Ever since I left Chennai (then known as Madaras) in 1989-90 period after completing my schooling, I never got an opportunity to visit it again. The memories of the school campus would haunt me all the times and I would often see them in my dreams. I wanted to visit my school and the neighborhood we lived in. I would often see the places online on Google maps and wikimapia. This thirst had to be quenched. I had searched the net for this school and registered myself as an alumnus in an online site and joined the community at orkut.
An opportunity came knocking; I came to know of a workshop being conducted by the microbiology department at Stanley medical college on 8th and 9th October 2009. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t ignore and I immediately signed up for it. Visiting the Kendriya Vidyalaya at Air Force Station, Avadi was my first priority. Visiting the school perhaps required an official permission from the principal. I found out the email of the principal’s office and sent an email expressing my desire the visit the campus. When no reply came forth, I sent a letter on my official letter head and sent it via courier. Yet, there was no response. Permission or no permission, I was all set to storm the campus.
I made myself free for the Chennai sojourn from 7th to 10th October. My journey started at 4.30 pm from Davangere.
The train was expected to reach Chennai central at 7.30 am but we were held up at the outskirts for 40 minutes by the “traffic”. I was at Chennai central at 8 am.
The last time I was there was in 1990, almost two decades ago. I had expected to see a sea of changes over these two decades.
I was supposed to stay with Dr. Anand at his hostel room for the duration of my stay in Chennai. He had completed his MD microbiology exams and was expecting his results. I was greeted by him at the railway station. I sent him a sms describing my appearance and clothing so that I may be recognized without much difficulty. He had replied with his identification and I recognized him instantly. He led me out of the station; thus began my reentry to the city.
The first thing I noticed on the streets was “cycle rickshaw”. I was shocked by what I saw. I would have expected them to be phased out from the roads of a major metro city; but no, they were thriving there.
On the way, I looked at the streets….rather disappointedly. As we rode through broadway, I noticed only old buildings, which did not give an impression of a metro city. I was told that the college was located in the “old Madaras”, which had not transformed itself over several years.
It was an old building with crumbling infrastructure. Considering that it was a government run institution, I knew that I shouldn’t be expecting much. I was told that two buildings within the campus have been condemned and abandoned because they were too old and unsafe for occupation. I was also told that there were no separate hostels for PGs.
I quickly had shower in the “common” toilet at the hostel and got ready for my day’s schedule. Since “outsiders” were not entertained in the hostel mess, I had to look for breakfast somewhere outside. Anand took me to a small hotel where they served only idli’s and poori’s but no tea or coffee.
I was served four idli’s and was charged Rs.12. I then walked to another hotel for tea and was back at the hostel. Anand had left for the department.
My next destination was Chennai central, where I had to board a local train to Pattabhiram Military Siding. I hired an auto outside the Stanley college and asked him to take me to Moore Market Complex.
Autos are not metered in Chennai and one has to bargain the fare. He said he would charge Rs.35 for the trip and after a brief bargaining we settled the fare for Rs.35.
During the few minutes of journey I noticed that the state government run buses were old and were a polluting lot. Several buses emitted thick dark cloud of exhaust. After few minutes of ride, I was told that I reached the destination. It did not resemble much like Moore market complex. The driver told me that we were at the “other gate”. I paid him his fare and went inside the complex only to discover that I was cheated. Instead of dropping me at the Moore market central station, he had dropped me at Beach station. It was a rude shock; the auto drivers in Chennai should simply be NOT trusted.
My disappointment soon vanished as I learnt that I could catch my train from beach station in ten minutes. I bought my ticked and hurried to the platform.
I was told that my train could leave from any of the three platforms (5,6, or 7). After a brief wait, a train reached the station and halted. An announcement was made on public address system that the train on platform no 5 would leave for PTMS (my destination). I boarded the train and a couple of minutes later another announcement was made stating that the train to PTMS was on platform number 8. Confused and angry, I scrambled to the other platform and boarded the other train. The train left at 10.10 am.
The train appeared the same as it was two decades ago, only that it was ageing and deteriorating. I would have expected to see some new coaches but this disappointed me.
Forty minutes later I was at the PTMS station. Stepping on the platform was like stepping on the moon. I was thrilled, I paused and looked around, same old banyan trees and same old control building….nothing had changed.
I used to buy a lot of cones from there. I later came to know that Narendra hall no longer functioned as a cinema hall. When it was commissioned, I was among the first to view the first movie screened in that hall.
As I entered the school campus, I was asked by the guard what I wanted. I just uttered the word “Principal” and he responded by saying “yes sir” and let me go. It worked like a password. As I walked towards the school, I noticed the same old trees only that they had grown bigger.
At the entrance there were few teachers standing and none asked me anything. I went towards the principal office but found his office empty. I asked a teacher around and she told me that he was busy with an “important meeting”. When enquired about the vice-principal, I was given the same response. Undeterred but hesitant, I went ahead with my exploration. I did not dare enter the staff room.
The black board at the entrance was replaced by a synthetic white board. I recollect I used to write news in chalk when my house (Nehru) was in session.
The building was being painted and some sort of renovation was going on, hence the place was in disarray. I went through the corridor and noticed the same old taps on the left.
I stepped outside into the plain ground; there were plenty of children playing around. A white old building between the primary and secondary school was conspicuously missing. It was probably demolished. The huge banyan tree still stood there. We used to have morning prayers there. I went to my right towards the auditorium stage.
I stood there in amazement not believing, I was standing there. I called up my sister at Bangalore. She was too was thrilled and asked me several questions about many locations. She felt she too was there with me.
The big playground was just the same, the same old goal posts. The roads were asphalted; that was perhaps only the striking change one would notice. I moved on to the primary section.
Although I did study in that building I don’t have much memory about the same. I walked through the corridor on the ground floor and then the first floor trying to recollect anything that I could associate with it. I stepped outside the primary school and went back towards the secondary school.
I encountered a group of boys simply sitting around the trees. I introduced myself as a very old student of the school and that how happy I was to be there. I enquired how they found the school and they replied stating that it was fine. Without prolonging the conversation, I left the group. Immediately, the boys burst out in laughter, I wonder what amused them or what was so funny about it. Without giving much thought to it, I went ahead.
I went in and took to the right of auditorium. There used to be SUPW classrooms for boys and girls; it appeared to been relocated. I went ahead, climbed the stairs and turned right, walked through the balcony and reached the lonely classroom. The classrooms were empty, the students perhaps had gone out to play. I walked back, reached the entrance to the auditorium and climbed the stairs. I then took left, walked all the way to the balcony from where flags used to be hoisted. The balcony suddenly appeared very small; may be it was because I had grown up.
The adjoining room used to be drawing class, but was converted into a regular class room. I took right and went over the long corridor and then to a classroom.
This one too was empty, I looked behind the classroom; there was that big well, a water tank and lots of bushes and trees. It was among this “forest” that I used to catch fishes in the stream using my shoes.
I noticed that exams were being held in all the classrooms. I quietly walked through the corridor and when I was about to descend down the stairs, the bell rang and the silence was broken by noises that the students made.
It was like the school came back to life. There was suddenly activity all around. Groups of girls were talking and giggling; few were discussing about the test questions; boys were staring at the girls and much younger kids were running around playing hide and seek. Some ignored my presence but others wondered what this “uncle” was doing in the corridor with camera in hand.
There was a huge rush to get down the stairs, it reminded me of the wilderbeasts in Masai Mara where they jostle with each other to cross the crocodile laden river. It was in this staircase that once I had my left leg trapped in the railings, with a big rush of students pushing me from behind. I don’t recollect how I escaped serious injury to my leg. I decided to join the mad rush to downstairs for old times’ sake. There were plenty of girls (probably class 12th) who were getting down. I noticed several boys who stood above the stairs, stared at the girls and commented on them. It used to be same even then.
I got down the stairs and took to the right. There used to be a computer lab, which looked more like a store room. When the computer was introduced, I was among the first to use it. During those days, nobody knew how to operate on, we used to sit in an air-conditioned room and simply stare at the bright monitor. A new computer lab had been created out of a classroom.
On the left was the library. It too was being painted. I met the librarian. All the faculty of the school during my times had either been transferred or had expired, except him.
Although I did not recollect his face, I recognized him by his limp, which he had probably because of polio. I spoke to him about my school days and how he used to give me comic books to read. He was happy to see me.
I walked back satisfied; my thirst was quenched. I walked towards the eastern gate. On the other side of the gate was our residence. It had grown beyond recognition. I bade farewell to the school and walked south.
Although nothing much appeared to have changed, I couldn’t figure out the way to one of the houses we lived in. It was hot afternoon, and I gave up searching for the house.
Although the name “Brothers” was still there, the restaurant had gone. I walked alongside hoping to find a branch of Balaji sweets. On enquiry I learnt that Balaji sweets had closed their shop in Muthapudupet and improved the one at Mittnamalli. I went along the street trying to recognize any shop.
There used to be a tailor somewhere along the left side. He used to record Tamil songs on cassette tapes for me. Not knowing his actual name, I once called him juju tata, a name from one TV serial starring Baby Shamili. I located the tailor shop, barged inside and stood in front of him looking into his eyes. I recognized him instantly but he had no clue what was happening. After few seconds, I asked him if I looked familiar. He was still unsure what to reply. I told him that I used to live around there twenty years ago and that he was my friend. As I narrated more about myself, he slowly started to recollect things. He too was very happy to see me. His name is Palani. I told him that we might never see each other again; we wished each other and I left. Nothing much seemed to have changed there except that the road was asphalted and some more shops had sprung up.
That was the road I learnt cycling. Then came the house we lived in; 89/6. We were the first occupants of that building. My father had planted a sapling outside the house that had grown into a big tree.
The park had a new compound wall now and the TV room was gone. A new but small complex had come up besides the road. Someone from there asked me why I was filming the location. I told him that I used to reside there 20 years ago and had come from Bangalore to see the place. 85/1 used to be a telephone room and a sick report room; it had been converted to a regular apartment.
I moved along towards DC4. I walked all the way to our old residence 35/1.
It was somewhere here that I skid and crashed into a drain while learning cycling. I made my way back to the DC3 Park. The DC4 building in front of the park reminded me of a girl in my sister’s class; Maithili.
She was gorgeous and it was rumored that she had the attention of several male teachers at the school. She used to be teased “maithili en kadhali”, based on the movie by the same name.
I went to the new building and began to converse with the people who had initially questioned me. One of them had worked with my father in the same unit while at Air Force. It was coincidence that I met an airman who himself studied in KV school, went on to join Air Force and now was posted back to the same place. We both discussed how the place used to be during those days, he too had stayed in DC3. He was kind enough to take me on his motorbike to Mittnamalli.
I used to speak to him in Kannada and he used to give me anything from his shop on credit. Those days, he used to sell stationeries too besides sweets. I had taken a 300-page notebook on credit and had never paid. Although I couldn’t meet him, I met his mother and explained about the whole thing and gave her Rs.20 for that book.
The train had arrived at the siding platform and it was time to get back to Chennai. He kindly dropped me back to the station, I bought the ticket and the train immediately left to Chennai.
I was too hungry and decided to have lunch somewhere near. I asked Anand if he could join me for lunch. I had to go all alone because he was busy at the college. I spotted “Sarvana Bhavan” at the station complex. It was a huge relief to be inside the A/C room. The lunch was good, but the price was bit on the higher side. A bottle of 1-litre mineral water was billed Rs.25/-. After a sumptuous meal, it was time to go back to the hostel. Not to be cheated again by the auto driver, I decided to take the prepaid auto. At the counter I mentioned Stanley medical college and was given a receipt after paying two rupees. The drivers fought among themselves to take me. Finally, a victorious guy took me to his auto. Immediately I began conversing with him and asked him why the price was so high for a 4-km ride. He said Rs.48 was indeed high, I replied stating that it was Rs.39 that was printed on the receipt and not Rs.48. He asked me where I wanted to go and I replied that I wanted to go to Stanely medical college. He stopped the auto, and said he thought I wanted to go to Kilpauk medical college. He drove back and dropped me again to the auto stand. They once again got into fight for creating misinformation. After the dust settled, I got into another auto and reached the hostel.
After another two days of stay, I traveled back to Bangalore and from there to Davangere.
