It’s usually a dash to the airport, never a leisurely drive. You have one eye on the clock on your mobile and another on the passing landmarks so you know how far you have reached. Finally, that green hill appears on the horizon and you know you’ve made it — just in time — for, Chennai airport sits right across. You get out of the cab and run to the departure gate, forgetting all about the hill; really, when did you ever pause to have a good look at it?
But now you can stand and stare at the hill, even if only for a few moments, because the cab will take you up a ramp right to the first floor of the newly-opened glass-walled Chennai airport terminal — that’s where the departure gates are located. From that height you suddenly see your own city in a new light: a majestic view of the hill, far removed from the madness of the traffic you see below. Until moments ago you were part of that madness.
“Not bad,” I tell myself as I enter the imposing glass building after showing my ticket and ID proof to the sentry. My destination: Kolkata.
21/04/13 Bishwanath Ghosh/The Hindu
