Coimbatore-Ernakulam Intercity Express - 6 pm-9.30 pm
An unexpected derailment bit away south landed me in the Intercity that had already spatterings of restless passengers muttering unintelligibles to themselves.
It was some 30 km farther that I dared to take my pad out. The Gandhi-faced loudspeaker required immediate treatment with the marker. The flexible pad and the swaying bogey kept on taking the pen tip to strange corners of the paper. But it came out clean. But then, the poor mobile camera struggled to rummage the figures in the dim-lit coach to unprofessionally focus on Akhil, the 3rd year BTech (Mech) student and later, the 2 others to follow - Adarsh, his class & bench mate and Ebin.
It was some 30 km farther that I dared to take my pad out. The Gandhi-faced loudspeaker required immediate treatment with the marker. The flexible pad and the swaying bogey kept on taking the pen tip to strange corners of the paper. But it came out clean. But then, the poor mobile camera struggled to rummage the figures in the dim-lit coach to unprofessionally focus on Akhil, the 3rd year BTech (Mech) student and later, the 2 others to follow - Adarsh, his class & bench mate and Ebin.
Ebin, descendent from a traditionally underweight family of six footers of Kottayam was by default smileless and appeared panicky near a mountain of a man. He impulsively gave the clue as writer, on repeated questioning. But when the genre, the publishers, his magnum opus and the royalty receivable were probed into, he tamely came around as content editor for a music band based at Bangalore. I thought, yes, finally the Thaikkudam bridge mystery can be resolved from an insider.
Surprisingly, it was Akhil the 30 looking 22er who in a flash flicked out his buddy's mobile in a flourish from his pocket and straightaway travelled through youtube and landed in the Kochin tribe's den. He explained that there was a dad-son in the band and that Avial is likely to be doomed for Thaikkudam. I was watching the strangely dressed crowd for the first time. Amid malayali numbers, they desperately foisted english phrases and the customary clueless body shivers of western singers. But it was enjoyable - due to the malayalam content.
As a tribute to the band who struggled to the top, an impatient attempt has been made here on the Govind-Siddharth and the eldest Menon tri.
Sooner, Kerala will be music-jammed with street bands. And that is a cherishable dream !
BEST WISHES TO ALL THE 6 !
