The Kovai Ride.

Sipping tea in a bakery near my hostel I watched the frantic rush of the night traffic with buses, bikes and cars in their maniacal hurry to reach their respective destinations. In a moment's introspection then I reflected upon my life that had reached a routine paradigm, laced with an interesting job plus woeful uncertainties from a distant past, ever ready to give me occasional jolts back to the reality of this very beautiful yet harsh world. However, in all this, there remains that one constant that has transformed from a reluctant change to an inevitability that I had to accept with timely conviction. Timely yes! Since the sooner it happened the better it has been for me as I am now starting to enjoy the sights of simple people busy in the daily humdrum of a certain city called Coimbatore.

It's been three years since I first set foot here and from then on it's been an intriguing struggle to remember the complex routes, understand the local language and search for cheaper food stops; but most importantly it was extremely difficult to tune myself to the pulse of this city. Coming from a city like Kolkata, I must admit I had my self-apprehensions as I observed different people and visited beautiful places here during weekend outings while in college. Yes, I had my fair share of comical brickbats and humorous snides from my fellow college mates (all with good intentions of course!) but I strode on knowing fully well that everything in this world takes time and this would be no different. And so here I am, boxed in a mansion room where I mostly sleep after a day's work and nothing else. Little did I know, three years back, that I would one day be roaming in Gandhipuram in my pajamas looking for non-veg restaurants or walking on Avinashi Road at 10 in the night with a friend after a memorable (and costly!) trip to The Residency. With all this and many more to come, I must say it's been one hell of a ride till now!

Right now I am content and happy despite occasional things that keep rearing their ugly head to show me a bleak future of a different parallel. However, some special relations keep you sane and that's what matters in the end. One needs to remain sane to understand oneself and others. With me it's no different as I march on with fresh focus to live and make a living out of a life filled with its usual highs and lows as I continue my promising tryst with my newfound love, i.e. Coimbatore.