An Approach Xenodochial

‘Hey Don’t Jump!! It’s dark and it will be difficult to look for you in this bushy cliff!!’

What was that!! Usually at comments like this from some barmy bizarro, my lady Boston Terrier face simply turns around and bruxes at the man facing me. May be because I just had a congenial chilled smoothie and I was comfortably sedated, I started sniggering in surprise and looked back! I mean who says such things to a stranger!

No, I don’t have any intention to jump right now, quite tired for that!’

‘That’s a relief, I just thought of warning you. Then we had to look for your family or boyfriend whomever you are travelling with! You know?’ This guy is ace smart!!

‘So I guess that won’t be necessary as I’m not jumping!’

‘So you were thinking of jumping?”

‘Looks like you want me to consider it!’

‘Naah! You are a local or tourist?’

‘Well I’m a local from the other corner of this country.’

‘Ooh, where from?’

‘Kolkata?’

‘You are a Bong?’

‘Well!’

‘Have you been around? There is a nice cafe that way, run by a Bengali guy. They serve good Darjeeling tea.’

‘I have been here before, but not to this cliff side. This part of the town is new to me.’

‘They serve some good food as well.’

‘Bengali food?’

‘That you can check, I don’t know.’

‘I think I am fine with south food at the moment.’

‘As you wish! You study?’

‘Not really.’

‘You work?’

‘Yehh’

‘I though you are a student. I work as well, I did hospital management, and I work at Bengaluru. Currently my dad wanted some help with the restaurant, as it’s the season time, so currently I am on sick leave.’

‘Sick leave for how long?’

‘At the moment it’s been a month.’

‘Wow!! And which restaurant is run by your father?’

‘This one!’ He stretched his hand at the front.

‘I just had my smoothie here!’

‘You did? I wasn’t here for some time. Did you like it?’

‘I think it did good to me.’

‘So where all have you been travelling?’

‘Few places across the state, started with Kochi, right now I’m coming from Munroe Island.’

‘Oh, I love the greenery there. That place has the best sunset, you know?’

‘Now I do, but I had to change my plan for some issue at the home-stay and I came here.’

‘But I love Munroe Island, if you plan any trip to Kerala in Future, do go there again.’

‘I know. That’s on the check list.’

‘How long are you here?’

‘Till tomorrow.’

‘That’s too short. These Europeans come here and stay for weeks! Doing all these Yoga stuff!’

‘Ya, but I am an Indian. We don’t understand travel beyond 10 days at a time!’

‘You are right. Are you into yoga?’

‘Naa.. Are you?’

‘No no. I love my late morning sleep. Whom you are travelling with?’

‘With myself.’

‘You are a solo traveller?’ I shook both my shoulders to this.

‘Oo I can tell you some good places to have Kerala food.. You said you like south food right?’

‘Don’t you just own a restaurant? Seems like you want to drive your customers away!’

‘Don’t bother! See my place is good, but there are other good places as well. You should venture out.’

‘Ok then first you tell me, what are the places to see here.’

We went on from twilight till darkness came down to horizon line. When this tall, dark, well-trimmed Keralite was ceaselessly chatty, I wasn’t getting a chance to break our conversation. Finally a call from the restaurant gave it a pause and we rested our energy.

The restaurant, long before meeting that smart guy (better to be clear from the beginning); got my attention. It was quite a big place, half of the seating arrangement was inside the restaurant building and there were platforms built inside from down to going up like stairs. So more inside you go, the upper is the position you get to seat at. The rest half of the seating was on open air looking over the sea from the cliff. If the open air tables were occupied, then only people would go inside the restaurant in the evening. The lighting was faint gold though the flashy road side lights will cut through them. And not to forget, the gusty wind humming with the roaring sea. It was a good selection to enjoy good food.

Then I met this piquant walnut brain, whose father owns this good-find restaurant, where I was planning to try some more food the day next! Geez!

Did we meet the day after? You see.. While walking on the cliff, then down to the beach or vice versa, this restaurant can’t be avoided, not that I was deliberate to do so but the hot pink sunset glued my attention at my left that I didn’t realise, until..

‘Hey Payel.. What’s up?’ That smart guy was arranging some table may be.

Though he was suggesting many other places, I had already made up my mind to have some more smoothies there.

‘Are you coming back anytime soon?’

‘I don’t think so?’

‘I have applied for higher studies, if things go well, I may go for that.’

‘Do you mean going outside the country?’

‘Yes, that’s the plan. I’m trying for France. Let’s see, how things go.’

‘I’m sure things will turn up the way you want.’

For Post W: Click here