The new Kochi airport looks plush - very plush, given the socialist Malayali's restraint to be self effacing when it comes to showing opulence.
(Would like to clarify that this reference to plushness is only relative to other airports in Kerala)
But with a delayed flight, it also gave the perfect setting for the adage "the more things change, the more they remain the same."
Earlier, like a confused desi I had arrived at the domestic departure gate only to be told that my flight to Mumbai will take off from the international terminal. I left the domestic terminal entrance wondering whether this was the airport administration's ploy of showing off their new premises. The delay added more conspiracy to my theory.
The extended airport tour, the delay and the unexpected opulence started taking the shine off the mallu dust settling on me, although it was a very short trip to my home state. The dust was mostly collected off the road during the 20 odd hours that I spent traveling up and down from Kochi to Wayanad. It didn't help that it was my third trip to my home state in 2018 to pay obeisance to a departed soul in the family. The fourth one quite literally ended in a deluge. I wished I was here for another reason. I wished 2018 ended better.
I wished the flight was on time.
The sight of the well stocked duty free shop offered a welcome reprieve from my thoughts. It ensconed me, dragged me inside and even added a small shopping basket for me to hold on to. Some familiar names in the liquor section looked inviting. Some warmth finally, I thought to myself.
My earnestness should have been noticeable. A shopping assistant reached up to me and offered some tips on the wares. But alas, like my trips to Kerala in 2018, this too ended up being short lived. My rising spirits were grounded again - this time, by my domestic flier status.
Now, I even started wishing that I was in the old familiar domestic airport terminal.
Dejected, I tried hard to hide my "smona" - a very expressive mallu slang for something that exists between a smile and a smirk.
I knew I had to shake off the ennui and give a flying hoot (not an intentional metaphor) to what was happening to me.
I wanted to take some weight off my weary mind - and the polythene bags from Lulu I was carrying caught my attention.
Suddenly I felt the world around me slowing down, almost like the climax setting in a boring mallu family tele-series. Each gaze into that polythene bag played back three times in slow motion.
My hands slowly reached into that bag, my eyes slowly closing as I gently squeezed that packet of my elixir.
Earlier in the day, like a faithful devotee of all things mallu, I had visited Lulu mall in Kochi for some packed and sealed memories to take back with me. On the way back, the "Today's Special" board outside Taal, one of the popular joints near my home taunted me to take away some more, in the form of the plebian Parotta and Beef Ularthiyadu.
With an erratic sleep pattern for the past few days, I thought this could be a good packet to tuck myself in for the night.
At the airport, sleep looked atleast 45000 thousand high. And delayed, for sure.
Once the slow motion played out, the warmth of the freshly made parotta, covering the slow roasted pieces of beef in red masala and the aroma of the spicy hot curry accompanying my feast was the best chance at getting my mojo back.
With boarding scheduled atleast an hour away, I took my time to find an empty table in a heavily packed coffee shop. Here I set up my lair like a wild beast preparing its catch.
A steaming cup of coffee and a paper plate that I paid for possibly made the coffee shop folks look away from my haughtiness.
As I started my intense guttoral catharsis, I found a lot of patrons throwing glances at me.
One could never be sure whether these were condemptive, contemplative or of appetence.
With the feast in front of me, the mallu phrase "hah! povan para" summed up my non chalance.
As I licked off the last morsel off my fingers, the setting couldn't have been more ironic.
Away, yet at home; with something to chew on, to take the bite off 2018.
Here's to a great 2019. Happy new year folks!
(Would like to clarify that this reference to plushness is only relative to other airports in Kerala)
But with a delayed flight, it also gave the perfect setting for the adage "the more things change, the more they remain the same."
Earlier, like a confused desi I had arrived at the domestic departure gate only to be told that my flight to Mumbai will take off from the international terminal. I left the domestic terminal entrance wondering whether this was the airport administration's ploy of showing off their new premises. The delay added more conspiracy to my theory.
The extended airport tour, the delay and the unexpected opulence started taking the shine off the mallu dust settling on me, although it was a very short trip to my home state. The dust was mostly collected off the road during the 20 odd hours that I spent traveling up and down from Kochi to Wayanad. It didn't help that it was my third trip to my home state in 2018 to pay obeisance to a departed soul in the family. The fourth one quite literally ended in a deluge. I wished I was here for another reason. I wished 2018 ended better.
I wished the flight was on time.
The sight of the well stocked duty free shop offered a welcome reprieve from my thoughts. It ensconed me, dragged me inside and even added a small shopping basket for me to hold on to. Some familiar names in the liquor section looked inviting. Some warmth finally, I thought to myself.
My earnestness should have been noticeable. A shopping assistant reached up to me and offered some tips on the wares. But alas, like my trips to Kerala in 2018, this too ended up being short lived. My rising spirits were grounded again - this time, by my domestic flier status.
Now, I even started wishing that I was in the old familiar domestic airport terminal.
Dejected, I tried hard to hide my "smona" - a very expressive mallu slang for something that exists between a smile and a smirk.
I knew I had to shake off the ennui and give a flying hoot (not an intentional metaphor) to what was happening to me.
I wanted to take some weight off my weary mind - and the polythene bags from Lulu I was carrying caught my attention.
Suddenly I felt the world around me slowing down, almost like the climax setting in a boring mallu family tele-series. Each gaze into that polythene bag played back three times in slow motion.
My hands slowly reached into that bag, my eyes slowly closing as I gently squeezed that packet of my elixir.
Earlier in the day, like a faithful devotee of all things mallu, I had visited Lulu mall in Kochi for some packed and sealed memories to take back with me. On the way back, the "Today's Special" board outside Taal, one of the popular joints near my home taunted me to take away some more, in the form of the plebian Parotta and Beef Ularthiyadu.
With an erratic sleep pattern for the past few days, I thought this could be a good packet to tuck myself in for the night.
At the airport, sleep looked atleast 45000 thousand high. And delayed, for sure.
Once the slow motion played out, the warmth of the freshly made parotta, covering the slow roasted pieces of beef in red masala and the aroma of the spicy hot curry accompanying my feast was the best chance at getting my mojo back.
With boarding scheduled atleast an hour away, I took my time to find an empty table in a heavily packed coffee shop. Here I set up my lair like a wild beast preparing its catch.
A steaming cup of coffee and a paper plate that I paid for possibly made the coffee shop folks look away from my haughtiness.
As I started my intense guttoral catharsis, I found a lot of patrons throwing glances at me.
One could never be sure whether these were condemptive, contemplative or of appetence.
With the feast in front of me, the mallu phrase "hah! povan para" summed up my non chalance.
As I licked off the last morsel off my fingers, the setting couldn't have been more ironic.
Away, yet at home; with something to chew on, to take the bite off 2018.
Here's to a great 2019. Happy new year folks!
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