Nurungukal.......contd...

         Yesterday was a crucial day in my life. I met the girl with whom I am going to spent the rest of the life. I entrusted mother and brothers to proceed further and of course with the concurrence of my sister and brother-in-law. I took the first bus to Vepery on arrival at Madras Central railway station. It was cool and pleasant out side.

        At that time I was staying in Nadar’s Lodge in Vepery on Poonamally high road. When I joined Central Warehousing Corporation, for a few days I was staying in a small room provided by my friend Rajappan, an upcoming  painting contractor, in one of his godowns. My income was not adequate to hire a better place. He was known to me for the last many years ever since as a painter in Coinbatore and I was in Railways then. He was a regular visitor to our lodge in Tatabhad on every weekend to play rummy. Usually we began our session from Saturday evening and continued till late Sunday night. It was a typical accommodation with a veranda, hall [what they used to call], a kitchen and a bathroom one behind the other. These were connected by a side way. This alignment was popular for all such rented buildings.Families with even grown up children lived in such buildings compromising their privacy.There were four set of such rooms in a row. We bachelors occupied three sets and the last one by a family consisting of four members, a couple and two small cute kids. All of us addressed the lady as chechy. She was very helpful, especially when any of us fell ill, in providing tasty porridge and uppumanga. And when ever the water supply to our lodge failed we used to fetch water from a distant tap and provided her as a return gesture. We were in perfect harmony. Most of our inmates were working in LIC, Raiways, TNEB etc. There was one Mr. Nair who was a driver in Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation. He was suspended when his bus met with an accident. He was en route to a high range destination when the bus tilted and fell into a ravine. Fortunately it got stuck on a tree and escaped from human loss. He used to explain the sequence of the incident and the way he was holding a match stick in his hand ready to ignite the whole bus and immolate himself till the last passenger escaped safely. He was extricated but had to face an enquiry and punishment later. Mr. Menon from Palghat was an assistant in FCI. Both his feet were affected with corns and he made each step cautiously like a chicken in slow motion. Some of the naughty guys used to make fun of him by hiding his foot wear just when he was about to leave for duty. He was a chain smoker of Sadhu beedi and when ever joined us for a rummy session all of us took a puff or two, which he shared joyfully. We can not forget our room mate and colleague Mr. Balakrishnan who was seven footer!!. He was so tall and hefty. My self and my friend Vinoben used to slip into his pants together  and walk around the lodge by putting our feet in his shoes. Although he was so big he never made any attempt to resist us, on the contrary enjoyed the jokes with a loud laughter. Much later in my life,I met him at Olavakkot station as TTE and we shared some of the funny moments of our stay in Tatabhad lodge.....contd...