Thursday, August 21, 2014

My Almost Home



Chennai. Well, what can I say about it ? May be if time had a rewind button, I will go back to a time when I had a two hour argument with my colleagues on all the good things one can find in Chennai and record it for prosperity.

Chennai had always held a special place in my heart as it had been my summer haunt during my childhood. I had the cliche vacation time where I was packed off to my grandmother's place the day my holidays started. Only for me, it was not the cliched trip to the village considering the fact that I was living in an almost village town. My summer vacations were in the city. A city where I will arrive every summer religiously to soak in the glory of my grandmother's love. A city where my grandmother was not afraid to send her young grand-daughter to buy milk and chocolates in the shop next lane. All good things come to an end and did my summer vacations in the city when my grandmother moved to a different place.

My second chance with the city happened when I did my Engineering here, from one of the most prestigious colleges in the heart of the city. I completely loved the freedom and I still remember the adventure I had in my first solo trip to hometown. Thinking about it now, I guess Chennai has really been my theme since college. My communications seminar was on Singara Chennai. One of my projects was based on the notoriously famous Coovum River. We had walked across the city along the river collecting water samples. Window Shopping at T-Nagar was my favorite stress buster and I discovered my craze about earrings there. My friends used to have a hard time, trying to get me back to focus on the streets.

Call it fate or destiny, my last minute career decisions led me back to Chennai when I was all set to move to Delhi. The past two years have been quite a ride. Many a time, I have turned to the beaches to sooth my silent rants and rages. I discovered the 'foodie' in me through the restaurants the city has to offer.

Having been in the city for six years now, I can call it my almost home. On its 375th Birthday, all I can say that this city is the Best. It will always remain my Singara Chennai. Or rather 'Sennaaii' as one of my friends calls it.