Until February 2005, I just know Trivandrum as just any other capital city of some distant Indian state. Suddenly in February, then one of my senior manager mandated that I should go to Trivandrum on permanent basis from Hyderabad. Being a fresher in Software Industry, I had not much option. I could have created some cock-and-bull stories like many of my other colleagues, but being a professional I refrained from doing so.Also with me were 9 other colleagues. Bhanu, Arun, Gopi were close to me and Praneeth, whom we welcomed to ease our individual shares of our house-rent and other 5, Sundar, Vijay, Rajendra, Sukumar [ a psycho] and Nirmal [ a weirdo ] who too made their mind to go to Mallu Land.
Phase I
Start Date: Feb 17, 2005
End Date : Nov 25, 2005
We alighted Sabari Express at 1930 hrs on Feb 18, 2005. Then we went straight to our company-provided accommodation, Rajadhani, a 3 -star Hotel near Bakery Junction.Everyone looked strange.We were like aliens in Mallu Land.Surprised to see sweet chicken biryani topped with pine apple slice, closed shops at 8 PM, very very calm roads which made us feel like midnight at 9PM were just few of the surprises.Being a weekend, we went to Technopark, house for Software Industry in Trivandrum.We immediately managed to get into a 2BHK in Kazhakuttam near Technopark.Within a week after we reported to our new boss in CSP Trivandrum, we started hating everything about Trivandrum. This is just the beginning of our travails.
After that I spent 9 months cribbing, jogging early morning on Technopark by-pass till Toyota show room, playing mid night cricket, reading lots and lots of books, visiting the surrounding beaches, touring places like Kanyakumari, Attirapalli, and Cochin , experiencing the Kerala culture, wondering the surrounding coconut trees( wherever you go , coconut tree follows you in Kerala) , cursing the hotels where we eat our food, cursing the auto wallahs who also demand the return fare, requesting(read:begging) all our visiting senior managers for a transfer close to our homes.In July Praneeth left us. We were least bothered.Then we moved to new house to thinking to reduce our rent expense but were finally ended up paying more in terms of brokerage for a not-so-good house.Our math went wrong somewhere and we realized the mistake only after the damage has already happened.
Then slowly our dark era seemed to end.In November we saw decline in number of projects coming to our department in Trivandrum. So they started relieving people to other locations such as Chennai and Bangalore, but on short-term basis on the condition that we need to come back to Trivandrum. First Bhanu was sent to Chennai for few weeks which got extended furthur.Then came my chance Bangalore for 7 months [ One of the senior manager made it to 7 instead of 6, making all the short-term transfer benefits inapplicable for me. But again I didn’t bother much because I was so depressed that, I thought the very chance of going to Bangalore is a great benefit for me] . I thought I was so lucky among the bunch( which later proved very very wrong) after that Arun followed me within 2 weeks to Bangalore. So finally I got out of Trivandrum on 25th Of November.While leaving, I thought I will never come back to Trivandrum out of my choice.
This is the end of Phase I.
After that I faced worst of my professional life in Bangalore. I was depressed a lot not only because of my fate in office but also by the worst Bangalore infrastructure which took away gist out of my personal life. I used to waste my valuable evenings amidst irritating traffic jams on Hosur Road.These woes coupled with other dissatisfactions like exorbitant rents for a meager living spaces compelled me to rethink about Trivandrum.My skills and experience at that time were too inadequate to find another job.So I never tried seriously for a job shift at that point of time.I started appreciating best of Trivandrum then.I finally made my mind to shift to Trivandrum and successfully managed to get a nod from the manager who sent me to Bangalore.It wasn’t been easy too. But I somehow managed to go to Trivandrum. Sundar, who also came to Bangalore along with me from Trivandrum thinking of never returning again 🙂 was already there by the time I went back to Trivandrum.He went to Trivandrum couple of weeks earlier than me when I was in my 20 days vacation at my home in Vemagiri.
Phase II
Start Date: Aug 20, 2006
End date : Jan 29, 2007
I liked my life very much in my second stint in Trivandrum. I rented an independent 2 BHK in TKD Road, Muttada all for myself.I never shared it with anyone.I used to cook all myself. I bought my Lenovo Notebook.Even I started this blog from that house and best of the best thing that had happened to me: LOVEOFMYLIFE entered my life during that period itself. The people whom I can never forget are Mr Philpose and his family. They are real good people. He, Aunty, Her daughters, Smitha, a fellow Infoscion and Jasmine, who works for Visual Soft in Technopark.They treated me like their family member.If not for them, my second stint wouldn’t have been so smooth.They used to help me in every aspect.They treated me like their son.But for good or bad, this stint abruptly ended in Jan 2007 when I was called from Bangalore again for short term onsite assignment.I suddenly packed everything and headed to Bangalore.I preponed my engagement and wedding in the hurry to go onsite.But till today I am still here but thats different story.
My association with Trivandrum ended on Aug 17, 2007 when I got permanent transfer to Bangalore.I have nothing belonging to me in Trivandrum expect some items like huge 4X6 Duroflex mattress, my computer table and computer chair, which I am planning to bring on 1st of September.
Overall I had mixed experience with Trivandrum. I made some good friends and I learnt many good lessons.It has left many marks on my life.Some best, some good, some bad and some worse!
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