Tag: Personal diary

838 Kilometres, Two Drivers and a Day That Began at 4 AM


What a day!

It began at 4 in the morning. Ironically, when I know that I must wake up very early, I become so conscious about it that I hardly sleep. That night was no different. I kept checking the time, waiting for the alarm, and eventually began the journey without having slept.

Our first destination was Thrissur. We had to drop my friend’s wife at her office before turning back towards Chennai. By the time we reached Thrissur, a large part of the morning had already passed—but the longest part of the journey was still ahead of us.

Thrissur to Chennai.

Looking at that distance on the map can make anyone feel tired even before starting. But once we were on the road, we stopped thinking about the entire distance. We simply handled it one stretch at a time.

There were two of us to drive. When one person began to feel tired, the other took over. The person resting would take a short power nap and return refreshed enough for the next stretch. We did not treat the journey as one continuous race. Fuel refills, tea, snacks and proper food breaks naturally divided it into smaller and more manageable parts.

A bakery stop in the morning. Lunch along the highway. Another vegetarian food break in the afternoon. A few minutes outside the car, some conversation, and then back on the road.

Kilometres kept disappearing behind us.

The surprising part was that we did not feel the full tiredness while driving. Perhaps it was because we kept changing drivers. Perhaps it was the power naps, the breaks, the food or the constantly changing scenery. More than anything, I think the mind remained active because there was always a smaller target ahead—the next town, the next stop or the next driver change.

By the time we reached Chennai, the timeline showed 838 kilometres and nearly 14 hours on the road. We had started at 4:02 AM and arrived at 7:18 PM.

Only after reaching the destination did the scale of the day begin to sink in.

This was my first crazy long-distance drive after six years. It reminded me that some journeys appear exhausting when viewed as one enormous distance. But when shared between two people—and divided by rest, food, conversation and smaller milestones—the same journey becomes an experience.

The tiredness eventually catches up with the body. But the road leaves the mind with a story.

And this was certainly a day worth recording.

The Night I Finally Took My Sleep Test


I had wanted to take a sleep test for a long time. Two months ago, I enquired at the hospital and asked for a slot. They had been following up with me since then, but I kept putting it off.

Yesterday, they called and said a slot was available that very night. I agreed before I could delay it again.

I went to the hospital alone. I did not take an attender because they said one was not needed. The test was scheduled from 10 PM to 4 AM.

They attached wires to my hand and a couple to my forehead. Then they asked me to sleep. It sounded simple enough, but I have always found it difficult to sleep in a new place. With the wires attached and the thought of being tested, it took me a long time to settle down.

I think I slept for only two or three hours. I woke up about an hour before the test ended and could not get back to sleep. Soon it was 4 AM, and the night I had waited two months for was over.

Now I am waiting for the report. I am glad I finally went, but I keep wondering what it will show. That night was quite different from how I normally sleep at home. Will a few hours of sleep be enough? Will the result reflect my usual nights?

I suppose those questions will have to wait until the report arrives. For now, at least, I have taken the test I had been meaning to take for so long.

Catching Up After 13 Years — With Kombucha & Cosmic Gossip


Today was one of those unexpectedly perfect days. I finally met Ajith after 13 long years. Honestly, I don’t even know how these years flew by — it felt like we were still on that Bangalore drive, debating random life topics and making a pit stop at midnight in McDonald’s Sulagiri.

Ajith took the initiative to set this up (big thanks, buddy!), and he also introduced me to TAKKT Southern Cafe & Kombucha. What a fun, happening place right in our own backyard! The kombucha? Absolutely fantastic — like a refreshing plot twist in a boring daily routine.

It felt nice to see that he has also given up a few things in life, just like I did. Maybe that’s why old friends feel special — they remind you of who you were and show parts of yourself you might have forgotten.

We covered everything today: work stories, personal struggles and joys from these 13 years, a little astrology (yes, Saturn in the 8th house still keeping life spicy), and plenty of those “just because” stories that have no start or end.

Thank you again, Ajith, for pulling me out and for the kombucha initiation. Let’s make sure we don’t wait another 13 years — next time, maybe a road trip, or even better, some divine temple trail to balance all this cosmic karma.