"When the traveler goes alone
he gets acquainted with himself." Liberty Hyde Bailey
The
sun rose in its usual sunny way on the 6th of June – finally it was
time for me to get going. Satheesh, my brother, Eapen and Gopi (my friends)
came in time to ‘flag off’ the Champion (car) at 7.45 am from Alfa Serene, my
dwelling in Cochin. I had an important appointment in Bangalore – it was
Anita’s birthday. In advance we had decided to meet over dinner. That was the
only urgency to make haste to Bangalore. Otherwise, it was a leisurely drive
and I was most relaxed behind the wheel. The road, as usual, was bad and
indifferent between Trichur and Coimbatore – the Tamil Nadu portion because of
the on-going capacity augmentation works, which is acceptable. The stretch
between Mannuthy and Wadakkancherry is in perennially bad shape. Some time one
wonders if the roads are bituminized to ensure that it comes off faster than it
takes to put it in place! And, the strangest part of road resurfacing is that
most of the work is done just prior to the monsoon rains; in most cases, the
work is left unfinished as the rains set in. to top it all, despite the poor
condition of the road nobody steps in to stop the realization of tolls. There are
innumerable Public Interest Litigation cases these days, but none seem to have
addressed this ‘extortionist’ activity.
As
I was nearing Bangalore Anita rang up to say that we would meet at her place
for the ‘birthday celebration’. She said that her brothers, George and Shaji,
would be there too. Arrangements had been made for my stay in the Railway
Officers’ Rest House on the 6th. As I was settling in Ajay came to
the ORH. After a brief rest and a wash we set out for Anita’s house on
Sarjapura Road. The Navfree App helped us get there without too many glitches;
rush hour traffic certainly delayed us. By the time we reached there everyone
had settled down with there choice of beverage and short eats – there were
Single Malts and other beverages to choose from. The star of the collection was
the Single Malt from the Amrut stable – it has been adjudged one of the finest
in the world by connoisseurs of spirit and alcohol. The short eats were
delicious, particularly the kebabs, pork jerky and sausages. Conversation
centered on the GQ drive and the captains of industry and business. The verbal
fact sheets on Indian and Global business leaders provided by George, Joe and
Shaji were illuminating, to say the least. The dining table was stretched to
capacity with vegetarian and non-vegetarian items ranging from prawns to
chicken and much more. I could barely stand to sing the ‘Happy Birthday To You’
song for Anita with all the ingested food. And then the rich cakes followed. By
this time I was ‘high’ not from the alcohol, but all the calories. All the
restraint I had placed on the diet since my fortnight stay at the Nature Cure
Centre vanished in a trice. The party broke up shortly thereafter and Ajay and
I headed back to the ORH for a good night’s sleep. Fortunately the road was
freer at that time of the night and we got back to the ORH faster than we had
got to Anita’s house.
After
the usual breakfast of idlis and vada at the Sree Krishna Café the next morning,
Ajay left for his hostel. I was to meet the owner of an educational institution
in Bangalore to explore the possibility of a professional engagement. Despite
considerable traffic hassles I reached the appointed venue ahead of the hour
decided on. I waited and waited (was told that the person was with his Doctor).
After a while he walked in and was told by his Secretary that I had been
waiting for some time. Through the Secretary I was informed that I would have
to wait some more to meet with him. I have a fetish for time and it infuriates
me when appointed times are not kept. I expect that we respect each other’s
time. It is a matter of discipline and dignity of the individual. I walked out
after informing the Secretary that I have no time further for people who cannot
meet their scheduled meetings. I considered that as an opportunity to assess
the environment. I refused to take the person’s calls any more.
After
that unpleasant exchange I decided to check into the hotel in Yeshwantapur,
which had been reserved for me. It was a couple of kilometers off the Tumkur highway,
within the Bangalore Municipal Corporation limits. The only disadvantage of the
location was a railway level crossing gate between the highway and the hotel. I
mentally noted that in case it is closed in the morning when I set out it would
add to the overall time of the drive. The hotel was very basic in its setout
and aesthetics. I had to change two rooms before I found one to my
satisfaction. I decided to relax for the rest of the evening and turn in early.
I even skipped dinner. I suspect that I was the only occupant of the hotel, for
I did not meet anyone else during the 12 hours I was there. Fortunately, I was
able to get the car washed by the hotel staff. She looked gleaming and ready
after the thorough cleaning. I arranged luggage appropriately inside the car –
the food basket, with items in familiar places, was strapped to the front
passenger seat, bottles of water within easy reach on the left hand side
footrest, camera on the seat, the video recorder and the mobile phone on the
windshield, face towel on the hand rest, money for tolls in the appointed slot,
an overnighter with change of clothes just behind the driver seat, the log
sheets on the passenger seat, the rest of the luggage compactly arranged in the
boot and a picture of Our Lady within handholding distance of the steering
wheel. I went over the arrangement at least 10 times – for I could not waste
any time to stop en route to get any of my requirements, be it food or prayer.
Finally, by 7 pm I thought I was ready. I was mentally and physically ready for
the arduous 96 hours that lay ahead of me from the next day.
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