A Passerby’s Diary

By Sartha .

A collection of short stories that are woven with characters and plots, eliciting deep emotions, which stay close to one’s heart.
Sridhar’s return journey that was not the same ...
The pain behind Vasanthi teacher’s beautiful smile ...
The secret behind the Calling bell ...
Only thing that Ramu thatha could never forget in his life ...
The lesson learnt by Prasad from a stranger ...
How conscience proves its supremacy ...
Other side of anything that is easily overlooked and judged ...
The self-revelation of the narrator about her pride ...

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Point Six Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Nov 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9789388573351

Sartha .

Saratha completed her Electronics and Communication engineering from Government College of Technology, Coimbatore in 2001. She started her career with Wipro Technologies, and after a couple of years moved to Cognizant Technology Solutions. After having worked for about a decade in the IT industry, she took a break from her professional career to pursue her passion in writing stories and poems.

Book preview

On a journey in a window seat

Light or Dark, Full of void,

Eyes piercing through the might

Quick to witness many a sight;

Mind whirling in a magical state

Nostalgia being the only mate,

Soul drenching in the abundance of past

With forgetfulness the grant of time;

Travelling at the fastest pace

Even through the entire space,

Heart waving back and forth

Just as the carrier rhythm goes;

State of idleness that shortly melt

Numbness of the mind only to be felt;

With a life fully relived

Yet, soon to realize, it’s all unlived;

On a train journey in a window seat!

I checked in the baggage at the ‘American Airlines’ counter, and moved to the security check queue.

Isn’t it too heavy? Will there be a problem during check-in? my wife had asked when I was packing for my trip. It was not very heavy but definitely looked so, for a single person travelling to India, on a three week vacation. Even if it was heavy, I wouldn’t have minded, for I am always beyond any compromise. If I feel like carrying, I do it. The twenty plus hours of journey was a real killer. I opened a book and lost myself in it, till I heard the captain’s announcement before landing.

Chennai seemed to have not changed much in three years, except for the umpteen number of OLA, Uber cabs, swarming in and around the airport. The long flight journey was comfortable, when compared to the forty five minutes of cab journey, in the hot sun of a fore noon in mid April. The air conditioner in the cab had no effect.

Sri, you have lost so much of weight, and look stressed due to lack of proper sleep, Amma said, like a typical Indian mother, blinded to notice the extra pounds that I had gained around my waist. I just laughed and went to take bath. A very tasty sambar made with shallots, radish, and drumstick, along with potato curry and thick curd pulled me into deep sleep, until I woke up at 8.30 pm. Amma was waiting with the next fill of chapattis and vegetable curry. After having dinner while chit chatting with Appa and Amma, it was 10 pm, when I went back to open my laptop.

Amma entered the room with a glass of warm milk garnished with turmeric and pepper powder and said, Sri, why don’t you keep your laptop aside? At least when you are on vacation? You seem to have a bad throat. Have this milk and sleep.

Amma, just give me four days to complete some pending work, after which, we will be going to our native for a week. I promise, I am not going to carry my laptop when we go there.

Are we going there? Amma gave me a look of complete disbelief. I know that every time I visit India, I have been just promising her about going to our native home, but never fulfilled it in the past 12 years.

YES. We are, I reassured.

Next morning, I left to meet my friend Arun. He was very busy in the middle of back to back meetings, and all that usual stuff. He said, Sorry da Sridhar. I am in the middle of a release. If things go well, I will join you for dinner tonight. Else we shall meet during weekend.

Just like any NRI’s India visit, the whole week went in meeting friends, and courtesy visits to the relatives, upon Amma’s insistence. I should have carried some chocolates at least, I was blaming myself. Everything seemed to have gone quite formal and mechanical. Something was missing but, I didn’t know what. Every time I visit, this is the same feeling I get, a feeling of belonging nowhere here.

What happened to you? With all the heavy work and the lifestyle there, where has your sense of humour gone? You are quite busy with your laptop and phone calls always, Appa said in a hesitant tone.

I have booked the train tickets for Saturday night, to go home. Amma gave me a surprised look when I said this.

Are you sure that you want to go by train? We have to catch another bus from there. It might be uncomfortable for you. If you want to go by car I am okay, she said.

No problem Amma. Anyway we are going to carry just a small backpack. So there is not going to be any problem in carrying them. We shall go by train.

Appa has never felt good travelling long distance in car. But that was not the only reason I chose to travel by train. Somehow, I wanted to