture of two.

Thankyou Chennai for giving me such memories  :')

‪#‎Madrasday‬ ‪#‎Madras375‬

PC: Digitally Inspired, Madras Memoirs

- Lohithaksha Sreedharan

My photography works

Lohithaksha's Photogrpahy for Sarah Creations

My Photographs for Sarah Creations

"*THIS WAS NOT WRITTEN FROM A BOY'S POINT OF VIEW!* "- A short story

Story begins...

As soon as the train halted at the Beach station, a huge crowd boarded. Each and every person in the crowd took a glance at me, which included a few old men. It was so disgusting, only my fellow beings would understand my problem. Two boys struggled and came near. Before approaching me they stared at each other. They started arguing as who should approach me first. The heated argument was followed by a fight between the two. I couldn't utter a word or stop them though I was the reason for their fight. I remained silent. In this sequence, they had hit a vendor's basket making all the oranges to fall. This made a huge mess. From their ID cards I came to know that they both were from different colleges. It was tumultuous. This is a common scene in a crowded local train in Chennai. I had faced a hell lot of blues. These  people had even spilt eatables like pakodas, samosas and sometimes even biriyani on me. It is a public transport and they must know their manners. It was very maddening. As the train reached their stop, the boys got down, not even noticing me or giving me a last look. They walked on as if nothing had happened. I was frustrated "I might not be as beautiful as Samantha, you may even get one in SRM University ,but not me" I told myself. Suddenly an old lady sat on me. By the way I forgot to tell about myself I'm just a wooden seat in a local train.

-THE END-

-Lohithaksha Sreedharan

THE LOVE THAT LASTED FOREVER- A short story by Ebin

THE LOVE THAT LASTED FOREVER

Shruthi was in her bed in front of the television, crying.  In the television, news channels were flashing headlines that the flight UA343 which started from Chennai the last day had crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

“Shruthi, why are you crying?“ the voice of her mother heard from her behind.  She didn’t answer.  She continued crying, and her mother was angry and went out of her room and told her father, “Your daughter is crying and does not answer me, do whatever you want with her.”

Shruthi, she was a very reserved girl.  She does not talk to anyone much. And to strangers she doesn’t even talk.  She only talks to her father openly.  But for the last five months there is a change in her character.

She came running out of her room and hugged her father still crying.  She threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly now crying even bitterly.

“Hey, Shruthi, what happened?”  he asked.  She didn’t mind to reply but was crying still holding him tight in her arms.

“Shruthi, you in love?” again he asked.  She stopped crying and took her arms from his neck and stared at his eyes for a long fifteen seconds.  Then she managed to speak, “How… How did you know?” she asked.

“Who knows my daughter better than me?  Tell me what happened?”  asked her father.

“His name is Karthik .  He attended the interview along with me on the same day, six months back.  He was sitting right next to me in the hall.  He began the conversation by asking my name, although I didn’t answer him he just smiled and wished me good luck and his name was called and he went in.  Then we both got selected and he was in my department.  Once he saw me, he came towards me and gave his hand for a handshake wishing me congratulations, and that day I smiled at him.  Then he was on his work back.  I was quite inspired by his character, he didn’t even bother about the last time I had ignored him.  Then I started talking to him and knew more about him.  And we bonded.  He is very intelligent and smart.  He is also regular at his work.  He is from a lower middle class family and his father died in his childhood.  It was his mother who made him study.  He is the only one earning in his family now.  He has a younger sister, who is in her twelfth standard.  On seeing his perfection in work our team leader selected him as the one who would go on a training program to the U.S.A.  And yesterday he boarded the flight UA343.  I went down to the airport to send him off.  And when he was to go to his pathway he hugged me and whispered in my ears, “I Love You” then he waved me and disappeared in the pathway.  I was thrilled on hearing what he said.  But on my way back home I was so happy.  But my happiness lasted for only thirteen hours.  The flight he had boarded crashed in the Atlantic Ocean and there is no trace of the plane.  My love lasted for only thirteen hours.”  saying this she started to weep.

But her father told her, “If your love for him is true, and you feel that his love for you is true, your love is not dead.  You tell that his family is in need of financial and physical help, you could do that yourself.  If you do this, your love for him will last forever.  I will not force you to marry anybody nor, I will advice you not to marry anybody else.  If you wish to get married, you can marry “

On hearing her father telling this she stopped weeping and hugged her father tight and said, “Thank you dad!  Thank you so much!  I will follow as you said.”  Saying this she went into her room.

An auto driver taught me the lesson of life- A short story

On a pleasant saturday night, I'm in a hurry to reach the theatre. All the auto rickshaws I stop the driver says ''Return savaari varaadhu sir!''. So what can I do? I can't go to the place he desires. Every Chennaite will understand my problem.  Finally an auto driver accepted to go the theatre. He smiled at us as I and my cousin hopped in. And turned the meter on. As I already booked the tickets online, I felt a bit relaxed. A few minutes passed, the auto goes in a moderate speed. And I could look through the rear view mirror the driver was still smiling. I had a mild doubt whether he was drunk, but there was no sign of alcohol smell on him. But he seemed abnormal! The dirver broke the ice and started a conversation. ''Going to watch movie Sir?''. I replied with an yes. My cousin whispered into my ears ''For what else would one go to theatre, for eating popcorn?'' I and my cousin giggled. ''Is it late for the movie sir?''. ''No, we are not so late'' replied my cousin as he was gazing the empty streets. ''Oh okay sir, I actually drive only for long distances, but you seemed to be in a hurry to so I accepted''. ''Oh, Thankyou! And you take only night rides?'' I questioned him. ''No sir I'm 24/7 without sleep, sometimes even a day!''. My cousin chuckled. But his words were not like that of a Liar's. ''Are you serious'' I asked him. ''Yes sir, strong body'' he said with a pride. I feared whether he was a drug addict or something. ''Have you ever dozed while driving? Or do you smoke to get rid of it?''. No sir never! Sleep and hunger won't distract me. Auto is my life it makes me forget everything''. ''So you didn't even eat?''. ''No Sir, I don't feel hungry, if I find a road-side hotel while driving, I eat there once in a day only for metabolism''. But he didn't seem like an auto-addict either. But I was very sure he was abnormal. I felt a bit insecure too. Then what in earth gives him high? There must be something nor one can't do the same odd job everyday without rest. Thankgod we reached our destination. My cousin gave a sigh of relief. I gave him the exact fare, he accepted it with a broad smile and said ''If I go a little further there's my mother-in-law's house''. ''Cool, then go take rest, have dinner and start your routine from morning''. ''Ha ha No sir, it's actually ex mother-in-law, My wife divorced me a few years back''. From then on auto became my home, my companion and my everything. But it couldn't replace my wife''. I was dumb-stuck.
I and my cousin entered the theatre, but I couldn't concentrate on the movie, all that was running in my mind was the Auto Driver. Have you ever drove your car back to your home thinking of something and wondered "How the hell did I reach my place?". Maybe that was the case of his. From that day on I realized, alcohol and drugs are not the only things that ruins you as you get addicted. Being affectionate on someone unreasonably will also make you an addict and ruin you as they walk out of your life.

                                   -THE END-                                                              
                                                                                                                                     -Lohithaksha S
                                                                                                                             (A leaf from my diary)