Chandra Nandini 86-90: Sylvan idyll - Page 16

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

I too am missing India and my parents a lot. This year we may not even be able to go to India to visit them. That is spoiling my mood terribly these days. I take offense at small things which never used to bother me previously.

And speaking of hair raising train journeys, we had one such when my paternal grandmother was coming to stay with us in Pondicherry for a couple of months from my aunt's place in Berhampur. The train halt was only two minutes and my grandmother was moving ultra slow. Both me and mom boarded the train in our compartment with our luggage bags.

And my father was trudging behind with my grandmother in tow. We neither had the money nor the train tickets with us if these two did not make it. My mother assuming that it would be better to get down the train, both of us jumped down a gently moving train.

My dad and grandmother got into some other compartment. Observing that I and my mother had got down, my dad climbed down the train, while both of us observing dad and granny get into another compartment, ascended the train again with our luggage.

So the end result, three ticketless passengers were on board the train while the only member in this group with tickets and money was standing outside on the platform because of this ping-pongs. Luckily for us our father got into the last bogie of this train. We didn't know that, and all three of us, my grandmother, mom, and myself sat hushed, huddled and in perpetual fear that we were going to be evicted from the train the minute the TTE arrived to check the tickets.

We were all in a spot of panic but luckily dad arrived in the compartment in which we were sitting by then. My grandmother never travelled with us after this incredible journey. Even when she visited us, she would ask one of my uncles to escort her.

Originally posted by: jayaks02

MM Rani and Chanakya's Faltu rules dampened my spirits. Contrary to the last scene raving by many, I found concluding parts of Lizard scene extremely cute. Rajat gave a fine expression when Daadi was finished with him and left the room.

It was marvelous. Even Swetha was very good in concluding portions of Lizard scene. She was so measured both as character and as actor.

Originally posted by: sashashyam

Shailaja,

This is getting to be better and better! Your latest is the last word in effortless hilarity.👏 I only wondered what would have happened if the TT had arrived before your father did. You would all have pretended that the family was afflicted with congenital deafness, I expect!😆

You have clearly mistaken your vocation in life. It is not to write FFs in the IF or to watch your Terminator Jr. at work. It is to be become a travel writer.

Your next should be called, without the shadow of a doubt, A Traveller's Tales, and it will be a surefire hit.

Shyamala Aunty

Originally posted by: sashashyam

Shailaja,

This is getting to be better and better! Your latest is the last word in effortless hilarity.👏 I only wondered what would have happened if the TT had arrived before your father did. You would all have pretended that the family was afflicted with congenital deafness, I expect!😆

You have clearly mistaken your vocation in life. It is not to write FFs in the IF or to watch your Terminator Jr. at work. It is to be become a travel writer.

Your next should be called, without the shadow of a doubt, A Traveller's Tales, and it will be a surefire hit.

Shyamala Aunty

Originally posted by: shailusri1983

Aunty, speaking of my actual vocation would it actually surprise you if I told that I used to be an Assistant Professor of English and Soft Skills Instructor at an engineering college while I was in India and that I did my Ph.D in English? I was young when I became one, but all the same I was one! For the very first exam invigilation I went, I had a completely rude shock when the minute I entered the exam hall, my co-invigilator, an aged and experienced professor, gave me an answer sheet, question paper, asked for my hall ticket to check, and instructed me to sit down and start writing the exam immediately. A couple of my own students were sitting in the same room a little behind. They were all chuckling away to glory. When I showed my employment ID card, she realized her mistake to her very great embarrassment and mine.