Strangers And Cities

He spat.

The tale does not begin here.But lets keep the thought that he did so in the mind.

A day back countless victims of the pernicious medical entrance examinations for post graduation in this country were found in the schools and lanes of the four metros like lost and helpless strangers.With months of efforts and worldly detachment at stake they were trying their best not to succumb to the pressure of their current situation.

The world appeared combative for the infinitesimal caterpillars in the group that we now feel we surely are, right from the moment we boarded the train to our centre.Most of the travel time was spent in revising notes and discussing the high yielding facts and golden points that we were taught in tuition with enough breaks in between to stare at our parallel and higher souls in matters of preparation.

When we got down what pleased us initially was the decent public transport system in the city,we reached our place of stay and met the rest of our friends after a half  hour ride in the bus.In the evening we visited a temple to offer our earnest prayers to help us through this hardship of post undergraduate days.Praying gives an immense strength especially if we have worked really hard for what we dream,it helps us not to give up until we succeed.The dignified sanctity in the place was impressive.We then strolled along the local street in front and reached a famous restaurant of the city for dinner.After the case of the missing purse ,extra sweet lime soda and the most voted meal of the night-'Appam with side dish' we were back in our rooms to make time for some last minute study.

The next morning we set in different directions towards our respective centres in and around the city .After a long bus ride a three of us reached our centre.While walking inside I had a strange goose bump feeling, the knotty stomach kind,something close to what I had been waiting for.I was sure that I am not completely ready for this one and will never be.There is no end to all the honeyed woes until and or maybe even after I earn a seat myself.I am not opining about the paper and the kind of questions they can come up with every year,the experience shall stay unexpressed.There are many more waiting  in the coming months.

After finishing the arduous task we got back to our rooms and had a quick lunch in the same restaurant.Later while the guys were away at the beach we made a list of the questions and options that had appeared,for they are of help in the coming exams.We packed our bags and had a dinner of dosas again in the down stair restaurant of our lodge with a constant company of gazers/waiters.Though we left on time we had to confront some falls and our first jet speed run to catch the almost ready to run train in the night.With some more recalling of eerie questions and happenings we slept cramping on the berths eager to get back to our very own town.

In the middle of all the proceedings of the day he did spat on a friend of mine while waiting for a bus on the road, an old tramp with no sense of the populace around him.He walked away completely lost,leaving us dumb and stupefied.

First impressions are the best and shall last they say,I now agree with this to an extent .If anyone asks me would I mind switching over my town for another place forever,I would throw my hands up and say well that is impossible.There is no place like home,is a more sensible statement now.I tell this because I have come to believe that if there is anything we people here have to be proud of is our relatively blessed weather and doubly sweetening amiability to strangers which no place or people can match.We do not say 'gothilla'  on inquiring unless we really do not know.But sad that all of this is taken for granted.This thought crept after a two day stint in an another city which helped me realize how much I love and belong to my own.
It is easy to be a stranger in your town,hard to be in another.

-R.