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It was time now to leave for Bombay. Ammini saw her mother-in-law lock the main gate of their home and give the key to a relative. Her mother-in-law Devaki had entrusted the looking after of the house and the little piece of land that they owned, to her nephew who would come and live there for the time they were in Bombay. They had no choice. The little piece of land they had and the cow had to be tended to. Her children wanted her to live with them in Bombay now as they had all settled in the big city and in any case she was starting to find it hard to labour the fields and draw water from the well. Devaki's son Ramchandra thought she had done enough already and it was time she relaxed a bit. So, he had insisted that she and Subhadra, his younger unmarried sister go along with his new bride to the military grounds in Colaba, Bombay where he had been assigned his living quarters. None of the women had travelled to the city before. None had taken the long three to four day journey in the sleeper trains they would have to take on the way.
It was the year 1963, the family had to first travel by bus to Kollam or Quilon railway station and take the meter gauge to Ernakulam. Travelling from Ernakulam to Bombay was a massive detour with several changes of trains across the Western Ghats into Tamil Nadu before tracking through Karnataka and Maharashtra. All three women found themselves overwhelmed by all the crowds, sights and sounds that they encountered at the many train stations and in the trains they boarded. Ammini found herself catching the changing scenery of landscapes from the lush green that Kerala offered to the wetness of the monsoons in Tamil Nadu. She had never experienced rain in October till then. She and the other women learnt from Ramchandra that there is another monsoon called the North East monsoon in this part of the country which is at a separate timeline than what they had known till now, living in Kerala. They had carried a lot of food that wouldn't spoil but the travelling time was so long that the group was forced to eat some of the snacks at the railway stations. Ammini tasted idli and sambar on the journey in Tamil Nadu and couldn't understand why the taste of the curry was so different. The three women diligently tried to recognise what was exactly different vs their own method of cooking. Between the languages that were foreign to them and the jewellery and saree styles that the women wore in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Devaki Devi, Ammini and Subhadra had a thousand questions for Ramchandra. He patiently answered everything he knew and shrugged when asked things he had no answer to.
Entering Bombay Central station was something Ammini wouldn't ever forget. The hustle & bustle in every nook and corner was hard to keep up with. The four of them with Ramchandra leading the way walked to the local railway tracks which was not very far away from the place their train had finally stopped. As they passed the spot where the tracks ended in the long-distance train area, Ammini noticed the two metal buffers at the end of the platform she was walking past. They indicated proudly to her that her long maiden journey covering half of the country had finished. She would soon see the new home that was waiting for her.
They took a train to Churchgate and then waited for a bus to Colaba. Entering into the military grounds, Ammini and the ladies were soon surrounded by all the wives and children of the other staff. There were women wearing clothes that Ammini had never seen before. Ammini learnt later that the outfits were called Salwar Kameez or Punjabi suits. Many of the women wore 'kumkumam' or vermillion in their hair. One of the older neighbours, who Ramchandra called Punjabi aunty, welcomed Ammini with a mud lamp and a plate with offerings for God as she entered her house. Ammini was riding high on all these colours, faces, emotions, languages and people who were again making her the centre of attention. For them she was a newly married bride and she found in her hands bangles, vermillion powder boxes, bindis, a talcum powder box and kajal or kohl which were all gifts from the neighbouring ladies. Luckily Subadhra and Devaki Amma were kind enough to help her carry all the gifts as they settled into their tiny living room. The neighbours sat around them and tried to communicate in Hindi. None of the women except Subhadra knew any Hindi. Her Hindi was also only bookish and she had never had to speak the language. Everyone laughed as she tried to say her first sentence in Hindi.
As she watched the crowd talk to Subhadra, Ammini realised that the room was very tiny compared to their home in Kerala. She had quickly taken in the whole home in one glance. There was a small kitchen and another small room further on. But this space or lack of it didn't bother her. She seemed teleported to a new world once again. As she watched all these loud and happy women who had given her such a warm welcome, Ammini's heart felt expansive and large. She smiled as she saw a neighbour enter with a tray of tea and snacks that she'd prepared for everyone. 'I like Bombay and its people' was the thought that remained unsaid.
You can read about trains in Kerala on the FB page 'Bygone Cochin Days' if you like to travel in the past and are fascinated by nostalgia https://www.facebook.com/groups/441548824093985
Like this story? Be sure to miss no post by
You may have missed the previous four episodes on my parents that I link below
The day they met
How my Daddy met my Mummy - Ramchandra & Ammini - The Chronicles of the Youngest Child
Read the second story of their wedding day here
My parent's Guruvayoor wedding - Ramchandra & Ammini - Part 2- The Chronicles of the Youngest Child
Read about how Ammini settles in
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