keralA beckonS

It's been 58 days and 7 hours that I am in Hyderabad. Three more days (exactly 79 hours) and I am gonna say good-bye to this city, rather, the twin-cities (Hyderabad-Secunderabad are together called twin cities).

The monsoon is predicted to hit Kerala coast on June 7th. I always welcomed her except for the last three years. What will she think if I'm not gonna be there a fourth time? Btw, don't tell her that I'm planning to give her a surprise this time by reaching Kerala on June 5th. ;-)

I still remember the first time I reached Kerala after joining my job. It was three years back and after a gap of (just) four months. The moment Netravati Express (He connects Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram through Konkan) entered Kerala border I was awake. It was 6 in the morning. The sun was just out in the open from his daily hide-and-seek game. I was very much delighted to see the good old coconut trees, the green rivers and the green fields after a short time period (Not short for me that time). Why is everything green in Kerala?

To reach Thiruvananthapuram I had to travel 14 hours through Kerala. And these were some of the few hours in my life that went like a rocket, which I badly wanted to go slowly.

Even though I liked train journey during childhood, the Indian Railways have given me enough reasons to be afraid of it. One of the incurable cases of Traino-phobia! I want to change that. And this is after two long years that I'm going to Kerala by train.

Now here is something that I have noticed during those travels to Kerala. You would be using all your sense organs while you travel through Kerala, which make you feel that you are in Kerala.

Confusing, eeh? Ok lemme explain.

Tongue
Kozhikode-Aluva (Halwa) and I'm sure there is water in your mouth.

Eyes
Don't tell me that the greenery of Bekal fort was never a treat for your eyes. How about the backwaters of Alappuzha? And those lush green fields of Palakkad?

Ears
When the train stops at a railway station in Kerala, "Chaya Chayeee", "Puttum Kadalem", "Appom Mottem"! I always wanted to hear those again and again.

Nose
Well, no other sense organ will tell you that you have reached Kochi ;-) No offense meant. This is a dialogue in a Malayalam film. But to a lesser extent, Yeah!

Touch
When the gentle cold breeze, which carries the essence of Kerala, pat you on your back, and takes away all the worries from your mind.

Thus, using all your senses, you feel Kerala; you reach Kerala. No other place in this world can be proud of such a thing.

Yes! Kerala beckons.