Nostalgia

Was talking to A and it just swung me out of control to look back.

This ides of march marked almost 7 years, away from the place, where A was talking to me from - Chennai. Given the fact that A was right where I grew up and in the course of our conversation, we touched upon several places, interests and activities, that were part of my life, not so long ago.

To start, walking on the Ranganathan Street on any day, will push your time to several hours. It'd be jam packed, walking shoulder to shoulder dodging incoming humans and getting thro this street( approximately 0.75KM ) is quiet an exercise. But one would feel that you can get what ever you want, just by crossing this street - anything from Groceries to jewelry. While the main line of business is selling vegetables, it is strategically located to lead to other main places in T Nagar.

Thyagaraya Nagar or T Nagar as it's called is the almost the center of the City of Chennai, formerly Madras. Its the happening place. The shopping hub of the city. I know families, which come to the city from other states, just for one reason to shop at T Nagar for any of their auspicious events. Tons and tons of shop on almost anything - jewelry, Apparels, Snacks, Audio/Video/Electronic galleries.

Walking or shopping at Ranganthan Street and T Nagar, during festival season is an experience, that hadn't been surpassed, till today.

Last but not the least, the place that I've always loved - infamous Marina Beach. The long shore and the walk that leads us to the waters is so green in my memory. I've been to this beach at different times of a day and also once during a cyclonic storm. If you spend about an hour all by yourself and without any disturbance, I can't describe in words, the refreshing feeling you'd get. Needless to say, the beach comes alive during evenings and weekends. 100's of small shops, particularly those that sell chaat and other forms of snacks are particularly very popular. Driving along the beach passing some of the old buildings in Chennai is equally great. Having see so many other beaches, so far I've not come across one that's so lively and beautiful as Marina Beach.

These three places in particular among many others, have been part of my life, not just as a road or a place to see and also that I've been there 1000's of times, but its one of those places, which comes to your mind, when you think from where you came from. I miss being to these places so much.

Coming back, I started wondering what's the point of being here, in the state I'm now, right now. Its no surprise that with this thought, all the reasons as why I'm here and doing what I'm doing, all started to have a have their own dull color. Its also once of those situations, where one wonders as what's point of missing or 'loosing' so many things, when you could be part of. I do have an overwhelming feeling of having 'lost' so many things, now and more than ever. Family, friends, 'comfortable' places, lively moments et al. are right over there...

Times have changed, 7 years have passed, my life has had innumerable changes, but the sense of being lost and wandering in search of something that's unknown, makes me think that may be - may be, somewhere, sometime, somehow things could've been different, if it was done differently, long back.

As I wrote before, the other side is always green and life would look even more beautiful, when looked back. But I strongly believe that everything has a price to pay and sometimes, no matter what, the costs of loosing something so much can't compensate to what's gained and infact raises the question "did I gain anything at all".