KERALA CHRONILCES

My struggle in Kerala....yes it was really a struggle...i had gone along with my family to Kerala during Diwali vacations. And I just forgot that recently the Kerala government has banned the sale of somras...but of course it is a ban which will be implemented in a staggered manner. So I was confident that the somras will somehow be available for my consumption...how wrong I was. When I enquired about the same with the hotel where I was staying, they told me that they don't have the license to sell it...now what to do?...anyway the first day was spent in some family building activities like...having lunch together...talking with the wife...which means she talks...i listen....or rather pretend to listen...playing cards with my daughter...going on long walks in the hotel premises...and the like. Wife suggested why not go to a temple Darshan tour next day...was not very interested...especially when temple Darshan in Kerala involves wearing a dhoti or a mundu...i don't think that is the right word...my Kerala friends should help me with the word...anyway that is a separate story in itself. But then going out of the hotel opened up the opportunity to locate the elusive somras bar. So we get ready early next morning to see the assorted temples...and believe me the temples are very unique and beautiful...but that is again a separate story. We finished the temple tour by 12.30 pm noon . During all this time, sitting in the car, i am on the look out for a somras bar... Which can be accessible after the tour is over... Only once I saw a bar which is similar to the one found in amchi Mumbai... Immediately my binocular eyes ð come out... But it is a false alarm. Alas!! The bar is closed ð I also noticed that there are some barricaded areas with proper protection where you see only men in dhotis standing in a proper line... Taking something from the counter, hiding it in the folds of their dhotis and scampering off... But I could not make out what... Anyways I was least interested in these shenigans... I was more interested in somras bars... But could not locate any. ..till now... Finally our temple Darshan ended at 1.00 pm... After that it was of course my time... After  all the time given to the gods... So mildly I enquired with the taxi driver about the somras...i was disheartened to see the blank look on his face... Some moments passed in total silence. I did not understand whether he understood my question... But I could see that he was looking at all the nearby shops with the same enthusiasm as me...i was confident that my message had been heard...by him as well as the almighty. He was looking at the nearby shops... And I was looking at him... With expectation. But then he entered into the small  lane where our hotel was located... My heart sank...i prepared myself for another day ... And night of sobernesss... One lane he crossed... Then the other... And then suddenly he stopped the car... On a very lonely road... questioningly I looked at him... In reply he just pointed out... There in a small corner of the lane, there stood the similar baricaded shop which I had previously seen on the outer roads... And outside the shop the similar lungiclad  gathering of men... The driver said in halting English... Beer ðº...ELATION...BUT... again looked at the shop...a dark and  forlorn place...i did not want to buy my beer from this place certainly... But I certainly wanted my somras...so  finally I  offered some money to the driver to get down and buy it... But he looked at me very blankly, and offered his explanation... He is a localite, he is a teetotaller... And shockingly he is the vibhag pramukh of the  local political party... That certainly zapped me... Finally I got down from the car ð... Humbly stood in the line of the lungi clad denizens... And bought my bottle of manna...a very warm bottle of beer ðº... And while going to the hotel, the driver told me that I had got the bottle from a government run shop... Thus ended my struggle for somras in God's own country...

With all apologies to my Kerala friends...hic...hic...hurray...

Yatin