I had nights crying myself to sleep for not being able to see my parents and not to mention those mosquitos which haunt me at 3am. That was my first experience with the "Queen of Arabian Sea". Terrible, in the first go!
But fate had different plans for me, I was pulled back to Kochi 2 years later once again. and this time, not to hate her, but to fall in love with her forever.
It was definitely Kochi, who made me love lonely life. To celebrate and love myself without expecting others to do that for me. A part of me grew mature staying on her lap and another part adventurous. I could walk for hours alone, even to places I have never been to before, I dared to talk to people who were complete strangers to me; I could live life to the fullest!
Willingdon Island will always remain my happy place in Kochi. Unlike other tourist attractions, the place has nothing to offer you other than an old museum, Cochin Naval Base, and several factories. You may wonder what is so special in this?
The Peace!
The kind of peace that you can't even imagine to have existed in the heart of a metro city like Kochi. And a year later, that was the main reason I found myself again in Kochi. Whenever there came a time to pick up an internship spot, it was always Kochi for me. My first and probably only option 😂
I did a lot of my "firsts" in Kochi; the people, places and calmness of Marine Drive evenings. Those crowded nights at Lulu Mall, those mighty verandas of Maharajas, Kochi-Musiris Biennale amidst the bustling heat of the city and numerous other instincts. That feeling of being alive when a cold evening breeze blows against your face while holding hands with someone special will always remain one of those special moments that I would pick from my deck of memories any day while feeling lonely and cherish it with happy tears.
It's hard to believe that Kochi has now become a distant memory, vague yet so clear, near yet so far!
~ Cheerachi
