Point of Reflection

Well, this post is of course about the weekend trip.. But not a travelog… but the journey in itself..

I was going to spend time with a soul friend…

Everything was ready, my backpack was ready, my book and music added, my checklist ticked, alarm set and ticket “assumed”.

Typically before any journey, I have this muted excitement which sends thrills of anticipation of discovering new bits and pieces or revisiting old bits and pieces when one travels..

Being up early in the morning, I was ready an hour early. My train to Coimbatore was at 8:00 AM. With lot of love and kindness, my mother-in-law and Rocks decided to drop me off.

We reached the railway station and I was in the frame of mind to hop on and get into my drifting space of travelopia.

I took out the ticket to check the train number and GUESS WHAT !! my train had already left for Coimbatore at 6:15. All the while I was referring to the return ticket.. GAH !! I was ashamed when the enquiry guy looked at me as if I was stupid to enquire about a train which already left..

For the first time in my life I MISSED MY TRAIN. Rocks was boiling and slowly fuming.. I did not know what to say… Well what do you say ?

Its no use bemoaning the fact that you have missed the train. I just smiled and laughed it away. When I called my friend, she also laughed out loud.. and well I was happier to hear her laugh and my world was better again..

By now Rocky also swallowed his ire and patiently started driving back murmuring under his breath that I could cancel my ticket..

I was keeping my pleasant attitude about this and did not point out until later that one cannot cancel the ticket once the train has left. Ha ha !! But he was only trying to be a man and help me out so I smiled again.

Its no use cursing yourself.. well then I thought to myself… I think I will end up chilling at home which was also fine.

Then suddenly I thought of trying the bus and fortunately, there was only one counter open and Rocks patiently waited till I found one lone old man chewing on tobacco half asleep.. blearily asking me where I wanted to go..

I said Coimbatore and he did say that there was a bus at 12:30 PM. I was thrilled. He suddenly woke up and skipped and crossed the road. I skipped behind him to go to another counter which was also the only one open and got myself a ticket to Coimbatore.

Rocky drove us back home and on the way back we had some freshly made dosas under a huge tree.. and generally enjoyed ourselves… mother in law was very encouraging about the situation and though I was embarrassed… I was feeling better that I would be going on that trip anyway.. and it was about a few hours late.. well all was well.

Rocky kindly dropped me and saw me off from the bus station at 1:00 PM, this time making sure that I left with the bus and not without. Typically IST wise, the said time and the actual time differed. No surprise there..

The bus was comfortable and since I had Seat no 1, I was pretty glad that I could have a wide view of the drive and what was in front of me..

Well the bus started with some nice Tamizh songs. Which was fine. They are pretty cool with fancy DVD with some MP3 CDs ready to be played for the traveler’s hearing pleasure.

Suddenly I was jerked by a song which sound like TITANIC many a times in the lyrics.. It was funny to say the least but I was bright and happy.. so it did not matter.

We stopped at the Bharat Petroleum Eating joint after Krishnagiri. And it was late afternoon. After a quick bite and an empty bladder, the bus started onwards. The handyman very enthusiastically, took out a 5 in 1 DVD and switched on the DVD.

And on came RAJANIKANT with his different expressions and that sultry look of his chewing on his trademark ciggie.

There were some mythological characters, Rajani in modern clothes and role and Rajani in a villager role. As the movie unfolded, I was zapped, sitting in silence, trying to focus on the nature passing by but forced to watch the movie and got caught up in the story which was totally ludicrous to say the least but totally entertaining..

I watched disbelievingly at Rajani making an entrance on a motorcycle with smoke billowing behind him chewing on his ciggie trying to block a truck on the highway at night.

Then he starts beating up people right and left and the fight scenes goes on and on.. Rajani with his white shirt and pant and him beating up some 10 -20 people without his white shirt getting dirty. WoW !!

Then while Rajani is fighting for his life.. in the fight scenes, we have Sheeba ( the somewhat known and forgotten Bollywood heroine) shouting.. “ippdi” !!! ” Sooper ” Soober man” And mimicking her arms boxing the air.. “adi adi ” “Sooper.. ” Then she throws him a flying kiss and Rajni in the middle of the fight, has the time to look sexily at her and take out his distinctively pink tongue and looking at the camera and lapping the flying kiss up like a puppy.. and then goes back to beating up the goons… I was like GAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH and that was supposed to be a hot moment…. GROSSSS !!!! I was having a quiet stomach ache laughing my head off. Oh and lets not forget some 2-3 song and dance routine with him in his white dress and shoes and lots of extras jiggling around with Sheeba and then some more fight scenes.. which made no sense…

To continue and make this short, Rajani gets killed and he floats around in heaven with three guys, one of whom is Chitragupt the divine bookkeeper of karmic accounts or whatever.

Cut to Rajani doing his role as a village bumpkin and prancing around with a village belle. They sing and dance and Rajani gets beaten up by his uncle by a whip and gets poisoned for his property. Then we see the floating Rajani with his heavenly companions waiting for the village bumpkin counterpart to die. Once he dies, this modern Rajani gets transferred to the village bumkin’s body and then he proceeds to do some impossible things like beating up his uncle and aunty with whips, wearing modern dresses and still romancing the village belle. Then he comes to town and somehow gets found by Sheeba and he romances her too.. at the same time.. with the village belle.

And I am not saying anything about the 10 odd songs in the movies which sometimes is close to pornography by their very movements.. and no I am not shocked.. just an observation. At one time, I noticed Rajani just stiffly moving his body while the females falling and touching him all over… to make a dance… GAH !!!

I was also somewhat disturbed by the scene where Rajani does not only beat up his evil uncle with a whip but also his aunt. So well as per the movies, its ok to beat up a woman with a whip and so what.. if she was evil.. That is good punishment..

Well anyway, I will not be surprised if the public ( the mango people) believe this to be true and had a justification in beating the women up in the household..

My head was not making sense at all.. yet I was forced to watch it.. I tried and close my eyes but it did no good.. The driver had pulled a screen down half of the front window so that the passengers do not have a view of the outside and can ONLY watch the movie and clap their hands when Rajani does the beating up or cheer when something happens.. which makes them happy.

Anyway, the movie goes on and on… and many impossible feats later which defy science and gravity, he is left with the two heroines. Then one of the heavenly companions whisper in his ear. He whispers back in two of the heroine’s ears and they both get to maul Rajani at the end and he has a satisfied smile on his face.. This Chinese Whisper session is the climax of the film and I get to see the credits..

I sigh in relief.. but no my pain knew no end… my torture was beginning.

DVD 2 – The tamizh version of our bollywood remake Ghar Jamai. – suffice it to say that it did its work on having my ears and hair stand at my end.. the script defies everything in the name of films..

By the time this movie ended, I am going bonkers.. and just when I think I can breathe, Than tha naaaaaann !!! up comes yet another movie..

And to top it all, everytime some dialouge comes up, the driver repeats the dialogue along with Rajani.. I did not know what to do.. I was I think ready to puke on the drivers head.. or whack him with something.. I had SOOSOOSOSO lost it..

I had to vent it out. I called Rocks up and swore and cursed about the torture and after seeing my wild and mad behavior and hearing the words torture couple of times.. the driver instructs the handyman to switch off the movie.. ( Rocks on the other side was laughing his head off)

BLISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!

But the next hour is full of loud radio music.. which I was ok with and also sang along with some popular Tamil songs.

I am also embarrassed by losing my temper.. and cursing so badly.. which I usually refrain.. but the human mind can only take so much..

By the end of it all, I was zonked out.. and eagerly counting kms on the board till I reached Coimbatore.. 140, 67, 35, 28, … it blurred and I started staring into space and just thinking nothing.. so much was I lost that I did not realize, we had come to my stop… if my friend would not have seen me, or I would not have spied her, I would have moved on to god knows which destination.. and ended up screwing my day royally.

But thanks to all good things that make life easy, my friend called me down and we finally reached her place..

It took me a cup of tea and a good bath to wind down.. and start my weekend…

GAHHH GAAHHH and double GAHHHHHHH !!!!! to crazy movies !!!

I must say that we have to upgrade to headphones connected to the bus TV which allows us to watch or ignore a movie and journey in peace..

Or maybe I should invest in some noise reduction headphones.. the next time I take a bus..

So well, I am fresh and rejuvenated to start another week and looking forward to the usual stuff that happens in a week and another travel.. coming up this time some family time in the forest..

So hopefully you had a lovely weekend.. Have a great week ahead.. It’s a wonderful Tuesday today..

Ode to the man himself.. :