IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME

Something keeps happening everyday. A rosebud and of course this summer a few fragrant mogras on the little bush with barely some leaves. Even in the scorching heat new leaves struggle and they do look very good in the morning sun. The master bedroom gets the first rays of the sun, which is all very good and thank god I am an early riser, for on that very rare late Sunday morning it definitely hits you on your face.

The other room which faces south west, where I sit and work, while I talk to the plants and they listen to the constant TV chatter, gets the morning rays, the afternoon heat and the feel of the setting sun. All I am saying is I feel I am in the hot chair always. 

I, by-the-way, drove into Chennai with Ramesh and Kalpana. Left early morning and took the scenic route through the ORR. What a shockingly pleasant surprise it was. From Khajaguda on to the airport road and thank god for the signs for I did not recognise anything and I traverse these roads very, very often. Obviously never in the early morning and that is why the shock. Seriously, though I do not like the comparison, we could be in a foreign country and I do not say it as a compliment. But the lights, the signages, the wide roads, less traffic and luckily for me the sun rose quickly.

Ramesh is my cousin brother and Kalpana is constantly bullied by me, since I call her `hamari ghar ki bahu'. I had warned them that with me they will have to take several pit stops, including at bandis, behind bushes and so on. They agreed and away we went. We stopped for breakfast, pit stop at 7 and I bought my favourite chocolates Kisme and some mint peppermints which are only available here. Had tea at some place and reached Guntur to stay at Prasad Garu's palatial house, which was all ours with a cook, a watchman and a friendly office person. It must have been a searing 42C out there, but we enconsed ourselves in the designated AC rooms after a sumptuous lunch with some thick curds and delicious mangoes. Came out to the hall in the evening for tea and got hot pakoras and the heat did not matter. Of course the AC was on. Then we lolled some more and had our dinner and then walked up the five steps, cursing the fact that the lift was not working.😅😅😅

We left early next morning and again after many stops reached Chennai at the ungodly hour of 1 pm. Red Hills from where the whole of Chennai gets its water was where we asked a most helpful auto guy on how to reach Mylapore. He practically drew a map and sent us on our way. Reached Madras Central and Ramesh who was quiet till now, listening to my patter, perked up with Kalpana peppering his conversation. They have lived in Chennai for 20 long years and it showed. It also helped that they keep in touch with the city through Madras Musings for Ramesh knew that there was a change in name for a road.

We drove past Sowcarpet (my next adventure when I go to Chennai again), Parrys, the old Burma Bazar from where we picked up our umbrellas with those buttons which never worked during emergency situations, Camay soaps and I think Yardley and Charlie perfumes. Then we caught the Beach Road. Even at 1,30 it looked grandiose, though Kalpana complained about the dirty state of the sea shore, The old familiars like Queen Mary's College, Presidency College and meanwhile Ramesh, eloquent by now, while I am just looking at the beach and wondering if I can spot a manga badde handcart or a shundal carrying little lad, Turned at Radhakrishna Sallai where I was to be dropped off.

We headed to Saravana Bhavan here which is now located in some old bungalow and they serve meals only, I think. It was delicious though laced with garlic and I am given to understand that it is because of a new management. I finally got dropped at the my aunt's place at 3 pm and I felt the sweltering heat only then, for the car trip had ended.

But my aunt, ever welcoming, had the AC going full swing in the curtained room and we got talking. She is our inhouse family tree Wiki, my Padma Chitti. One of the best cooks this side of South India and the most knowledgeable person about anything in the world. I can listen to her mesmerised for hours on end and then I am always eating all my favourite stuff for she makes it for me. This time it was Ulundu sevai. Yummy.

My cousin Usha dropped in, the beauty in our family and now a counsellor. She fills me up with a lot of film gossip and time flew. Her handsome son Keshav, a lawyer working in Bangalore, dropped in too and he is only growing handsomer. Apparently looking for a girl and she will be one lucky person to get into this family.

Next day I reached my other aunt, Charu chittis house. I have practically grown up in their house for every summer vacation was in Mithapur and by the way, I either chugged in with the engine driver or the guard. My best memories of my young and youthful days are from here. Charu chitti is another great cook of everything and all things Gujarati and considering her phone is always busy has many, many friends.

She recently broke her thigh bone, but had recovered enough to invite Kalpana, Ramesh and me over for lunch. But it was Deepa, my cousin Ravi's wife who had cooked the delicious meal of puri, chole and pulaav. Mahima, is one of the best baker in the making, though I am yet to taste her well groomed cake, helped fry the puris. 

Before I forget, Nataraju chittappa and Ganapathi chittappa are my father's younger brothers. Avid readers, they remind me of my father as years catch up with them. It is always grand to catch up with them.

After all the catching up and not buying one thing from Chennai, nalla Chennai, I drove to meet my mother-in-law before I caught the flight back home.