Life in the city..!

Chennai Central Station

Since the time I returned back to Chennai after my college got over I have been staying out in the city giving a break to my college hostels where I used to stay for the past four years and believe me staying out in the city is proving to be a dream come true..I always wished to stay in a big city and now finally my dream is coming true..Although the people that I am staying with would beg to differ that the PG (Paying Guest) I am staying in is pathetic but I still enjoy living here..Am staying with people who are all working in some or the other company..Only a couple of guys are there who are students and just passed out this year like me and are waiting for their joining dates and doing some part time jobs or internships..I am provided with a room which accommodates 3 other people, has a 1 tonne air conditioner, has a 21” color television which airs only and only Tamil channels and food is provided 3 times a day..The food is bearable..I used to think that the SRM hostel mess used to provide the worst food but I know now that o the PG food is far worse..But I am still happy with it..To top it all from my roof I can see all outgoing and incoming flights to the Chennai airport..I just keep sitting for hours together on the roof just looking at the flights vanishing in and out of the clouds..The experience becomes more ecstatic once the sky is filled with black rain clouds rather than the regular white ones..When there are no flights plying I just keep looking for faces in the clouds..Its proved to be a really good time pass..

Life in the city is full of activity..Early in the morning hundreds of people rush out of their homes in the manner ants do when their nest is broken..Soon the streets are full of traffic..Shops and offices open, students flock to their schools and the day's work begins..The city now throbs with activity, and it is full of noise..Hundreds of sightseeing tourists and others visit many place of interest in the city while businessmen from various parts of the world arrive to transact business..

Then towards evening, the offices and day schools begin to close..Many of the shops too close..There is now a rush for buses and other means of transport..Everyone seems to be in a hurry to reach home..As a result of this rush, many accidents occur..One who has not been to the city before finds it hard to move about at this time..Soon, however, there is almost no activity in several parts of the city..These parts are usually the business centers..

The Guindy Flyover

With the coming of night, another kind of activity begins..The streets are now full of colorful lights..The air is cooler and life becomes more leisurely..People now seek entertainment..Many visit the cinemas, parks, and clubs, while others remain indoors to watch television or listen to the radio..Some visit friends and relatives and some spend their time reading books and magazines..Those who are interested in politics discuss the latest political developments..At the same time, hundreds of crimes are committed..Thieves and robbers who wait for the coming of night become active, and misfortune descends upon many..For the greed of a few, many are killed, and some live in constant fear..To bring criminals to justice, the officers of the law are always on the move..

The city from the top

Workers and others who seek advancement in their careers attend educational institutions which are open till late in the night..Hundreds of them sit for various examinations every year..The facilities and opportunities that the people in the city have to further their studies and increase their knowledge of human affairs are indeed many..As a result, the people of the city are usually better informed than those of the village, where even a newspaper is sometimes difficult to get..

The city could, therefore, be described as a place of ceaseless activity..Here, the drama of life is enacted every day..

Jaishree Ram,

Prats..