Chennai to Trichy.

Boarded a day train on our annual trip to Srirangam.

I had brought a whole lot of magazines and newspapers intending to finish them in the 5 hours journey and thus be abreast of happenings in and around me.

After an hour of concentrating over the contents,all the while studiously ignoring the noisy chatter of two young women seated besides me, I happened to look out of the window. I saw the gentle waves of a huge sea like dark blue lake ,lapping very close to the tracks. A small, dark and wiry man clad only in a meagre lower garment and a red piece of cloth wound as a turban around his head bobbed into view as he came out of the cover of overhanging creepers and branches, on a small catamaran and pushed it into the middle of the lake by digging a long pole into the bed of the lake .Showing his back to the train.

The Chengal pattu lake, an hour journey from Chennai , shook me out of the rut . From the glut of information , views and analysis. I rolled the mags and the papers and stuffed them into the net ,provided for the very purpose on the back of the seat, in front of me.The scenery outside was much more interesting, invigorating and at the same time soothing.

Thence forward I was in a green daze. Dark green paddy fields in slabs of various dimensions, bordered either by purple stalks and pale green leaves of sugar cane groves, or by blackish green ,cone shaped casuarina trees. Their presence ,away from the coast ,their natural habitat is mystifying.Silhouettes of palm trees looking like the rotating coloured lights used on a stage also bordered the fields.

There were also golden coloured fields , the ripening grain waving in the wind as well as rust coloured fields with the harvested rice heaped in a corner along side bundles of fresh hay.Some fields had stubs pointing to the sky . The remnants of the recent harvesting of the Sambha crop.

Side by side fresh and tender rice saplings are being transplanted. Their colour,a delicious shade of parrot green .The cycle goes on !

In one stretch the greenery rolled on as far as the eyes could see and beyond!They were neatly divided into small and subtle green carpets by narrow clay bunds.It at once brought brought to my mind Bharathiyar's soulful yearning ,

"Khani nilam vendum Parashakthi , kani nilam vendum"---meaning,

I want a piece of land, to call it my own , grant me this wish 'Parashakthi!'

He was voicing the aspirations and dreams of every person born on this earth .

It is also the dream of every city dweller though owning a flat or a house, to own a patch of land in a village, away from the bright lights of the city and raise crops. To plough and prepare the land , sow seeds and water it and nurture the plants and harvest the rich yield.A short lived dream. Is it possible to lead such a simple life ? Away from the amenities, entertainments,from the reassuring sound of a passing motorbike late at night,the crowds in shopping centres, temples and beach,in which one can get lost and escape from one's self and various other distractions one is used to , all through one's life in a city?

My train of thoughts was rudely shaken by the woman sitting next to me. She was demanding as of right, my destination. The usual question posed by total strangers in a train to start a conversation.She was also munching, on a mollaga bhajji [ long chillies,not hot, dipped in besan and deep fried] served with watery chuttni, that was spilling all over,by the railway caterers towards tea time.

They were a group of 5 women, returning to their home in Trichy after 10 days tour of Delhi and Agra. To attend special classes on teaching special children.The deaf, dumb and the blind!Of late I seem to have a close connection with the disabled especially the blind.They are teachers in a school run by an NGO [intl], which was footing all their travel expenses and hotel bills

The dusky young woman seated next to me in the course of mutual transference of information said that she was appalled by the the tobacco stains and dirt of Agra ,the signature of most North Indian towns according to her, but was bowled totally over by the beauty of Taj mahal.She was full of praise for Delhi at its cleanliness and the broad tree lined avenues and literally shivered whilst reliving the patriotic fervour that Delhi evoked in her,especially after a visit to Indira Ghandhi's memorial.

As we sped on I didn't see a single stray cattle or goat or sheep. Unlike the free run they have in our cities and towns they are tethered or herded by boys or by old men or women.The paddy fields are largely ,unfenced.

Came out of the green haze as plastic covers littering vacant spaces and fluttering in the wind stared at me rudely alerting me to the imminent arrival of a city.

Trichy was just 5 minutes away!