“Chennaaai
!!! Dude you’re going to be so dead” declared a friend confidently as I
indifferently informed where my professional standards were chartered to.
Learned pessimisms were shot, to kill me in Delhi itself, from all and sundry
including even those who never had crossed Vindhyas once. Diverse set of
warning were offered, from an expected "It’s so Hot there" to challenging "The
Language will deafen and dumb you" to even epitaphs as "May your libido rest in
peace", from each according to his personal concerns.
Ironically, the more people pushed to dispirit
me, the further determined I turned to enjoy the Chennaite stint. Libido issue
was bothersome, but given Delhi too did not turn to be a place for restlessness down south, I
overcame that. And I overcame other pity concerns citing to others in a self
assuring tone, that how great a recluse I am and Chennai will be all peace and
solitude. I even re-read 'English, August',
the story of a troubled IAS trainee in an obscure spot in Tamil Nadu, this time
with the aim to criticize Sen at every complaint, to ensure that the problem
was with the spoilt brat and not Madna.
Finally, with “Unity in diversity” &
“Vasudhev Kutumbakkam” as my guiding mantras, silently recited on loop, I
stepped in Chennai. For my acquired karmyogi’s mindset, prepared for all the
adversities in the entire universe expecting nothing in return, even a smiling
‘Namaste’ from a semi-Hindi-speaking-pure-Tam-taxi-driver (a rare species) felt
bliss. The hour long ride with ‘Anna’ paralleled a talkathon, where discussing
Rajni, Rehman and R.Ashwin I appreciated in depths the immense
indulgence in entertainment of an average Indian and its benefits for national
Integration . The next 10 days at company accommodation was a grand stay with royal treatment, a pleasure due since 6 years given the name of my graduation
hostel was “King’s palace”.
They say after summit the journey ahead is all
downhill. They weren’t lying, not to me. Right out of the palatial stay the
kings were reduced to nomads, abhorred by an entire class-community called 'Flat owners', for they were ‘not-religiously-entitled-to-have-sex’ (read
bachelors) and hence devoid of even the least possibility of a civilized
existence, a mythical correlation which some regression analyst should try discard.
Even an hour long telephonic interview with a prospective owner, where we
pledged to stay away from any pleasure of flesh, both literal and figurative,
went disappointing as the established conviction said “bachelors are unhygienic
species”. Anyways just before its infant death, the sinking optimism curve met
an asymptote and ever since we are engaged in settling down, which given the
pace might extend till infinity.
Looking back, the Chennaite stint has already transformed me
a lot as a person. I have parted ways with unsound chauvinism and no longer
regard an umbrella unmanly, given the heat and consequent tan. The local food,
and the serving manners, took my appetite to abysmal depths and my buckle to
long forgotten holes. My tolerance knows no boundary thanks to the auto
rickshaw union which has raped both my frugality and sense of justice at the
rate of Rs 30 per Km, recurrently. "Aaiyyoo" no more sounds funny and I no longer feel distraction of youthful
aspirations, as 'PYTs' are hard to find and even when discovered are so uninviting
that one mischievous signal and their fathers might be chasing you.
Anyways, as I said, I came here seeking peace
and solitude, as in it’s a poor man’s Himalayas. I have been offered both but
unfortunately with a tinge of loneliness. While you are concerned that you got
to do more in life and are trying hard to motivate and push yourself for that
extra mile, the city in its laid back attitude, nudges you and says “Relax!!
Why so impatient? There is more in life than you think”, but offers little choices.
The simplicity of its people, their modest way of life and the pride in their
culture all interlock perfectly yet as in a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece somewhere
there is a void left, blemishing not only the image but creating a hole in you
as well. Combination of inner void and restlessness, a fertile ground for fruitful dissatisfaction. While I raise my dissatisfaction quotient I am already into creating an alternative
universe, seeking worthy pseudo intellectual existence, through active self indulgence and wandering thoughts scribed all over my
walls, searching what I should be, whoever that is.