What Once Stood There

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There comes a day when you return to your childhood neighborhood and realize that you're the only one who still remembers what once stood there. For me, that neighborhood is Malleswaram. When people think of Malleswaram, they think of CTR, Janata Hotel (it's common in India to call a restaurant a hotel), Veena Stores, Sai Shakti and the other iconic eateries that continue to thrive. I think of the ones that quietly disappeared. Button Idlis from New Krishna Bhavan. Bangalore is famous for its darshinis—quick, self-service eateries where people stop for a bite before getting on with their day. When we were living in Kasturi Dhama Apartments, I would invariably find myself at Sahyadri, located near the 8th Cross bus stop on Margosa Road. The fluffy idlis, the steaming hot sambar with just a hint of jaggery, the freshly made coconut chutney, and the potato palya that accompanied the dosas had a way of pulling in anyone walking past. My favorites were always the idl...
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She...

A beautiful sunny day in the offing,
How could I not enter the forests,
She tagged along with me slowly,
A comfort to have her with me

The days gradually progressed,
I found not a soul in sight,
It was a sojourn always tricky,
But there she was to keep me chirpy

Tough to find your way through
Creepy creepers all over you,
I could sense the trickles of blood,
She was there to keep me good

Berries and cherries in my belly,
Nothing else to gloat over fully,
She was the perfect cushion
For the rest of my meal

A moment of tiredness fell,
I pushed along heavily,
Again, I fell back to her,
She was there to fill the void

A long time later, I realised,
She was slowly leaving me,
The sick feeling was getting to me,
Now, it was just a matter of time

Finally, I was really alone,
I was feeling the heat,
It was the point of agony,
How I wish there was more water!

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 20, 2007 at 4:54 PM

    Water....this reminds of a line someone wrote when I was in school about floods--"Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Praveen KrishnanJuly 20, 2007 at 8:42 PM

    Anonymous: True, any trek, and all I think about is water!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. david mcmahonJuly 21, 2007 at 6:34 AM

    A post that anyone and everyone can identify with.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Praveen KrishnanJuly 21, 2007 at 9:23 PM

    Thanks David :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. PavanJuly 21, 2007 at 9:47 PM

    Interesting!
    That's a wonderful word. It leaves the reader thinking what he wants to hear. Yes, but surely something one can relate to :-) Water----more so after today for you anyway.....!

    ReplyDelete
  6. ShubhikaJuly 21, 2007 at 9:56 PM

    Excellent!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Praveen KrishnanJuly 21, 2007 at 9:58 PM

    Pavan: Water, water and water!!! Ooooooh man :-) Unforgettable :-)

    Shubhika: Thanks!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2009 at 1:36 AM

    Very nice you can visit my website for more collections

    ReplyDelete

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