Prologue
"I'll be reaching Thrissur in the moring..around 6.30, You'll be coming to pick me up na??"Ajuettan asked me
"Hello...Hello....not able to hear you", I replied
"I was telling that I bought an I-phone 4 for you"
"Oh! is it, keep it with u, i can’t wake up so early and come to Thrissur to collect it!"
"ha ha", Ajuettan laughed in his signature style and told, "Ok, chalo bye then, talk later, See you on 21st at Thrissur railway station"
"ok, bro, bye...by the way, me and Subhashettan will be coming to receive u", I said
"Oh NO!!Not again, I can't forget the day when you both came to receive me to the airport once!!"
Neiether could I, I believe neither Subhashettan could too!
-------------------------------------------
More than 4 years back...
Home, Alankode
Evening
"It's 4.30, You have to start now..else you'll be late to reach the airport...It's difficult to get some auto from here...", the voice came from kitchen
"Ya..we are getting ready. Within 10 minutes, we'll leave” I said aloud and asked Subhashettan,"Shall we leave, I am ready?It will be difficult to get Auto"
"If we don't get Auto, we'll walk..don't worry",Subhashettan replied
"Ok, I'll start walking now itself",I smiled as I said that.
"No yaar, I'll walk slowly"
Everyone in the family knew about Subhashettan's speed while walking.His one step can be covered only when a normal human being covers 3 steps. From the pages of history there is a story, Once upon a time in Mumbai-Ajuettan's place.Shanthammayi(Ajuettan's mom) asked Subhashettan to buy some stuff from the grocery.Shanthammayi completed telling the name of the things to be bought and paused for a second or two,to think whether she had forgotten something.."Haan, 1 more thing...", she couldn't cpomplete her sentence because Subhashettan was already gone.She ran over to the balcony to call him and tell him what more to buy.She could only see something in the road in T-shirt and jeans vanishing quickly like a shooting star!!!
----
"The Arrival time of the flight is at 8.30, We'll call you once he reaches.."we bid good bye and left the house.
As they say, habits can seldom be changed, Subhashettan started walking and I started jogging with him.We had to cover 3 kms to reach Changaramkulam, from where we could catch a bus.
The walking/ jogging continued and I also turned around in frequent intervals..Not for not forgetting the path we travelled, but to see if any Auto is coming.
Finally I saw one.It stopped and we entered the Auto.
"See Subhashetta, this is why I tell you to walk slow, If we had walked slowly, we would have got this same Auto 1 km back...!", Subhashettan smiled as I said this.
--------------------------------------
We reached the Airport in time, 15 minutes earlier to be exact.We found that the Flight was 20 minutes late.
"Oh NO", I sighed while waiting in front of the Airport
"What happened?"Subhashettan asked
"We could have brought a placard which read 'AJISH VIJAYAN WELCOME BACK FROM THE TRIP TO EUROPE' !"and winked my eyes
"in front of this domestic terminal???" Subhashttan looked at me with disbelief of how I can give such bad ideas.
"Ok, Lets make it 'AJISH VIJAYAN WELCOME BACK FROM TRIP TO MUMBAI AIRPORT'.How about that?'"
"The other one was better", Subhashettan had a wierd look on his face in reply to my worse idea.
"I knew you would like the first one...By the way, Sorry bro, just to kill time", and we talked about burning issues like what strategies should be planned by Indian cricket team to improve their Win-Loss ratio, and plans of 'our' upcoming movies(which we had been planning for the past 7-8 years).
---------------------------------
"Here comes Aju", Subhashettan pointed to the guy walking in the knee length Kurta, carrying a small paper bag with him.He smiled with almost all his tooth visible when he saw Subhashettan and me standing to receive him(obviously with no placard).
"Bhai , no luggage??hope u have brought atleast some dress to wear", Subhashettan shook hands with Ajuettan welcoming him.
"Less luggage, more comfort!", Ajuettan smiled with pride as though told some golden words.
"How was the journey Ajuetta?As usual ur neighbour might have been some Grandpa or Grandma", I asked Ajuettan
"haan, yaar, what to do, that is written in my fate..."
“When will we reach home?Me feeling very hungry”,said Ajuettan
“Not much time.Just 2 hours!”
The talks continued and we 3 seeing together for the first time in many years, had lots to tell, lots to catch up , and we discussed that as we walked..
Yes..WALKED..and that, too in the excitement of meeting after long time, we were walking in Subhashettan's speed!!!
"Guys, we have been walking for some time now, where do we get some vehicle,taxi, bus whatever..", Ajuettan asked.
"I don't know",the 2 people who had gone to recieve Ajuettan said in unison.
Ajuettan looked confused."You might be joking.."
"How can you expect Subhashettan to know, he is coming here for the first time", I told Ajuettan
"and what about you?",Ajuettan stared at me
"I too never came here before", and I smiled the same smile which Ajuettan had displayed when he saw us waiting in the Arrival terminal.
"But don't worry, we'll find out where we can get a bus!", I said looking around, only to find that we had crossed the Airport compound and further walked quite a long way!
"How to reach the nearest bus stop, that's what we need to find", I said as I looked around for someone whom we could enquire with.But it was already about 10 PM and the whole area had only 3 humans wandering around ! We three.
"My GOD, you are the people who came to receive me...great.."
"Geographically, I think we have to go this way", I said pointing to a direction.
"Ok, If you feel like that... we 'll go in the opposite direction", said Subhashettan and started walking
"Even I think we have to go with Subhashettan, as I don't believe in your geographical knowledge", saind Ajuettan and followed Subhashettan
"Well, I myself doesn't believe in my geographical knowledge, and had come to a conclusion of going the other way after considering that.Actually my mind said that this is correct",I said and ran to reach Subhashettan and Ajuettan.
"So, how's job Ajuetta?"I asked.We continued our conversations and walking for few more minutes until we saw a man on the way, who guided us to the main road.
Around 1 more km to the main road as per his inputs.We walked through some narrow road, which had lots of twists and turns..and the atmosphere completely dark.No street lights or any other source of light.To add to all this, all of us were feeling very hungry!
---------------
"Hooooo....Finally main road at sight",Ajuettan said with a sigh..
We quickly walked into a small shop on the road side and asked him, where we'll get bus which goes to Kozhikode side.
"bus will go through the same main road but you will have to walk another 10-20 minutes to the bus stop"
We looked at each other silently!
-------------
The Film maker in Subhashettan woke up and started asking for lifts in the Trucks that were going.We 3 going in Truck would be good fun.Me and Ajuettan also joined in asking for lift.But unlike in movies where the first truck gives lift for the hero and heroine, no truck was ready to stop in our case.I guess some trucks even increased their speed seeing us!
We did not spare cars also, and this act ended up on an Ambassador car, a Taxi stopping beside us."Angamaly", I said to the driver of the car.
"Get in', he said
It was past 10.30 and the Taxi driver could have charged us a lumpsome amount.But not even thinking about that, I jumped into the car and immersed myself into the spongy seats.
"How much is the charge?",Subhashettan asked the driver
"Just give 10 per person",the driver replied
"Ok, cool", said Ajuettan and then asked me while entering the car,"Hei, how come you entered the car without asking the charge?"
"When you are with me with your wallet, why do I take tension??", I replied
"How did you reach this place??", The driver asked
"We are coming from the airport",Subhashettan sitting in the front seat, replied to him, "and lost our way and was walking all the way"
"Walking..My God! You covered quite a long distance, Even I am coming from the Airport."
" Would you be going till Thrissur?",subhashettan asked
"Yes"
"Ok, then we'll get down at Thrissur.How much??"
"Give 30 per person", he replied
"By the way where are you going", Subhashettan's enquiry continued
"Kozhikode"
"Cool, we'll get down at Changaramkulam"
He asked for 50 per person to get down at Changaramkulam, and we were very happy and excited of having got this car to travel.
We calculated and found that we walked for more than an hour from the Airport!
"See, we even arranged Taxi for you, a surprise package!",I told to Ajuettan
"Is this how you come to recieve a person???",Ajuettan looked at both of us.
"We came to receive you.That's why you are at the receiving end!"Subhashettan replied
"Ha ha ha..Good one", I patted Subhashettan for that killer dialogue.
Even Ajuettan started laughing in his signature style.
------------------
We got down at Changaramkulam, paid 200 rupees to the Taxi(considering our situation when we got the taxi and the time), and hired an Auto that was waiting for us at Changaramkulam.No more distance to cover by walking, and finally reached home.
"Why were you so late children?",came the question as soon as we entered the house at 1.30 AM.
"We called a taxi, but it was parked so far away that we had to walk a long way to reach it!"
"Actually, that's a story, we'll tell you while having dinner..We are verrry hungry...."
“Ajuetta, Food tastes best when you are more hungry and now you are at your hungriest best! Enjoy your meal”,I said
“I think it’s better to eat you, then, atleast I don’t have to hear your jokes.”Ajuettan replied as he filled his mouth with food and we joined him for the midnight supper.
------------------
Epilogue
"ok, bro, bye...by the way, me and Subhashettan will be coming to receive u", I said
"Oh NO!!Not again, I can't forget the day when you both came to receive me to the airport once!!"
“Ya, I know that..That’s why we are coming again…If that had been a normal day and we got a bus quickly, would you ever remember that at this point of time?You have come to Kerala many times, but still you remember that incident..why is that??”
“OK,,ok..Now you can tell like that..You people come.We’ll see.Atleast I’ll carrysome food with me!”
“ha ha..ok..Food for me too..Ok, bye See you”
“he he..sure..Bye”
Me and Subhashettan are going to receive Ajuettan again, on 21st.This time, we will be arranging transport before hand, and since it’s a morning, we won’t find difficulty in finding any…But what’s in store for us??With we 3 are meeting again after a long time, you never know....
;)
"I'll be reaching Thrissur in the moring..around 6.30, You'll be coming to pick me up na??"Ajuettan asked me
"Hello...Hello....not able to hear you", I replied
"I was telling that I bought an I-phone 4 for you"
"Oh! is it, keep it with u, i can’t wake up so early and come to Thrissur to collect it!"
"ha ha", Ajuettan laughed in his signature style and told, "Ok, chalo bye then, talk later, See you on 21st at Thrissur railway station"
"ok, bro, bye...by the way, me and Subhashettan will be coming to receive u", I said
"Oh NO!!Not again, I can't forget the day when you both came to receive me to the airport once!!"
Neiether could I, I believe neither Subhashettan could too!
-------------------------------------------
More than 4 years back...
Home, Alankode
Evening
"It's 4.30, You have to start now..else you'll be late to reach the airport...It's difficult to get some auto from here...", the voice came from kitchen
"Ya..we are getting ready. Within 10 minutes, we'll leave” I said aloud and asked Subhashettan,"Shall we leave, I am ready?It will be difficult to get Auto"
"If we don't get Auto, we'll walk..don't worry",Subhashettan replied
"Ok, I'll start walking now itself",I smiled as I said that.
"No yaar, I'll walk slowly"
Everyone in the family knew about Subhashettan's speed while walking.His one step can be covered only when a normal human being covers 3 steps. From the pages of history there is a story, Once upon a time in Mumbai-Ajuettan's place.Shanthammayi(Ajuettan's mom) asked Subhashettan to buy some stuff from the grocery.Shanthammayi completed telling the name of the things to be bought and paused for a second or two,to think whether she had forgotten something.."Haan, 1 more thing...", she couldn't cpomplete her sentence because Subhashettan was already gone.She ran over to the balcony to call him and tell him what more to buy.She could only see something in the road in T-shirt and jeans vanishing quickly like a shooting star!!!
----
"The Arrival time of the flight is at 8.30, We'll call you once he reaches.."we bid good bye and left the house.
As they say, habits can seldom be changed, Subhashettan started walking and I started jogging with him.We had to cover 3 kms to reach Changaramkulam, from where we could catch a bus.
The walking/ jogging continued and I also turned around in frequent intervals..Not for not forgetting the path we travelled, but to see if any Auto is coming.
Finally I saw one.It stopped and we entered the Auto.
"See Subhashetta, this is why I tell you to walk slow, If we had walked slowly, we would have got this same Auto 1 km back...!", Subhashettan smiled as I said this.
--------------------------------------
We reached the Airport in time, 15 minutes earlier to be exact.We found that the Flight was 20 minutes late.
"Oh NO", I sighed while waiting in front of the Airport
"What happened?"Subhashettan asked
"We could have brought a placard which read 'AJISH VIJAYAN WELCOME BACK FROM THE TRIP TO EUROPE' !"and winked my eyes
"in front of this domestic terminal???" Subhashttan looked at me with disbelief of how I can give such bad ideas.
"Ok, Lets make it 'AJISH VIJAYAN WELCOME BACK FROM TRIP TO MUMBAI AIRPORT'.How about that?'"
"The other one was better", Subhashettan had a wierd look on his face in reply to my worse idea.
"I knew you would like the first one...By the way, Sorry bro, just to kill time", and we talked about burning issues like what strategies should be planned by Indian cricket team to improve their Win-Loss ratio, and plans of 'our' upcoming movies(which we had been planning for the past 7-8 years).
---------------------------------
"Here comes Aju", Subhashettan pointed to the guy walking in the knee length Kurta, carrying a small paper bag with him.He smiled with almost all his tooth visible when he saw Subhashettan and me standing to receive him(obviously with no placard).
"Bhai , no luggage??hope u have brought atleast some dress to wear", Subhashettan shook hands with Ajuettan welcoming him.
"Less luggage, more comfort!", Ajuettan smiled with pride as though told some golden words.
"How was the journey Ajuetta?As usual ur neighbour might have been some Grandpa or Grandma", I asked Ajuettan
"haan, yaar, what to do, that is written in my fate..."
“When will we reach home?Me feeling very hungry”,said Ajuettan
“Not much time.Just 2 hours!”
The talks continued and we 3 seeing together for the first time in many years, had lots to tell, lots to catch up , and we discussed that as we walked..
Yes..WALKED..and that, too in the excitement of meeting after long time, we were walking in Subhashettan's speed!!!
"Guys, we have been walking for some time now, where do we get some vehicle,taxi, bus whatever..", Ajuettan asked.
"I don't know",the 2 people who had gone to recieve Ajuettan said in unison.
Ajuettan looked confused."You might be joking.."
"How can you expect Subhashettan to know, he is coming here for the first time", I told Ajuettan
"and what about you?",Ajuettan stared at me
"I too never came here before", and I smiled the same smile which Ajuettan had displayed when he saw us waiting in the Arrival terminal.
"But don't worry, we'll find out where we can get a bus!", I said looking around, only to find that we had crossed the Airport compound and further walked quite a long way!
"How to reach the nearest bus stop, that's what we need to find", I said as I looked around for someone whom we could enquire with.But it was already about 10 PM and the whole area had only 3 humans wandering around ! We three.
"My GOD, you are the people who came to receive me...great.."
"Geographically, I think we have to go this way", I said pointing to a direction.
"Ok, If you feel like that... we 'll go in the opposite direction", said Subhashettan and started walking
"Even I think we have to go with Subhashettan, as I don't believe in your geographical knowledge", saind Ajuettan and followed Subhashettan
"Well, I myself doesn't believe in my geographical knowledge, and had come to a conclusion of going the other way after considering that.Actually my mind said that this is correct",I said and ran to reach Subhashettan and Ajuettan.
"So, how's job Ajuetta?"I asked.We continued our conversations and walking for few more minutes until we saw a man on the way, who guided us to the main road.
Around 1 more km to the main road as per his inputs.We walked through some narrow road, which had lots of twists and turns..and the atmosphere completely dark.No street lights or any other source of light.To add to all this, all of us were feeling very hungry!
---------------
"Hooooo....Finally main road at sight",Ajuettan said with a sigh..
We quickly walked into a small shop on the road side and asked him, where we'll get bus which goes to Kozhikode side.
"bus will go through the same main road but you will have to walk another 10-20 minutes to the bus stop"
We looked at each other silently!
-------------
The Film maker in Subhashettan woke up and started asking for lifts in the Trucks that were going.We 3 going in Truck would be good fun.Me and Ajuettan also joined in asking for lift.But unlike in movies where the first truck gives lift for the hero and heroine, no truck was ready to stop in our case.I guess some trucks even increased their speed seeing us!
We did not spare cars also, and this act ended up on an Ambassador car, a Taxi stopping beside us."Angamaly", I said to the driver of the car.
"Get in', he said
It was past 10.30 and the Taxi driver could have charged us a lumpsome amount.But not even thinking about that, I jumped into the car and immersed myself into the spongy seats.
"How much is the charge?",Subhashettan asked the driver
"Just give 10 per person",the driver replied
"Ok, cool", said Ajuettan and then asked me while entering the car,"Hei, how come you entered the car without asking the charge?"
"When you are with me with your wallet, why do I take tension??", I replied
"How did you reach this place??", The driver asked
"We are coming from the airport",Subhashettan sitting in the front seat, replied to him, "and lost our way and was walking all the way"
"Walking..My God! You covered quite a long distance, Even I am coming from the Airport."
" Would you be going till Thrissur?",subhashettan asked
"Yes"
"Ok, then we'll get down at Thrissur.How much??"
"Give 30 per person", he replied
"By the way where are you going", Subhashettan's enquiry continued
"Kozhikode"
"Cool, we'll get down at Changaramkulam"
He asked for 50 per person to get down at Changaramkulam, and we were very happy and excited of having got this car to travel.
We calculated and found that we walked for more than an hour from the Airport!
"See, we even arranged Taxi for you, a surprise package!",I told to Ajuettan
"Is this how you come to recieve a person???",Ajuettan looked at both of us.
"We came to receive you.That's why you are at the receiving end!"Subhashettan replied
"Ha ha ha..Good one", I patted Subhashettan for that killer dialogue.
Even Ajuettan started laughing in his signature style.
------------------
We got down at Changaramkulam, paid 200 rupees to the Taxi(considering our situation when we got the taxi and the time), and hired an Auto that was waiting for us at Changaramkulam.No more distance to cover by walking, and finally reached home.
"Why were you so late children?",came the question as soon as we entered the house at 1.30 AM.
"We called a taxi, but it was parked so far away that we had to walk a long way to reach it!"
"Actually, that's a story, we'll tell you while having dinner..We are verrry hungry...."
“Ajuetta, Food tastes best when you are more hungry and now you are at your hungriest best! Enjoy your meal”,I said
“I think it’s better to eat you, then, atleast I don’t have to hear your jokes.”Ajuettan replied as he filled his mouth with food and we joined him for the midnight supper.
------------------
Epilogue
"ok, bro, bye...by the way, me and Subhashettan will be coming to receive u", I said
"Oh NO!!Not again, I can't forget the day when you both came to receive me to the airport once!!"
“Ya, I know that..That’s why we are coming again…If that had been a normal day and we got a bus quickly, would you ever remember that at this point of time?You have come to Kerala many times, but still you remember that incident..why is that??”
“OK,,ok..Now you can tell like that..You people come.We’ll see.Atleast I’ll carrysome food with me!”
“ha ha..ok..Food for me too..Ok, bye See you”
“he he..sure..Bye”
Me and Subhashettan are going to receive Ajuettan again, on 21st.This time, we will be arranging transport before hand, and since it’s a morning, we won’t find difficulty in finding any…But what’s in store for us??With we 3 are meeting again after a long time, you never know....
;)
