Skip to main content

Namma Chennai

 Dear Chennai,

                Happy 381st birthday. You still look young and energetic as ever. It's saddening that we can't celebrate this day in our usual style. This time, there are no week-long art shows, concerts, dance performances or the famous food drive. 

                There are so many places that I missed during the summer.  It’s the season that I love the most. It may sound weird for many people who complain about the scorching sun and heat waves, but for me, summer is the time the city comes alive.

                Let’s start from the IPL. The entire city comes together adorning the charismatic yellow. The atmosphere at the Chepauk stadium is always pumped up with fans in yellow jerseys, face paint, flags, placards and what not. Everyone unites for the Mexican wave without hesitation and it’s a sight to behold. It's so sad to see our beloved team in Dubai, waiting to play in front of empty stands without our roars and whistles. 

                Many commercial films were slated for release this summer. I miss the excitement of booking FDFS tickets and taking a screenshot of it to post online. OTT platforms can never replace the experience of watching at the PVR screen in Phoenix with friends. The fun doesn't end with the movie. It drags on to eating in the food court and letting our hair down in the ‘Fun City’.

                Then comes the annual visit to ‘Queensland’ or ‘Kishkintha’ with my family. I miss the exciting rides, swimming pool, eating pepper corn and cotton candy and feeling exhausted but happy at the end of the day.

                Most of the restaurants are only catering to online orders. For me, going to A2B or Saravana Bhavan in person and relishing the steaming hot idly and sambar vadai isn’t the same as sitting at home with the parcelled food.

                The ever bustling Ranganathan Street looks deserted and I'm forced to shop online. The specialty of the street is going to shop for one item but ending up purchasing five items.

                Lastly, the place that I miss the most is the Pallavaram Cantonment Park. It is one of the most well maintained public parks. I miss sitting in the gallery steps and watching people from all walks of life. Kids learning to roller skate in the ramp, senior citizens learning yoga, youngsters clicking selfies beside the water fountain, fitness freaks walking or jogging with a fit-bit watch and grandparents playing with their grandchildren in the playpen. Every time I come back from the park, I feel relaxed and happy.

                Don’t worry, Chennai. You have faced many adversities in the past and bounced back stronger every single time. You’ll recover again and that’s why you are truly chancey illa.

 

With love,

-A proud Chennaite

 

Comments

  1. Janani22 August 2020 at 11:46

    Well written! Nama chennai chancey Illa! 💚

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sathya22 August 2020 at 11:59

    Well said 💯... Chennai will be back more powerful than before 💪🏻

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown22 August 2020 at 12:03

    Not just places, also people's hearts

    ReplyDelete
  4. NAVEEN JAGA22 August 2020 at 12:13

    Even I'm from CHENGALPATTU I'm proud to be a neighborhood friend of CHENNAI
    MAGIZCHI

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown18 February 2021 at 19:38

    Well written. Always Namma Chennai

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Anonymous Exchange

          Yogi rubbed his hands in delight as he placed the parcel on his lap. The wrapper was nothing fancy, just the regular brown paper with a red bow tied in the middle. He untied the ribbon and tore the wrapper in a fit of excitement. This was his first experience with the book exchange program. People from around the country send one of their favourite books to someone and in return, they’ll receive one anonymously. Last night, he dreamt that he had received a copy of Gillian Flynn’s new book from the writer herself. He grinned as he looked at the hard-bound book. Out of habit, he opened the middle page and sniffed it. It lacked the musty smell as it looked brand new. “Anonymous” was the book’s title and holding true to its name, it neither had the writer’s nor the publisher’s name. He opened the first page to see if there was a special handwritten note from his sender. But there was none. He sighed in disappointment thinking why he had enrolled i...
13 comments
Read more

Night of Madness

27 th March, 8.00 PM Home is where the heart is. It’s the only place where I can be myself. After a stressful day at work, I hopped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling for some time. Living alone has its perks. There’s no one to nag me when I come back home exhausted. I filled my bathtub with warm water and lit scented candles beside it. After grabbing my bath brush, I jumped into the bathtub. The aroma, bubbles and the warm water soothed my mind. I hummed an old tune and started singing the song. Once the song ended, I thanked my imaginary audience. ‘Wow! I didn’t know you were a singer’, a voice boomed behind me. My heart froze. - 28 th March, 7.00 AM My alarm rang and I woke up with a throbbing headache. I ran my fingers through my hair. There was a huge bump at the back of my head. Then, I noticed bruise marks on my face and wrists. My left eye was swollen. I wanted to shout on top of my lungs but all I managed was a hiccup. Tears welled up in my eyes. I tr...
13 comments
Read more

Trapped Soul

Trapped Soul      ‘Have passion, take action and magic will happen’ sounds inspiring but beneath every human, there is a talented soul that had to reconcile with the societal norms to live in harmony.      Every time the businessman passed a book store, the writer inside him shouted on top of his lungs. The singer who was trapped by a home maker, sighed whenever she saw a music director. The artist died with a faded canvas, inside the engineer. The photographer behind the accountant, dancer inside the clerk, actor buried by a dentist and the journalist masked by an insurance agent regret and struggle every day to fit in .      Their passion which should have turned into a profession, did not even exist as a hobby anymore. Remarks like, ‘There’s too much competition’, ‘There’s no job security’, ‘You won’t make much money’, ‘It’s not up to your status’ and ‘It’s just a hobby’, arrested the talented souls forever.     ...
11 comments
Read more