An article from sometime back

March 18th 2003
yesterday was my first train journey in 3 tier ac and it was certainly memorable in more than one ways...i had a motley of companions..first there was this foreign couple(?) students..who were playing chess and minding their own business.then there was this old man who initiated talking to me where as i was rather in a pensive mood..due to personal reasons..this old man introduced himself as Mr nair and on his way to meet his daughter settled in bangalore..he certainly didnt seem to be refined enough to be travelling in an a.c coach,a thought which later changed after he told me something,and my habit of always not trusting strangers made me wary of speaking out..still conversation came in pieces...he complained about the facilities or rather the lack of it being provided even after paying so much money for an a.c coach..he did get senior citizens rebate though..and well the ticket was send to him from his daughter...he generally used to come by a.c sleeper or by flight of 45 minutes..what?? flight from cochin to bangalore..ok....looks could be deceptive....
then came a cocky businessman and his two directors..but he could be justified in being cocky because his two 'directors' were probably younger than me..so he needed to flaunt his knowledge of anything ranging from the pros/cons of reliance versus restofem,to the cities of kerala,to the kerala political situation and an utter disregard for other peoples sensitiveness...his comments like "we give the foreigners undue importance...." " they manage with 2 pants and 2 underwears for 2 months" etc when he very well knew that the foreign couple could speak and understand english,did not go down well with the other people i can be sure of..
well the foreign couple were sure minding their own business...and i am sure someone somewhere will make sure that that cocky businessman eat his words...
but the journey presented me with a beautiful moment in the end..when we got down at bangalore that old mans daughter,son in law and grandchildren came running towards him and the grandchildren were hugging that old man and calling him muthacha..a scene of happy welcoming which u get to see so much in movies but so rarely in real world..hope that showing of love was for ever and not menat for a visitor who comes and stays for 2 weeks and then automatically becomes an unwanted hindrance in their homes...anyways that moment will always be etched in my mind..that smile on that old mans face...