Exactly half a decade now since i landed Cochin.. on a monsoon day.. it was heavily raining while i woke up by the telephone ringing in my bedroom.. literally our room.. i must say like that.. the room which has been shared by myself my younger brother and mom and dad.. :) we being grown up now really regret for being a china wall in between our parents!!
The room was dark as it was blackly clouded outside and i was really having a nice afternoon nap flowing in the lullaby of raindrops crashing on the dry leafs.. the house was amidst the woods.. it was so cold..i was in a crescent shape lying lazily on my bed.. i scolded the caller who ever it was for being disturbing my lovely dreamless nap.. i walked with my eyes closed expecting to fall back after the call..
Till that moment i didn't realize that this call would change my life so much..and would take me to here where i am now.. it was from a person called Benoy who was a job consultant and is a great friend of one of ma uncles in Cochin..
Regardless of other girls in my age.. i was'nt the one who was enjoying the holiday.. but was one who was taking a nap after so many days of tensions about how to get placed in some job..to reap the fruit of my 6 months long hard work to get passed out of the travel and tourism diploma i did..unfortunately.. i wasnt destined to be one who would hung the glory of a big brain.. who would exhibit on the visitors room wall the framed certificate for the great IATA diploma holder!! my result was totally against me.. i blamed myself.. but then made up my mind that.. i have done what i could.. i worked hard but my luck ditched me somewhere..
At that point.. that very moment even failure couldn't defeat me!!
nothing could embarrass my focus.. my decision.. that could really change the life of a 5 member family..the rain was pouring out heavily that i felt some drops penetrated my skin and cooled my hot flesh.. it gave a relief.. i couldn't turn back and look at my mom when i left my old house.. ma father held me tight to him that i could hear our heart beats dhum-dhum louder.. he was soo miserable..!! and we walked away the mud path leaving every thing behind.. the small stream where we used to play catching small fishes to pet them until it dies... :) the mosque which always made us aware of the time.. the small grocery shop to where we used to run a million times a day to buy those local chocolates.. and finally the ruined bus stop!
Dad placed my bag on top of the berth and sat next to me...totally mute..he was so tender that i could read him as easily as an open book.. too fragile.. he got two-three lines under his swollen eyes.. from which i understood that he hardly slept last night and had left his pillow soak in tears.. i was a piece of him.. and he couldn't bear the separation!! the train jerked and roared to move.. he left me in the lady's compartment and hung on the grills of the window..walking in the same slowness as the train.. it was then his voice started to come out.. told me to take care of myself.. and he would come and meet me when ever possible.. and they will call me everyday.. and so on..i touched his soft cheeks and said bye.. the rain washed his face along with his tears.. he waved until my wagon took the deep curve..i love him...
I was numb as a corpse. 6 hours rush so fast that i felt i reached my destination in a blink..
Face 1
I had my uncle Mr. Biju waiting for me at the station.. the person with whom i am not too much in touch.. but the one who helped me with out even a request.. he was a quite man who talks freely only to his mother and wife.. a young reserved guy.. i owe him..
He welcomed me with a wide mouth.. which i felt the depth of it in his eyes.. a real speaking eye.. he took me home in his two wheeler.. in the mean time.. i recorded in my head everything around me on the way.. the traffic was so fussy.. the city was crowded.. people running.. walking.. everyone busy!! so many sky high buildings on work.. and i felt the temperature is quite higher than my place.. the ride was almost empty.. we didn't spoke anything..
We reached a pale green color painted two storied house with lot of flowers hanging and potted everywhere.. i had a love at first sight feeling towards that house trust me.. it was a colony for customs officers and all around were those kind of hi fi people.. and i remembered i never had lived in sucha neighborhood so far..
Face 2 Aunty Indhu: The person who ran with a hug on the spot i put my foot there.. to be honest she looked younger than me.. :) she was the person who had been with me with all support and was a good friend of mine in the days i lived there.. the one who understood that i was bleeding because of the unwanted strictness everyone had towards me.. the one who finally helped me to escape to freedom from at least somewhere.. the one who still calls me and never said a word bad about me.. one who really missed me..
the very next day after reaching Cochin i was taken to Mr. Binoy's consultancy..he scanned me up and down and gave an approving smile to my uncle.. i was really sure about how i looked.. i was confident.. regardless of the little fluffiness.. i was all good for a travel professional.. i visited IDT on a good morning with ma uncle.. at about exactly at 10 i was there in place.. two guys were there and a seat was vacant next to them.. i already counted it as my seat.. i passed the interview with great ease.. they just wanted to check how fast my tongue moved with English..
Face 3Madhu (Madz)The first guy with whom i felt a trace of crush after reaching Cochin.. the one who was cute, caring, kind and besides owns a beautiful voice.. who sings a lot.. the one who teached me the basics of this industry , who helped me through every hard times while workin in IDT.. who used to bring cakes and things when ever he lands back from dubai.. who still is in touch with me..
i must say it somewhere before i die.. those beginning days of my career was wonderful.. even though i didnt had any friend in here i was happy.. i was enjoying the solitude.. i enjoyed my lonely times at "Kaloor coffeehouse" a simple.. less crowded place..
when i was in my 11th i opened my first email account in rediff.. the year is 2004.. it was a shame in between my mates to not have an email id.. to be a person who dont have a chat friend and one who dont know about the basics of the cyber things was considered as IDIOTS!! so.. i was forced to create one.. the id was "sweetdil@rediffmail.com" (forgot the password and myt ve got expired..)..and i named me a fake one but stylish.. "Niharika Varma".. and also put a nick name for myself as niha.. :) i randomly added friends whom i saw in the kerala chat group..(mostly girls :P).. Face 4
Alpha (sosha), i would bow to the technology for the treasure i got from rediffbol chat.. the one who many a times comfort me when i was in bad times.. the one with whom i shared my daily things and happening.. who made me felt lite.. who supported me at many times even tough the mistake was from my side.. :) :P..
i had her in ma chat list even before i came to Cochin.. but some irritated first days at work made me log in my chat and share the stupidities of mine which redden the faces of my colleagues sometimes with anger some other times terribly laughing at my blunders!!and god connected us with a single click on the curser.. the mild friendship molded in to a ticker one..
i always thot it was great to share our personal problems with the very strangers.. chat really helped me go happy.. some kind of a tread started to grow in between us and knotted us to an unbreakable relationship.. the reasons y i choose this way is she doesn't know me.. she hadn't seen me.. so she wont understand who i am even if we crossed our paths unknowingly many times..my face was always a cloud for her and she would never be able to criticize or laugh at the mistakes i did and the problems i have..after one year reaching Cochin.. we talked on fon first and later met for her birthday..
after somedays of chating with sosha i got another freind thats chako..
Face 5
Hanish Antony Arthur(chako) initially was alpha's chat friend and later became mine too.. the one who is soo much home sick.. one who had count less ways to resolve problems .. hardworking.. who came up to help me getting new job.. but i never accepted a single one.. who kept on updating me about the openings and things related to the great Travel industry.. whom i haven't still met.. yet consider me and alpha as his best friends..
it was me who put names for three of us.. soshaamma for alpha, chakochen for hanish and maryaamma for me.. :)
the next thing which i cant forget in ma life time is the hostel life i had for almost 1 and 1/2 years.. i got several friends from there.. being my parents away for sucha miles.. traveling every week was impossible.. and just like today.. my life was worst then the beggars after the first week of every month.. :) because of this reasons the hostel became my home, my roommates became my family..and the other room inmates became my neighbors..
it was after almost a 5 months from the joining of work.. another girl got selected as our accountant..
Face 6
Chandana (chandu), who was just a colleague for the first days.. then became my best friend.. the with each day that passed.. became my sister and later on became too possessive that she hated everyone who i cared.. who was there with me in doing the naughtiest of pranks which made my that time life full of laughter..
we joined the hostel together and we seemed like real sisters for the rest of the roomates..we got room form the oldest block of the missionary buildings just next to the st. Francis Xavier church.. 9 of us shared a single long room with wooden flooring and french windows... which is now a dream for me.. the place made me feel like i am not living-being but something in the fairy.. 9 different people from different places with different attitudes doing different things lived peacefully inside that "historic" block.. none of the nuns cared us.. as they thot we are cheap coz that was the cheapest block in there.. :) but i must say.. we were the greatest pranksters in the history of that hostel.. the world was really upside down with the 9 cracky chicks.. on the day we went to check on the rooms before joining.. the entire hostel was deserted since it was a working day and we went bunking the office hours.. the room was empty except a lean girl with silky hair.. who was woken up by the hostel-in-charge.. and was weirdly smiling at the strangers who entered her room without any notice..
thats she..
Face 7
Anitta(ani), no words to write about this girl.. we both are well known for our birthdays mine is on July 28th and hers on July 29th.. it comes in a different way with ani.. just brilliant shes.. highly helpful.. soaks herself in everyone's tears, who can never with stand people she loves to be in trouble.. gracious like an angel!! i must say..
she was very talkative and behaved as if she is the all in all..yes she was.. she was the hostel-leader.. and in a week we both knew everything about each other..
apart from her i got some special characters like cheemu and loose..
Face 8
Cheemu (srilatha), my another room mate tiny as a doll.. and cute as a duckling.. so tender and loving.. who was just opposite to me in size but was like my sayami.. always sticked beside me :) :)
Face 9
Liz Baby (loose), the third one.. the reason why i always remembers is that.. she was our story teller., who was so crazy abt harry potter that each and every lines of every books were by heart to her and she would stay awake the whole night even if you ask her to repeat the stories.. shes just soo good.. and it was so nice of her that she used to allow me to hold her hands while sleeping when ever i felt scared.. :)
i will never forget adv. soumya, elsy teacher, savitha, (ammu, renu, munni, achu)- the NUALS students..who will be advocates by next year.. the bracketed ones are still in contact.. and they never forgets to wish me on my birthday..
after 2years of my job in IDT.. everyone who worked with me in the beginning days left the company.. madhu, sinoj,sethu lakshnmi, chandana, ajimol, brijesh, saritha, archana, jinitha.. then was the turn of new people..
Face 10
George (Gorgeous) i dont know if we both consider each other as friends.. i have never said to anyone that hes ma friend.. just ma colleague.. but i must say it now- here.. YES HE WAS/IS MY FRIEND.. who still keeps helping even after i give dozens of troubles to him.. who was so innocent that many of the people takes advantage of him.. who used to bring what ever things we asked him to buy even though his pocket had a few grains.. and i never had given a thanks to him... here is a big THANKS for you gorgeous!!
Face 11
Sharmil (chammu) another one from IDT.. who knows every secrets of mine.. he he.. the one who kept a certain time of her day just to have a talk with me.. with whom i bunked the office hours and enjoyed crazy useless shopping's and ate a lot of dirty stuffs.. :) who always shared the half portion of her lunch with me which she brought from home .. with whom a few times i had fought.. but that never lasted more than 2 days..
the next segment of my life is my journey... the unforgettable train journeys.. where half a dozen of paths crossed and i got my lovely girls who are around me now!! being back to staying home was like heaven for me.. i missed my parents and my brothers like anything in the world.. even though taking a shift from the hostel cracked a bit inside me..
travel was something which i least did and really loved.. and here i am with the "season ticket" for an eternity!! the word really fits here "eternity" those days would never die..
Face 12
Reshmi(resh) the extrovert girl..whom i felt like talking in the first days of my train journey..she looked bold..and some what same as me..character wise..out spoken..even without any introduction i made out that shes a "Journalist".. hats off to her will power.. a true friend.. talks uncontrollably without a full stop.. who sometimes behaves like a stupid.. :) but i love you..resh,, u are great!!
Face 13
Seemol (see), another of the just above kind.. the second person i felt to make friends during the travel..whos outfits, though minimal gave me an on the spot idea that she wud be a fashion designer.. who had a life similar to mine.. who is very responsible.. who have the great power to bite any pain so easily as a muffin.. soo caring.. who just have very few number of friends and who treasures me as a jewel and we kootharas, as her very part of life..
Face 14/15/16
Soumya (munnu)/ Anju (pangu)/ Shreepriya (paachu)
i dont have anything to write.. words really cant convey what i feels for u three.. just want u all always.. if there is another life ahead.. in what ever forms.. koothars should be together like this.. FOREVER..!!
4 and a half year old with cochin.. i felt saturated with the same work.. a 1650 days in the same place.. same room ..around same things.. in the same chair.. looking at the same computer.. ran me sick like hell.. i became so much like a nerd.. became lost in thoughts.. so much lazy.. and i developed myself a half obese..
som people area real crazy,, a handsome guy..as i said above.. following an obese girl first with a friendship request then with a proposal and that too on the roads.. how funny..??
Face 17
Fawaz Fardeen, who had irritated me, i dont know how many times on the roads.. following me all the way to my office and later proposed me.. the thing for which i would thank him is for the help he did when i was down during the accident i met with on 23rd Dec 2010.. thanks for recognizing me amidst the stunned crowd who kept their faces in question mark, whether to help or not.. fearing the problems they could face if someone go forward with a case.. thank you..thats for calling out my name.. and for directing the vehicle people to take me to the hospital for firs aid.. tanks a lot..
the fourth and final stage of my life in cochin.. the packing back from home to another hostel life.. was really a pain.. but my purse did hunger for the colored notes.. living a good life is always difficult without money.. this took me back to my old shoes.. and i joined DT (deleted an "I" from the IDT) another tour firm.. well reputed.. a fortune for me..!!
finding a comfortable place to live became a tough task in Cochin and hence i kept on changing the hostels until i got a value for money/ hygienic place.. it was from there i met the another "avatar" huh!!
Face 18
Neethu (peekiri).. the lil pie.. more than a friend..shes ma lil sis.. :) whom i met a year ago from another hostel.. whos tongue is bigger than her itself.. :P the one person who keeps me away from my tensions.. literally speaking.. she was ma radio player.. who makes me wonder with her facial expressions and unwanted spontaneous giggles for nothing.. :) shes just a mad creature.. but i will miss her always..
These are the people who wud always hung on the dash board of my mind.. the people with whom i feels to live again in the way i had.. the people who really had touched my heart with their wand.. who will always remain there cemented until god takes the breath away from me..i love you all... may be in different ways.. but my big thanks to all of you to play those roles god assigned you all in a very tender way that.. even now while writing this...my stomach crouch with the feeling of...kinda pain of missing u all so hard like anything..
keep in touch...
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