Small Town Girl

Last night’s journey back from office was unexpectedly calm and peaceful. I had given my bike for servicing and so sir suggested I be dropped by his driver. Set out at 7pm by the office cab bracing myself for the 1/2 hour ordeal. Surprisingly the traffic laden (no this isn’t Osama’s relative), bumpy and potholed stretch of road was pretty empty. Of course it was still as bumpy and potholed as ever but at least there was a scope to bypass those unintentional ’speed breakers’. Just because of the so called hartal there wasn’t a single living thing on the road and I could get the vibes of the time being midnight.

The pleasant breeze (sans the dirt and pollution) lightly caressed my face, delighting me. Strains of good music playing in the background made the effect even more ethereal. The breeze started toying naughtily, with my hair…throwing wisps of silken hair on my face. As a result the cool wind managed to cool my poor brain which was overwrought with mental tension. I felt like throwing open my hair and feeling the wind streaming down the strands right from the follicle to the tip. (One of the thrills of lengthy hair). It reminded me of the bike rides that we used to have back in Chennai, when we (literally) threw caution to the winds at 90kmph on Chennai roads. Seeped in nostalgia and complacently holding on to the moment, I snapped back into focus, realizing what I had been staring at for so long wasn’t just anything.. it was our very own moon, looking as full and brimming with moonlight as ever. It was SO big and close, it seemed like a scene straight out of ‘Bruce Almighty’, except Bruce wasn’t there..but the Almighty was definitely showing off his breathtaking stunts to me. We crossed the Venduruthy Bridge. another peaceful stretch with thankfully no high rise buildings blocking my view. I kept playing hide and seek with the moon…saw it next to the beautiful Naval Base, making it look like some Arabian structure with lots of mystery and magic. Suddenly I noticed a low flying plane going over the moon. From that distance, it looked as if it was literally going over the moon’. The beauty of a man made miracle next to a God made one, made that scene eligible for the best portrait award or something.

Soon we reached the gammon bridge, one of the best roads (plus bridges) here. The wind is absolutely the best here. You can smell the fresh ocean air to your hearts *and* your lungs content, hear the waters around you and pass by unnoticed and unheard. No lighting adds to the sea effect. The moon still kept its date with me as it followed me everywhere I went. The moment I would cast a glance at it, there it would be imploring me to somehow get photographic memory and lock this moment forever. Soon, I reached home, all fresh and calm and slept like a baby.