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Along with money, love and time, which drives human beings mad, is love for food! And especially if your are residing outside your city, it increases exponentially.

Bangalore has been known to me as the hub of NRM or NRK – Non Resident Malayalees or Keralites. Its an altogether different matter that you will find them wherever you go. Chennai was far better in that case. It gave me the realization that I was in a different land, but which served you with good food!!! I had started liking various South Indian dishes only after staying in Chennai. There we had the famous Tharavad and Kumarakom restaurants for Malayalees. I had not liked the Bangalorean food for that matter, for reasons which cannot be disclosed due to security reasons! Every time, we went out, I had gone for North Indian or Italian or Tamilian or Fast Food, or more commonly Mallu (short form for Malayali) food for most occasions.

Kaayal restaurant was one of the few we have been dining off late. The options were Malabar and Kalavara of which Kaayal turned out to be the winner. I have heard of some other restaurants too, but they all are at far distance from my reach and this restuarant is nearby Jeevan Bhima Nagar (near Indira Nagar) and hence easily reachable. At times, it drives us mad, having a single Kerala Sadya menu and nothing else, when we wanted to have something other than rice! But still, it remains the only choice still now. The ambience and the food and the menu have been good enough till now.

Any other recommended Mallu restaurants in Bangalore?

She came in to my life on a fine one day,
But I didnt knew, she came there to stay
We stayed together from then, for a reason,
But i didnt knew, there would be an end to the season.

I loved her round and cute pink face,
Which left me at times in a daze.
Many a times she combs her straight hair,
But as always, she gives up in despair.
I tried initially to convey, but in vain,
That she looked a beauty even in plain.

We travelled in Chennai and went round,
Sharing the old and creating new memories all around,
Being the bubbly and talkative she is,
I would always nod my head in every 2 mins.

We shared the bed and our secrets, but never crossed our path,
We did fight, but always in silent wrath.
But when i fell ill, she gave silently a pill,
And cooked rice, when she never did it before, even for a drill.

Many walked into our lives, and many went away,
But we both saw it through without much sway.
We were called man and wife by some of them,
And we never bothered to correct any of them.

As I stand wondersruck at God’s gift to me,
I wondered about both of our fate and destiny.
I am now forced to leave her there,
Not knowing when to meet her somewhere.

I could feel her pain of loneliness,
But dear, I am also devoid of happiness.
Though I have few friends and an elder sister,
They can never replace you at all, ever either.

I will always be happy at my fate,
To get such a wonderful first room-mate.
As time and life forbids, we met now with parting eyes
But as you said earlier, never ever say good byes…

The dreaded day is nearing… The day when I will have to leave Chennai… My home for the past 3 years.. People say I am gonna enjoy a new life in new environment and will be happy hereafter. But they won’t ever know one thing. How much I will miss Chennai, and its memoirs…

Every second passing by, I am trying to come to terms with the reality. Of my marital status and future life. The unknown heavy source asking me to brush off my past and asking me to move ahead in life. The same force which lashed onto me when I was forced to land in Chennai… But that time, things were different. I needed a change and was inclined to step into the world. I had very few friends and most of them were leaving hometown like me… So though the pain was there, I could sense it in everyone, and I could hear their silent prayers and vows in their minds to keep in touch…

But here, I am gonna miss something. Maybe the few friends left out whom I am gonna miss badly… very badly.. Or maybe the good moments we shared with each other with the whole gang… Or maybe the bitter experiences which taught me to face life… Or maybe the Chennai beach which always listened to me…

Words are short to pen down the memories which I treasure in the corner of my heart.. The innumerous people I met, some who came into my life and are still here, and some who have gone away already, the talks, the phone calls, the meets, the shoppings, the films, the getaways, the random musings, the feelings, the mutual understanding, the smiles, the tears, the conflicts, the pain, .. all seems to happen few seconds ago.. how time flies by….

I am gonna miss Chennai. But I have a long way to go. And all that I can do is to pray to myself and to ask the people I miss…
To join hands in preserving the sweet memories…
To strive hard to work out the sweet relation we share..amongst the various phases of life…
To take pains not to lose the closeness and the respect we share for each other as life is very short and the world is so dark..
To keep in touch…..

Moving along through the second year!! I remember how majestically I celebrated the first year!. And did I update the sent messages count as of now is 27000+.
And for the wish list, just few more got added… hmmm…

So many thoughts, but very few words. This happens many times. When we feel like posting about something or the other, but we become the victim of the starting trouble disease. Today, its not only the starting trouble problem for me, I don’t even know about what to write about. So many random thoughts filling in the mind..

Thought of writing a nostalgic post about childhood, dad, mom, sis, about how we used to enjoy the Saturdays n Sundays at home, about how me, mom and sis used to go for films for watching movies, about how me n dad used to watch the cricket from the sofa in the hall, about how I used to watch the sanskrit news and the news for the impaired in DD1, about how I learnt riding the cycle, about the first time I was granted to ride the Kinetic by dad, while coming back from the tuition classes, about how he used to advice me on reading the English newspaper, Hindu, about how we all together enjoy the regional feature film at 4.00 pm every Sunday sipping mom’s tea, the cuddled nap (rather sleep) in Sunday afternoons, the school friends, the various singing classes, entrance tuitions, women’s college friends, the enjoyment of being among the gang, admission to engineering, college friends, bunking of classes, the group song rehearsals, the group dance (the first and also the last I guess) rehearsals, the leg-pulling, the semester and university exams, the campus interviews, the placement, shifting to Chennai, the missing of the good old school and family friends, sister’s marriage, newly born nephew, the times I took the first and second nephews in my hands, their staring eyes, and many more…..

Thought of writing about the Chennai memories, the Kelambakkam, Baba Ashram, the training classes, the first hostel life with the room mates and hostel mates, enjoying the cyclone with Antakshari and songs, the glances of the northie boys, the canteen, the dhaba, the learning of new languages, making new friends, sharing the stories with people, moving to new flat with new room mates, getting adjusted to the various situations, sharing their silent tears, their ups and downs, their anger, their frustrations, the group outings for films and beach and shopping, the boring lonely days, sharing of personal life stories and their secrets and fears, the marriages, the career growth and many more…

Thought of writing about life, human beings, the intrications of human mind, brain, body, the diseases, the curable and non-curable, the patients, our loved ones, the short-living nature of life, the pressures, the tensions, the tears, the fears, the emotions, the greediness for money, luxury, the changing life-style, the hip-hop style, the bare truth of death, the comparison, the dreams, the unfulfilled wishes, the innumerous people of the world, love, faith, friendship, and other relations, the various beliefs for which we fight for, the past relations, the years we lived so far….

Aaah.. I am getting headache……I don’t know what to write in this post yet… better stop now..

Finally it rained here. From past two days, the climate was cloudy here in Chennai. The drizzling rain and the cloudy atmosphere made Chennai beautiful, I guess it makes every city beautiful. The fresh water drops on leaves, the smell of the sand, the chilling wind, the watery road, with small small ponds, with the birds resting on branches shivering after the rain… And to sip hot coffee standing in balcony, with the “Suprabhatam” song in background in the morning, presents you with special freshness and warmth of a new dawn. Rain has always been integral part of my life, it has given me lot many memories and I am sure, it sends to many, along with me, an unknown shiver to the spine and leaves us in a blank expression to think of life.

There was a time, when in this rain, we used to go to schools in June with raincoats and umbrella, and with the worry of drenching the books and our school bag. And then there was the November rain, and the cyclone which unleashed restricting many of them to their homes. Be it June or November, it was a surprise to see the rain in Chennai always. Reminds me of the times when I used to stay in the Kelambakkam Ashram, spending time with friends singing and making noise, with chitchat, watching the boys playing football in the water pool in the rain. So many people under one roof. And there was another time, where I stayed at home, watching from the door, the rain splashing in front of the steps, going in dad’s bike with head down, to school, to meet friends rather than books n teachers, the roaming around in school during lunch time in the rain, with the fear of socks getting wet… And then there is another time, in which we slept cudddled in the afternoons, after lunch, while rain kept making sounds as if singing lullaby and wind blowing as fan… hmmm…

Gone are those days I guess… And with the time, the friends too… So much changes now. Lot many friends spread across the world, some whom we dont contact, though are nearby, books and bag changed to shoes and hair makeup, school and playground changed to companies, with no time even to pick umbrella. People are running fast in life, as individuals. The friendship bonds are now like threads, so thin, so worn out, connecting each other, but which can fade out with one strong wind and which will hang on to another, leaving memories behind…
Listening to song “Tanhayee” from “Dil Chahta Hai“….

Recently saw the film, “Swades” once more. The film is really beautiful, and depicts India and the patriotism very clearly. I do wonder about the NRI’s (not the Non-Returning Indians, but the actual one. ) who have been staying there for either studies or job; whether they too think the same: to leave the job/studies abroad, and to settle in India.Personally I do like to have a short term onsite job, but not more than 6 months for sure!! Be it for living also I think I’d do the same. I even sometimes miss my home town in Kerala, when I am in Chennai, leave alone abroad!!

I agree, maybe the life is more easier and comfortable than in India, as they are more developed countries. But still, don’t they wish to travel in the MTC buses, and to pass the ticket! (Chennai buses!!) Don’t they wish to ride in the guttered roads and complain it to the person sitting next to you! Don’t they wish to see the natural ponds and lakes in their home town, with fields all nearby, to hear the grinding noise from the mill nearby, to see the children playing in the common playground, to have the tea from the roadside shop, and to watch the raindrops falling through the trees, to have the special home-made food from their grandma’s, and all the (boring) advice from her..(hehe ). The temples, the festivals, the crowd, the grains, as depicted in a rectangular box in the film. The vibrant colours of India!!

Indeed the song boosts up my spirit levels, the lyrics are so beautiful, and has plain message to people living abroad.

ye jo des hai tera, swades hai tera..tujhe hai pukara…

ye jo bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahi sakta….

Its been one and a half years now, being in the great metro city, Chennai, and when I think back, what change I have gone through, I get only one answer, “ I have grown up a bit.”. But really have I? No, I feel I need to grow up lot more. But still, I guess I have changed.

Now I don’t mind traveling at night 8 on the main roads. I don’t fear as much as I did, when I go in autos. I don’t mind calling up customer care or any number to solve for any issues. I don’t even mind talking to them rudely. I don’t fear now as much as I did, to use debit cards at ATM while withdrawing cash. I even wonder how I have the courage now to use the credit cards also, and that too online! I do travel in trains alone, and that too an overnight journey. I don’t hesitate to think of travel by flight and going by taxi from airport. I don’t mind buying fruits, vegetables and groceries from supermarket. I don’t mind doing shopping alone and spending one or two hours at any gift shop. I don’t mind buying expensive sarees and shirts for my parents or sisters or relatives, and that too with my own money. I don’t mind didn’t mind for spending whooping money for my mobile. I don’t mind meeting new people, and that too online unknown faces, and that too alone. I don’t mind going out with friends either alone or as a gang in the evenings! I don’t mind having pizzas or burgers or fried rice or biriyani at team dinners, I don’t even mind having tomato soup, considering the fact I hate tomato like anything!! Can you believe it!! I don’t mind the silence from other people. I don’t get that much angry or disappointed nowadays. Ya I agree I still do a bit, but don’t have hatred towards others, or shout at people or bark at them. I feel I think more, though I do with heart than with mind. I can now ignore the irritating behaviour of the people. I have reduced keeping expectations from others, coz I have realized those are the ones which causes you pain. I feel I can understand when people answer me in some specific way. I can feel the age difference and also a bit of the saying, old people explain like, “we are more experienced, child, I can understand”. I have now learned to say sorry and forgive others. I have now opened up to many, rather than the introvert nature I had. I have learned now to pray not for me, but for others…

But still, I feel I have to grow more… In what aspects, I have yet to find out…

Strange are those invisible nuclear changes which give away to the minute differences and at the end to the massive explosion!!