Inasu was going to Delhi. He did not make any arrangements for the going as he did not consider it any thing to specially arrange for. He attended the local church in the morning, went to office afterwards, reached back in the evening. Spent some time in the market place where most of the people were known, and some of them he spoke to or they spoke to him according to need. Had tea and snacks in the old style tea shop. At times his brother or father joined him! The tea shop owner was his class fellow. Life was simple.
No body distrubed others and the general public took a simple interest in the affairs of other people so as not to hurt them. From such simple life, Inasu had got employed in a new job in Delhi, so he had to go. He shared the information to one of his benefactors called Rappai Chettan. Rappai Chettan always appreciated his studies and works. He wanted to see the job order! Inasu produced the envelope he had got asking him to join! Rappai Chettan after going through it enquired if he had reserved a ticket. Inasu thought of it for the first time! Rappai Chettan insisted he buy a ticket and gave one hundred fifty rupees to him and Inasu was off to the town railway station. The ticket seller turned the ticket holding rack and pulled out a thick little ticket on which was a thing curvy black print and the names Trichur to New Delhi. Inasu pocketed the ticket for ninety seven rupees and was off in a 'Jayanthi Janata' train in which the travellers were all friendly and the food distributers were keen to satisfy the customers in the train with vegetarian food, non vegetarian food and tea all the time.
Time passed and Inasu returned to his home village market centre once again.! The market centre had slight changes in that the roads had slightly widened, the old shops had disappeared. The old grocery shops had disappeared, the tailor shops had become 'Dress Makers'! The barber shops changed to 'beauty saloons', 'Men's Moods' etc. The Grocery shops was there which Inasu did not recognize at first. They had been now called 'Super Markets'. Some of them had started 'Take One, Get One Free!'
The culture was slowly changing. Tea shops had been renamed Hotels and various other names! Service had become more fashionable, but less out of the heart. No body knew Inasu now! All were new generation people which hurt Inasu badly. The old Sreeramachandra bus was not to be seen. Buses have become all new and too fast with blaring terrible horns going almost rubbing Inasu's ears. The place had changed like anything!
Almost every house near the centre market place have given way to shops. The normal space where people could wait or stand or be there for a while has all been appropriated by the shops and the roads have grown on either side taking away the walk space making moving around dangerous! Vehicles oversped with blaring horns terrorising the walking public and at times making accidents. The bicycles have given way to motor cyclkes and scooters. The yellow topped taxi cars have disappeared almost altogether and have changed colour to tourist cars.
Policemen's dress have grown downwards to long pants and the funnel caps have become flat caps. Changes of the times.Young and little children of the earlier times have all become old people some with old age illnesses, and most with very white hair and a kind of tiredness on their faces. The climate had been without much change, rain, shine and a slight winter in the November-Decembers. Thats all. It is the people who had changed. A kind of urgency has come into everybody.
Inasu had seen only a cool, slow village centre when he left, but that was not to be seen anymnore. the bullock carts disappeared and small mini trucks appeared, that too, went in break neck speed. The drivers and helpers in them if ever they are close by were very touchy, and if need be abusive. no body considered any body. An over all change! He looked for old friends but none was to be seen. The old land marks were there, some transformed. The film Talkies had changed to a Marriage Hall. The Church interiors had been repainted at places badly as the old masterpieces could not be redone or repaired. But some new ones, of course good ones, had come up. The floor marbles were the same, but some of them totally worn out losing their sheen, shine and the flowers on them.
The open courtyard of the church had been covered with tin roof and the only well (which carried water even in the harshest of summers were not to be seen). had been covered to use the upper space as water can be now pulled by electric pumps. The church tower and the large ground was still there as a mark of the old times.A toilet is normally not found in a church or if there is one, it will be unusable. Here a new one has been built which is an improvement. Don't misunderstand one can use it always! When any one most urgently needed it, it can be found locked. Any other public place, same is the condition.
Inasu walked home and came to the main highway to walk a furlong to turn into a by lane leading to the paddy fields. A bus just passed by with a great roar and the man at one of the doors terrified Inasu by striking strongly on the doorside of the bus to shoo away Inasu. This was unexpected. There is no rule against striking on the bus door when the bus reached your ear that Inasu knew of. Inasu was terrified. Inasu increased the pace to reach the by-lane quickly. Once in the by lane, a motor cycle with three youth on it passed Inasu . While whizzing past, the boys on the bike shouted in Inasu's ears "Oldie, want to live. Just come out on the road!" and they passed.
The new Kerala. Something has gone wrong with the driving public. Most of them stared at the other drivers and at times passed epithets. Their eyes burned when they looked at others! The old Sreeramachandra bus driver and the happy conductor and the ever helping cleaner all very friendly and with an iquisity about all the happenings of the village are gone!! Now everybody was in a hurry, they never wanted to know anyting. They were angry at everybody.
Inasu passed the by-lane and walked into the paddy fields. Only a bit part of the field was remaining from what was a vast area. Most of the other parts ha ve been developed into house building places.The water in the side canals which used to carry fresh water has been contaminated now with the presence of various kinds of cleaning powders and effluents and the water life has disappeared. The ponds have been converted into water wells for pumping out water for various projects in the city.
No body distrubed others and the general public took a simple interest in the affairs of other people so as not to hurt them. From such simple life, Inasu had got employed in a new job in Delhi, so he had to go. He shared the information to one of his benefactors called Rappai Chettan. Rappai Chettan always appreciated his studies and works. He wanted to see the job order! Inasu produced the envelope he had got asking him to join! Rappai Chettan after going through it enquired if he had reserved a ticket. Inasu thought of it for the first time! Rappai Chettan insisted he buy a ticket and gave one hundred fifty rupees to him and Inasu was off to the town railway station. The ticket seller turned the ticket holding rack and pulled out a thick little ticket on which was a thing curvy black print and the names Trichur to New Delhi. Inasu pocketed the ticket for ninety seven rupees and was off in a 'Jayanthi Janata' train in which the travellers were all friendly and the food distributers were keen to satisfy the customers in the train with vegetarian food, non vegetarian food and tea all the time.
Time passed and Inasu returned to his home village market centre once again.! The market centre had slight changes in that the roads had slightly widened, the old shops had disappeared. The old grocery shops had disappeared, the tailor shops had become 'Dress Makers'! The barber shops changed to 'beauty saloons', 'Men's Moods' etc. The Grocery shops was there which Inasu did not recognize at first. They had been now called 'Super Markets'. Some of them had started 'Take One, Get One Free!'
The culture was slowly changing. Tea shops had been renamed Hotels and various other names! Service had become more fashionable, but less out of the heart. No body knew Inasu now! All were new generation people which hurt Inasu badly. The old Sreeramachandra bus was not to be seen. Buses have become all new and too fast with blaring terrible horns going almost rubbing Inasu's ears. The place had changed like anything!
Almost every house near the centre market place have given way to shops. The normal space where people could wait or stand or be there for a while has all been appropriated by the shops and the roads have grown on either side taking away the walk space making moving around dangerous! Vehicles oversped with blaring horns terrorising the walking public and at times making accidents. The bicycles have given way to motor cyclkes and scooters. The yellow topped taxi cars have disappeared almost altogether and have changed colour to tourist cars.
Policemen's dress have grown downwards to long pants and the funnel caps have become flat caps. Changes of the times.Young and little children of the earlier times have all become old people some with old age illnesses, and most with very white hair and a kind of tiredness on their faces. The climate had been without much change, rain, shine and a slight winter in the November-Decembers. Thats all. It is the people who had changed. A kind of urgency has come into everybody.
Inasu had seen only a cool, slow village centre when he left, but that was not to be seen anymnore. the bullock carts disappeared and small mini trucks appeared, that too, went in break neck speed. The drivers and helpers in them if ever they are close by were very touchy, and if need be abusive. no body considered any body. An over all change! He looked for old friends but none was to be seen. The old land marks were there, some transformed. The film Talkies had changed to a Marriage Hall. The Church interiors had been repainted at places badly as the old masterpieces could not be redone or repaired. But some new ones, of course good ones, had come up. The floor marbles were the same, but some of them totally worn out losing their sheen, shine and the flowers on them.
The open courtyard of the church had been covered with tin roof and the only well (which carried water even in the harshest of summers were not to be seen). had been covered to use the upper space as water can be now pulled by electric pumps. The church tower and the large ground was still there as a mark of the old times.A toilet is normally not found in a church or if there is one, it will be unusable. Here a new one has been built which is an improvement. Don't misunderstand one can use it always! When any one most urgently needed it, it can be found locked. Any other public place, same is the condition.
Inasu walked home and came to the main highway to walk a furlong to turn into a by lane leading to the paddy fields. A bus just passed by with a great roar and the man at one of the doors terrified Inasu by striking strongly on the doorside of the bus to shoo away Inasu. This was unexpected. There is no rule against striking on the bus door when the bus reached your ear that Inasu knew of. Inasu was terrified. Inasu increased the pace to reach the by-lane quickly. Once in the by lane, a motor cycle with three youth on it passed Inasu . While whizzing past, the boys on the bike shouted in Inasu's ears "Oldie, want to live. Just come out on the road!" and they passed.
The new Kerala. Something has gone wrong with the driving public. Most of them stared at the other drivers and at times passed epithets. Their eyes burned when they looked at others! The old Sreeramachandra bus driver and the happy conductor and the ever helping cleaner all very friendly and with an iquisity about all the happenings of the village are gone!! Now everybody was in a hurry, they never wanted to know anyting. They were angry at everybody.
Inasu passed the by-lane and walked into the paddy fields. Only a bit part of the field was remaining from what was a vast area. Most of the other parts ha ve been developed into house building places.The water in the side canals which used to carry fresh water has been contaminated now with the presence of various kinds of cleaning powders and effluents and the water life has disappeared. The ponds have been converted into water wells for pumping out water for various projects in the city.
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