Arindam: - Where were you people? Everyone was saying that the girls are missing in this Marina Beach.
Debolina: - Ha ha ha…when you people were busy in gossiping while sitting on the sandy surface; Deepti, Vartika, Sunny, Kedia ,Koustav, Sir and me were busy in shopping. I have bought two ‘Shankh’ made of conch-shells. Sir has bought two beautiful goddess’ statues made of conch-shells. Sunny has also bought some special gifts made of conch-shells for his girlfriend.
Arindam: - Ok, ok, I don’t want to hear about who has bought what thing. Wherever you go, you girls always have a tendency to do shopping. You have come to the Marina Beach; enjoy the beautiful scenery of the beach. But, no, instead of doing that, you people have started doing shopping here…How funny! Anyway, now, get inside the auto to reach the lodge. Also you people will take too much time to log out from your lodge room. I am very much sure about that also.
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Koustav: - Sir, the Tamil meal of this restaurant is pathetic. It will surely lead to acidity. Dhosha or Idli plate is not enough for me in dinner. I want to have some heavy meal, other than Tamil meal.
Debojyoti: - aaha…ok, those you want to eat Tamil meal, eat it. The rest of you can pack some other foods from the Chennai Central station to eat it inside the Cheran Express.
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Arindam: - This Tamil meal is not so bad, but all the curries are so sour in taste. In every curry, they have used either tamarind water or tomatoes.
Sumanta: - But, the chicken curry is a standard one. They have given 6 pieces of meat in a plate. The price of the meal is not so expensive also. Chicken curry-rice meal is 35 bucks and Veg curry-rice meal is 25 bucks.
Debraj: - Boss, at least, this Tamil meal is far better than the Chicken Curry-Rice, that I ate inside the Coromandel Express.
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Debojyoti: - Accha, our coach number in Cheran Express is S-6. We have seat numbers from 10 to 22 and then from 45 to 52.
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Prof. Srinivasan: - Where are you people going?
Pandey: - We are going to Ooty to attend a conference of ICFAI. We are all from the same college.
Prof. Srinivasan: - You people are studying in which college?
Kedia: - We are studying full time MBA course in ICFAI Business School of Kolkata. We are at the end of second semester now.
Prof. Srinivasan: - This is a 2 years course or a 3 years course. I mean, when are you people going to pass out?
Agarwal: - We will pass out in 2008.
Prof. Srinivasan: - hmm…you people are doing your MBA at the right time. The global economy is in a great boom. The Indian economy will also improve further in 2008. Already, the bull runs are going on in both Sensex and Nifty.
Arindam: - Are you associated with any financial institution?
Prof. Srinivasan: - No, I am a Professor of Electronics Department in IIT –Chennai campus. My house is in Mettupalayam. I am going there only.
Chawla: - Where is this Mettupalayam?
Prof. Srinivasan: - It is just before Coimbatore only. You can also go to Ooty by getting down at Mettupalayam only. By the way, how many of you have taken Finance as your specialization?
Pandey: - I have taken Finance. Why sir?
Prof. Srinivasan:- Boss, please don’t mind, but, I have started investing in share market from the last month because I am seeing all my colleagues are making huge profit by investing in the market. In the campus, they often discuss about risk and return. I have bought some shares of Renuka sugars and Sterlite because I have more faith in manufacturing sector rather than in services sector. But, one of my colleagues was saying that these rupee appreciations will back-fire our Indian economic growth. Is it true? Will I sell all those shares? See, I am a new player in the stock market. You people are studying MBA in Finance, maybe, you can suggest something.
Pandey: - Well, I have no idea at all. But, just wait and watch with patience.
Arindam: - Sir, who is your broker?
Prof. Srinivasan: - I am trading through Karvy.
Arindam: - Karvy is bogus. Their analyses are bullshits. Either trade with the help of Anand Rathi or Sharekhan. I am also a trader of stock market. That’s why, I am telling you. Don’t ignore the services sector, especially the private banks. They will boom at the end of 2007. Also, Tata Steel and Balrampur Chini are going to rise. Moreover, personally, I don’t understand why rupee appreciation will hamper the growth of the economy. Indian economy is not made up of services sector only. Indian government should utilize the rupee appreciation to import quality goods and machineries as much they can. This is a golden opportunity for Indian manufacturing industry.
Prof. Srinivasan: - You are somewhat saying the correct thing because every market has its own saturation point. Once, this Sensex or Nifty reaches the saturation point in 2008, the rupee will start depreciating automatically. Anyway, in stock market, everyone has to learn every day, by burning their own hands, but, I am fearing that it may become an addiction for me, he he he…Well, now it is already 11.55 PM. I need to sleep a little bit. I hope that you people will not mind if I put off the light.
Kedia: - Not at all, Sir. Good night, Sir.
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Debraj: - Baah, this train is perfectly on time. It has entered Coimbatore station at 5.05 AM. We have to get down now.
Debarjun: - Baapre, it is so cold out here in Coimbatore…Uhhu ….uhhhu….I need to wear a sweater now.
Debojyoti: - Arrey, you people are shivering in this temperature only. It is hardly 9 degree Celsius here in Coimbatore. In Ooty, you will find a temperature of around 4 degree Celsius because it is the month of February and this year; even Kolkata has recorded a lowest temperature of around 9.1 degree Celsius. Anyway, all of you take out your sweaters or jackets and wear it. We have to wait in this Coimbatore platform till 7 AM for the bus.
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Arindam: - Ha ha ha…look at those middle aged women. They have no hairs in their head, he he he…they are all ‘Nyara-Mundi’, he he he…They are wearing either vermilion colored clothes or black clothes. They are having a typical tilak in their head. The tilak has three white horizontal lines with a yellow and red colored rounded spot in between the lines. Men are also wearing the same dress, but those men have not shaved their heads like the women. My goodness, all of them are bare-footed. They are all waiting in this Coimbatore station platform for a train. Where are all these people going?
Deepti: - They are all devotees of Goddess Rajarajeswari. So, Arindam, better don’t laugh at them like an idiot. They are all waiting for a train, which will go to Alleppey. Alleppey is also known as Alappuzah. It is a very sacred place of Kerala, where the festival of Navarathri takes place. These devotees have to follow certain rules and regulations before visiting the Goddess Rajarajeswari and they are doing that only.
Arindam: - Oh! I was not aware of this thing. I would I know about Keralian festivals and its rituals; being a Bengali person. By the way, how do you know all these things?
Deepti: - I have been seeing these devotees since my childhood. Many devotees visit Alleppey from Andhra Pradesh.
Arindam: - Ei, just hang on. You told me once that you have done your schooling and engineering degree from Pune, but, how come do you know about the devotees of Andhra Pradesh. Very funny!
Deepti: - Nothing is funny in it. My hometown is Vizag, but, I have studied in Pune and spend most of my time there only. That’s why; even today, if you leave me alone in any unknown street of Vizag, I will not be able to reach my home in that city, he he he…
Arindam: - hmm…now, I understand. But, one thing I have to appreciate that the people of Andhra Pradesh are great believers of Hindu Gods and Goddesses than the people of any other community. Take the example of Tirupathi Devasthanam only. It is world famous. The God Balaji is proud of his Andhra Pradesh people.
Deepti: - The rituals of Alleppey festival are tougher than the rituals of Tirupathi. Have you ever visited Tirupathi?
Arindam: - Yeah, only once, when I was a school boy. My grandpa had a last wish to visit Tiruapthi once and we all went there. I still remember those red buses of APSRTC travelling up the Tirupathi hill on those swinging roads. The temperature at Tirupathi Devasthanam is very cold. We stayed in a Dharmashala. Babah, the water in that Dharmashala was as cold as an ice. My grandpa caught cold in Tirupathi itself. After coming back to Kolkata, he suffered from a deadly fever and ultimately expired after one week. See the fun. My grandpa went to see God Balaji and Balaji took away his life in a great fashion. The villagers of my grandpa said that God Balaji liked my grandpa and that is why, he pulled my grandpa up in the heaven. Really, sometimes, the Indian villagers make some funny statements.
Deepti: - Uff, you talk too much. Once you start talking, you don’t stop so easily. But, in this situation, it was good for me. I didn’t felt bored, he he he…
Debojyoti: - Hey, the bus has come. Come on, let us board the bus.
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