I am on this train to Patna. Had boarded from Delhi. After I reach Patna, I will take a bus to Darbhanga. Taploo is getting married tomorrow in Darbhanga. What a coincidence the two of us are getting married within 3 months. I got married on 29 Nov.
There is a didi from Madhubani sleeping right now in front of me. The bus that takes you from Patna to Madhubani passes Darbhanga. So when I told her I had to go to Darbhanga, she suggested we could go together. I feel better. I didn’t like the idea of taking a bus from Patna to Darbhanga alone. Because I have this weird memory of guys at Patna bus-stand harassing every enquiring passenger to force them into their particular bus. I don’t think I have ever taken a bus from the Patna bus-stand. Subbu was coming along with me from Delhi but he couldn’t get leave at the last moment so couldn’t come. His berth in the train has been unoccupied. It was a tatkal ticket and didn’t get cancelled. Talking about tatkal tickets not getting cancelled, I missed my confirmed tatkal ticket to home a few days back. I had planned to first go to my parents home and then from there, with parents and wife go to Darbhanga. Yes, because thats what the plan was, had asked wife to reach my parents. And she did. From Ahmedabd to Kolkata to Deoghar. But I never did. Because I had a wedding-film to edit and it would have taken ages to do it on Subbus laptop that I move around with when I am travelling. To edit wedding-films I need my iMac. Which is in Delih. Where I moved to few months ago. And I am moving to Goa now. We are moving to Goa rather. Wife and I.
A few weeks ago, before I left for Singapore (for a curise-wedding shoot along with Neelabh), wife and I went to Goa and spent about 5 days house hunting. We have found a good 2 BHK for 15k. Its big, new, furnished with furnitures (nice leather sofa, beds in both rooms, new dining table and kitchen fitting) its on 5th floor, in one of the poshest locality of North Goa (between Dauna Paula and Panjim). It is a gated colony, so wife will feel safe when I am not around. All the rooms and the hall get amazing sunlight and are very nicely lit. From the balcony, there is a nice view of a vast green-farm and some small hills far away. 200 mts from the house, is a 4 lane road with broad footpaths, running parallel to a sea which ends in a cute beach at Miramar. Perfect for morning / evening runs given the limited traffic on the road any day any time.
Though it sounds all cool to live in Goa and fly all over India to make money by clicking pictures and shooting wedding-films, money has been a struggle lately. For some reasons, was hardly able to get any enquiry converted in January. Even the enquiries came once in a while. As I write this, I have INR 50,000 in my account and an already pending bill of INR 40,000. There are just two confirmed bookings so far for me – on in April, another in July (the people who have paid 50% fee as advance). Wife has quit her job to see how we can make a life possible in Goa. And to top that, we bought a new car – which means an EMI of INR 11,000 per month from March onwards for the next five years. Tough times. Wife keeps panicking once in a while. The car gets delivered today. The train slows down. Some approaching station I guess. Nice green fields with yellow DDLJ type mustard flowers to be seen on both sides. To as far as eyes can traverse. And here comes an old dilapidated station. A guy in sweater waved a green flag so the train didn’t stop. Manda road. I see people laying bricks to extend the platform. And I see some houses. Small ones. And now the green fields are back. And the yellow mastard flowers. Tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam. Pyaar hora hai dewaana sanam. Ab yahan se kahaan jayein hum. Goa. But Darbhanga before that.
Taploo, mai aa raha hoon.