Van Chitgo - The Art of Life

Two nights ago I went to pick up one half of the creators from der delhi flughafen.. Returning from Kolkatta, it was a jet airways flight that got delayed by nearly an hour. I fell asleep on my way there as my driver V picked up the pace in the latter half of the journey.

There’s something about airports, or more importantly the arrival and departure lounges. In India ofcourse calling the pre-mentioned areas a ‘lounge’ is laughable but I lay a disclaimer that it doesn’t for once take away the sheer excitement of an arrival or sadness of a departure. As Indians we love doing things in big groups (not me specifically, im not big on a huge janta of people seeing anyone off but allow me the generalization). This night was a microcosm of human emotion embodied within a 100 meter space overcrowded with people, yet always with room for one more emotional welcoming or bon voyage..

The young girl arriving at her relatives place. From the way the welcoming party greeted her, I knew it wasn't direct kith or kin but more aunts or mausis as we like to call them. She had wandered off into the supposed ‘wrong’ departure route and had missed the family. A frantic (5 minute) search had yielded no reunion so the worry was certainly dotted with a slight hint of frustration. As there eyes met and the hugging began, the conversation was focused on the amazing situation in which they had missed each other.

Mausi: “kaha chali gayi thi?, kaise miss kar diya” (where did you go ? how did we miss each other?)
Girl: “haan, mein yahi par thi” (I was here only! - with eyes opened wide as if to accusingly signify the presence of some black hole entity sucking passengers into it far away from the outstretched hands of relatives)

I watched and smiled, soon the amazement turned to happiness as the struggle for grabbing the cart filled with luggage began.

Girl: “mein le loongi mausi” (ill take it mausi!)
Mausi: “arre nahi beta , tu bahut thaki hui lag rahi hai” (no no sweetheart, you look very tired, ill take it)

Ok, I mean it is a cart with wheels, not the toughest contraption to navigate for the short distance to the car park...yet this simple exchange is at times the most heartfelt manner in which to show love and care at an arrival here...
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Thousands of drivers and attendants lie bent over and slanting with ill-written pieces of paper in their hands asking for Mr. XYZ and Ms.ABG, interspersed with names quite clearly not Indian. Every flight holds a small group of weary and slightly astonished internationals rapidly scanning the names, an unlit cigarette in their mouth. Silently, I whispered to myself “welcome to India”. I hope it’s brilliant and you acquire India’s greatest gift for yourself - “friends and warmth”
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The little kids at arrivals are the funniest in my opinion. How often I’ve seen generations and generations of families descend upon the Delhi airport ready to greet a loved one...the kids usually don’t know what the hell is going on, but the thought of being able to stay awake past their bed time, get candy that is otherwise prohibited and see their parents and (usually grumpy) grandparents in a state of excitement serves enough of a reason to head off to the airport. Not that Indian kids have much of a choice in the matter anyway.

The arrived relative touches nani’s feet, hugs the brother etc etc etc. The kid looks on, bemused and bewildered at the stranger that has caused this considerable level of ruckus. Instantly, the relative picks the kid up high, pulling his cheeks and ruffling his hair all in one quick motion. Noses are rubbed against the neck, causing giggles and laughter, often accompanied by ‘kitna bada ho gaya hai'. Damn. I could watch those all night long. In fact I think I’ll make a movie entitled “scenes at an airport, the arrival and departure of human emotion” . Has a nice ring to it huh? (if anyone copies this idea, buddy – you owe me)
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I have traveled to a few places and have a faint memory of such emotional roller coasters at airports, am going to try and remember some of the all time most awesome and most heart wrenching arrivals and departures of the past.

1.Van Chitgough first arrives on U.S shores in 1986 at the tender age of 3. After an insane flight with crazy long stop overs, a nervous and tense mom (who hasn’t seen her family in nearly 2 decades) and a slightly grumpy kid with an uncanny ability to throw up at all the wrong times are witness to the sight of 5 screaming 20 somethings at John F Kennedy airport. It was clearly a memory stuck in anyone’s mind that may have been present in the vicinity. This story has been told to me (as I clearly don’t remember it) repeatedly, but I love it so much simply 'cos it highlights in brief the mental capabilities I started off with as a child and the sheer aptness of a desi kid in America..

Shama mausi (one of mom’s younger sisters): Dhruuuuuv look what we got for you!!! – hands Dhruv a super awesome (and frickin huge) teddy bear….im talking nearly as big as me

Dhruv (who has now begun to cry at the sight of such pandemonium, tears, laughter mixed in with kisses and hugs for himself) stops sniffling and slowly grabs the teddy bear. He is clearly extremely kicked with the teddy and has decided to be its friend for life.

Shama mausi: so what are you going to name it ?

Dhruv: still sniffling a bit and in overtly baby tone… “Puppy”

Guffaw!. Puppy? And for my north-indian based (or exposed) desi homies you know this was said in the most distinctive of irritating baby boy tones “puppppy”
Anyway, saving grace was that everyone burst out laughing and found it inexplicably cute. My mother was saved from the agony of having to explain why her son was a raging buffoon and I laid the base for more super cool one liners including “bada aaya paisa vaala" (my version of who do you think you are mr. hot shot? – a dialogue I delivered impeccably to a couple of aunts if I was told to do something I was not inclined to do. This ofcourse came to a stop with a swift clip on the side of my head from the creators)

2.Van Chitgough’s arrival in Switzerland.
So my flight was about an hour and 45 minutes late and I’m (as you can imagine) pretty excited. I get out of the luggage area of zurich airport and am greeted by a fair and slightly grumpy looking german girl and a robust and previously met swiss-german …they both smile at me politely casually uttering “welcome to Switzerland!”. Ok, so not the most hooo haaaa welcome... , sure, no biggie...I get onto the train and that’s where it all changes. The girl in mention (today one of my dearest and most evolved compadres on the planet) breaks into an unending conversation about everything under the sun!, and I do mean everything..... The 75 minutes to Bern go by at the rate of knots and we have already eaten, joked, discussed ‘politics’, plans, social agendas, people, man the list goes on. Imagine my surprise right? The girl goes from semi-grinchy ‘welcome to Switzerland’ to ‘dear god we must talk about everything now or the earth’s axis will cease to rotate!” What an awesome arrival. It was an almost instant friendship. Something I will remember for many years to come.

3. A change of pace : a railway departure.
Van Chitgough leaves for Bombay in May 2004. To Bombay, for one year, for the Indian MC- one of the most legendary experiences ever. I was on my way. We had reached the station well in advance. The creators, Rish, bhie and jain were there to see me off. For any of you that’s watched a hindi movie, you know the famous scene of a slowly departing train being followed with teary eyes. They say that the person who’s leaving is always in a better position cos they are off to something new and exciting. The one’s left behind feel the real pain. I have always begged to disagree. Bhie and one half of the creators wiped their tears and I prayed for the train to move just that little bit faster so that I wouldn’t have to bear the anguish...
Arriving in Mumbai the next morning, I was greeted by a gloriously muggy and semi-rainy day. As sidp stormed into the Mcdonalds at VT (over an hour late), he proceeded to play (unknowingly to me) an obvious game of ‘world disagreement day’. I laughed all the way to vikhroli where I dumped my bags and began to make plans of complete debauchery for the week that was up ahead.
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There are many more, which I shall touch upon at another time. Those include the goodbye from Switzerland, the arrival back home in May this year, the arrival in Belgium with KS’ huge smile, the chaos of the Prague journey and the heavy hearted flight back from Rotterdam…only to be soothed by Regi’s sms and a hug in gorgeous Geneva.

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these are memories
these are stories
that would make a man
that could break a man.
I smile in their existence
and embrace their insistence
reminding me of a life
well lived
and worth
living for.
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Posted by chitgo on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 11/28/2006 02:26:00 PM | Permalink