It all began with a wedding. My friend was getting married in Kerala over a lavish 5-day ceremony last year in May. I had never been to Kerala and jumped the opportunity to attend the wedding. I bought a one-way ticket, to begin with. Little did I know that not only my stay at the wedding festivities make me fall in love with the places I was at but make me want to travel more. I met two friends of the groom who were from Poland and on their very first visit to Kerala. We decided to travel together on the train; I was going to Kochi, they were going to Allepey. We hit it off really well through the journey, talking about poetry and cities, movies, and music. Midway through the train travel when the Ticket Collector approached them, they decided to abandon their Allepey plan and join me in staying at Kochi and exploring the city. Thus, began the Kochi sojourn for three girls without a map, without an itinerary. We landed up at 3pm at Kochi and went for a stroll around 5. The evening light, hustle-bustle of locals, the graffiti on walls, slow pace all made us long for more.
We discovered the prettiest alleyways ever seen with their yellow walls, creepers, and blooms reaching out tiny balconies meant for coffee and hot chocolate evenings. Like always, I spotted a bookstore here as well. A cozy dense bookish cave wherein I went berserk choosing book gifts and postcards for my friends back home.
That evening felt like a magical gateway into the most beautiful and quaint places we walked across the Kochi beach.
The walls became a giant canvas painted with the bluest waves imaginable.
I think I left my heart back there in those streets of Kochi. My friends and I were bewitched by this old world charm it exuded upon us. I feverishly texted my other friend about coming back to Kochi and staying for longer days.
I canceled my Calicut ticket for the next day and we decided to stay a day more. The next afternoon was a Sunday; Natalia and I woke up by 6:30 in the morning to go to the beach.We sat there until about 10 o'clock only too reluctant to let go off the peaceful surroundings near us. One of the other friends went to a coffee place we discovered the night before and while we joined her some 30 minutes later, she was in a delightful conversation with a Frenchman working on the Kochi Metro Project. He invited us to watch an evening recital of Kathakali with him. We spent that Sunday on visiting a museum, further strolling the hot but pleasant streets of arty Kochi.
After being mesmerized with the Kathakali performance which made me teary-eyed, he kept us entertained with a walk to Mattancherry. It was a long, arduous walk to the Jew Town area but unfortunately, we were too late and reached by 8 pm where it was all quiet and abandoned carrying a very eerie vibe about it. We then proceeded to a long dinner where the restaurant owner had to finally switch off the lights to indicate that it was time for us to leave. Good conversations engage the mind and spirits in happiness. We spent another half hour talking outside the restaurant in the moonlight. We would have perhaps continued if not for the late hour. It felt so safe, and comfortable to be a part of that conversation.
Natalia had to travel back to her country and we went our separate ways the next day. I further took a train to Calicut, enduring a seven hour-long but pleasant train journey. My entire outlook of traveling alone with Indian Railways changed. It was a safe and affordable journey.
I looked outside the train window for hours and was utterly charmed with the changing landscapes, occasional passing trains, wondering about the people visible in those windows. It gave me such solace in that crowd to look at the blue waters, green fields with swaying trees, and a color riot at train stations.
One of my oldest friends was coming to pick me up at the station. We kept texting to and fro, mostly me informing him about my whereabouts. The train was about an hour late and although he was at work, he came to pick me up. It was such a surreal moment to meet him after 8 long years. He recognized me instantly saying I hadn't changed at all whereas I stood there laughing thinking about how much his physical appearance had undergone a drastic makeover. I have to say, the sheer relief of finding him in a new strange city was immense. I was without a map, any plans, a complete stranger, and fully dependent on him. It did not freak me out at all. I found utter peace within. Perhaps, it was his friendliness, his frank delight at our meeting that made me feel so comfortable.
Those two nights of making new friends, playing Table Tennis for three straight hours, and spending dreamlike evenings on the beach make me long for more such moments. I wish I had more time to spend at Calicut. It became my home. I shall visit you soon. Till then, you remain in my memories and my many wonderful dreams where I stroll those streets and laugh leisurely over cream rolls and TT breaks with my friends.
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