Scratch

How my car got a scratch on the passenger side door? No, I didn't hit anything or anyone. Happened about a couple of months ago. I had just left our apartment and turned into the road, when I saw a guy on a motorbike pointing out and indicating to me to stop my car. I checked all doors to see if they were closed properly. Yes, they were. Next I wanted to know if my indicator lights were on. No, they were not on and pointing in the wrong direction. So why is this chap stopping me, I thought. Anyway, I parked by the side of the road. This guy gets down from the bike, walks up to me and wants me to open my door. I refuse and want to know what is his problem. He starts blaming me for my "poor driving" and says that he fell down because of me and do I know driving? I racked my brain for a few seconds to wonder if I had seen him, or whether my car had made contact with his bike in the two minutes that had elapsed. No. Then what is this guy accusing me of?

Fortunately, I had not opened the windows, and the doors were firmly locked preventing that guy from getting in the car or trying to act smart. I just said, I didn't know what he was talking about, and sped off. While on my way I kept wondering if I had seen him earlier, or would see him later. When I parked my car and shut the doors, I noticed that during the couple of minutes that he was talking to me from the passenger side door, he had managed to scratch the door with his motorbike key! Possibly his idea of "revenge" - for what, I still don't know.

Adventures in "catching a train"

Recently I had an occasion to travel with Meena, my wife, to Tirunelveli from Bangalore. I had booked a ticket by Bangalore - Nagercoil Express from Bangalore city. The departure time was 11 pm. Enough time to reach the station, and wait for the train to arrive. I thought we could board the train at Bangalore Cantt station - just 6 kms from home. Getting an auto would not be a problem and we could be well in time.

There was a strike call by BMTC (city bus service) and KSRTC (intra- and inter-state bus service) and I read reports that auto drivers were charging inflated fares from passengers. To avoid any last minute harassment from the auto drivers, Meena suggested a call-taxi. I booked a taxi for pick up at 9.45 pm to Bangalore City station thinking that if I mentioned Bangalore Cantt as the drop off point, I may not get the taxi.

We left home at 9.45 and the taxi driver started. Within a couple of kilometers it started raining. Nothing unusual, we said to ourselves. Happens everytime we leave Bangalore.

The strike had brought out all vehicles (private buses, mini vans, cars, scooters, motor-cycles) to the road that day. The road to City station near Seshadripuram was chock full. Massive traffic jam. Nothing unusual there too. Happens most times, but the traffic keeps moving. Would take us 15 minutes instead of 5. But I had not factored in many variables. The Metro construction work had blocked half the road. The signals were turning red without many vehicles crossing it. To top it all, the rain had intensified. It was 10.10 pm and I thought, we still have enough time to reach the station, no worries!

For around 10 minutes it seemed as if we were stuck in the same place. Was there a shop advertising or stocking Fevicol?

After 10.30, I started worrying. I asked the driver as to what other options he had. I knew there was none. The road in front was blocked, the road behind had vehicles of all types piled up. We had to wait. We reached the signal. 10.35. Now before we could cross the signal, it turned red. Cars and vans started coming from all directions. No policeman in sight to control the traffic. Rains unabated.

10.40: the driver somehow managed to take a different route and I asked him to cut across the bus stand to somehow reach the station. Rains lessened near Bus stand.

Free traffic now. We reached the station at 10.52. Train was at 11.05. I hoped the train would be on Platform 1, if not at least in Platforms 2 or 3. It was on Platform 8. We had to climb the stairs and walk some distance. I didn't know if our coach would be closer to the stairs on Platform 8 or further away. As per the luck that we were having, I feared it may be just on the opposite end!

As Meena hurried towards the steps leading to Platform 8, there was an announcement that the train was to depart from Platform 9. A climb up stairs required for those already on Platform 8. Fortunately, there was no train on Platform 9. We relaxed. Our coach position was fourth from the engine, and we were currently somewhere close to the rear end of the platform. We walked on. The train was late and came to the station only at 11.20 pm. 

I had my doubts when I saw the train departure from Platform 9. I was talking to my co-passengers and wanted to know if the train would go via Cantt station. They all said, "Yes, we would go via Cantt station." I said that there were no tracks which would lead us towards Cantt side from Platform 8 to 10. They said, no no, this train does touch Cantt station. I thought maybe the Railways have laid connecting tracks. However, the train didn't go via Cantt station. It went via Yeshwantpur. We were all wrong.

I was left wondering... What would have happened to me if there was no strike call? I would have taken an auto to Cantt station and waited for some time and got into a frenzy after realizing my mistake. The strike call by BMTC made us book a taxi, and I instinctively booked the taxi to City station.

There were two persons who were silently aligned with the Unions that day!

Use by date

I am amazed by the number of items we have collected over the years. I envy the family which can discard used items like toys, books, magazines, furniture, vessels, wires, old bulbs, watches, and other knick-knacks without any remorse as soon as they feel that they have had enough of it! Somehow, I never find time to do the house-keeping and discarding old things that have accumulated over the years. I still find old network cables, old mobile phones that do not hold battery charge for more than 2 minutes, electrical sockets and plugs, and other items around. They have an uncanny knack of popping up when I am searching for an item, as if calling me out and saying, "Remember me?"

I played with you!

I recently saw a stuffed toy lying outside my neighbour's house kept there with the refuse waiting for the garbage collector to come and throw it away. The face somehow conveyed to me a distress unseen in a toy that is generally played with by kids. Did the toy somehow realize that either the kid who played with it is now older, and hence out-grown, or the kid wanted something new to play with , got it and hence had no use for he older toy. I wouldn't know. Somehow, I didn't feel it would be appropriate to ask!

Footprints

I had an occasion to visit my hometown, Ariyanayakipuram village, in Tirunelveli district a couple of days ago (14th Sep 2012) and came back humbled. The temple complex in our village has three shrines - one for the presiding deity, Ariyanayaki ambal, Kasi-Vishwanath, and Iyappan (Sastha). The three shrines are independent temples in the same complex and though we reached the temple around 7.45 after visiting 3 other temples in the vicinity, we were surprised to see it open. After darshan in the temple, I went in search of the shrine of Kasi Vishwanath.

(Plaque in the temple mentioning Shri Gopinatha Iyer's 
effort in installing the idol in the temple)

The lingam is supposed to have been brought from Varanasi by my ancestor - about 13 generations past - Shri Gopinatha Iyer. A plaque mentioning his contribution in installing the lingam is displayed in the shrine. Merely looking at it gave me goosebumps since in his day, roughly 250 years ago, there were no trains. A visit to Varanasi was a pilgrimage, daunting in its own right. Many people who undertook the pilgrimage, would not return. Crossing the Vindhyas may have been a challenge to most people. Shri Gopinatha Iyer may have had to face many challenges enroute. Sadly, I don't know of his adventures, though I believe that he may have brought the lingam on his head from Varanasi. The distance between Varanasi and Ariyanayakipuram (in Tirunelveli) is more than 2,500 kms. Why did he undertake such an arduous journey? What was his motivation? In the absence of any written word on it, we can only speculate. Was he part of the group of people who wanted to establish temples and renovate them in Tirunelveli? Was he part of a larger group of pilgrims who went with similar motivations and beliefs?

I also happened to visit my grandfather's erstwhile house - which he vacated upon his death in 1974. The house was sold since by my father and his siblings. The current owner, allowed us access to see the house.

We perform some task; leave our footprints in the sands of time; and our progeny may look at our work with wonder and surprise. I am happy that my ancestor had an occasion to leave an indelible mark in his village, which I, 13 generations removed, could see.