ChapTer 1

The tour to Kerala began when I applied to CDS Trivandrum. My paper got accepted, and finally, I had the chance to visit Kerala. I had previously asked Subhabarata to plan a trip, but it failed every time. So I grabbed this opportunity with both hands.

To add to my happiness, CDS was sponsoring our accommodation during the conference period and also covering the travel costs for 3AC. I also got to know that Kirti Ranjan’s paper had been selected. So now I had a friend with whom I would be touring Kerala. I expressed my desire to travel around the state, and she agreed. She booked her onward and return tickets, and I booked mine on the same train. However, she was in 2AC and I was in 3AC.

I was extremely excited about the trip. I planned to go for 5–10 km runs from CDS to the beach and was hoping to get fitter by the time I visited Trivandrum. I even imagined taking a shirtless picture at the beach. But life had other plans.

One day, while playing basketball, I injured my knee. The socket twisted. It wasn’t a fracture, but it was serious enough to stop me from engaging in physical activities. I hoped I would recover by 2nd February 2026. But hope can be an illusion. Ten days later, I injured the same knee again. I couldn’t keep myself away from badminton, so I thought of playing a simple rally. I jumped slightly and met the same fate. My legs couldn’t handle the impact. I cursed myself for the decision to play at that moment. This time, I decided to rest for 2–3 months until my legs were completely fine. So my running plans were over. I was hoping I would at least be able to walk comfortably.

As if this wasn’t enough, Kirti informed me that she would be coming by flight. I felt betrayed. I had booked my ticket for 7 AM from Panvel, and to reach Panvel, I had to catch a Goregaon local at 5:30 AM to be safe. Ugh.

Fast forward to the day before boarding the train,  I ironed my clothes and packed my bags. All the essentials went into the laptop bag, and clothes and other items into another bag. I had my camera ready and asked my roommate, Avanish, to accompany me. I tried to sleep by 11 PM, checked my list once more, and finally slept.

The next day, I woke up sharply at 4 AM, freshened up, and woke Avanish. We booked an auto and reached Goregaon well before time. From there, we boarded the train to Panvel. Avanish accompanied me until Vadala and helped me carry my bag. After one and a half hours, I reached Panvel 30 minutes before departure.

The journey finally began after boarding the train. It was going to be a 29-hour journey, and I was allotted the upper berth. I had difficulty climbing up and down multiple times, which was uncomfortable for my legs.

The next day, Kirti informed me that her departure time had changed and that she would arrive by 11 PM on 4th February. I reached CDS by 1:30 PM on 4th February and took a round of the campus. The campus was very small, maybe just around 10 acres. “Bhai, ye to shuru hote hi khatam ho gaya.” But the architecture was impressive. There were small ponds near the main building to help cool it naturally. The architecture was by Laurie Baker and is famously known for cost-effective buildings that employ sustainable techniques.

The first thing I did after reaching CDS was freshen up in the allotted room. The second was to have lunch. It cost me ₹55, and honestly, the food was horrible. Maybe I don’t have a taste for South Indian food, but personally, I didn’t like it. And I guess it was the same for everyone.

After lunch, I called Datta, who is a partial alumnus of CDS. He had joined for a PhD but left after getting admission to JNU. He shared some of his experiences and suggested two places: Palace Restaurant and 5 Star Restaurant. I visited 5 Star after lunch because I was craving tea. I ordered a glass of tea, and what was delivered was literally a glass of tea. It tasted more like tea-flavored milk. They have a different preparation method, and personally, I didn’t like it. But the addiction to tea is real. So for the next few days in Kerala, despite not liking the taste much, I kept drinking it. However, I would suggest trying lemon tea,  that tasted much better. I ended up drinking lemon tea more often than milk tea.

Somehow, I managed to get through the evening. Dinner was okay-ish, not great, but enough to fill the stomach. Again, don’t have high expectations for food at CDS.

Later, Kirti arrived on campus around 11 PM. Jithin, one of the campus PhD students and a friend of Kirti, had already packed butter chicken and parotta for her. The combo tasted amazing. I try to avoid oily food and maida these days, but I liked it so much that I ended up having a piece of parotta with butter chicken. It was from Palace Restaurant, just 50 meters from the CDS gate. Again, highly recommended if you’re there for a conference.

We walked around the campus for a while. Since I had to present the next day, I reviewed my presentation once and then went to sleep.

For the next day and other experiences, I’ll write another blog.