Tag: simple living

When Life Was Moving Between Cities and a 3-Month-Old Smile


Exactly 10 years ago.

My daughter was just three months old.
She didn’t know how to sit. Didn’t know how to talk.
She was just rolling around… smiling at the ceiling fan… living in her own small universe.

And I was still rolling in the sky of becoming a father.

My wife was in her native. I was driving between Chennai, Madurai and Pollachi like a shuttle service. Highway tea shops were my silent companions. Early morning drives. Late night returns. Phone calls in between.

Business was going good.
I had a solid team. Energy was high.
That was the time I was seriously working on my coffee shop initiative — ideas, branding thoughts, concepts, locations, numbers, dreams. Filter coffee was not just a drink. It was a possibility.

Friend time had reduced.
Not intentionally. Life was just expanding.

But still, I made sure I showed up.

Green Park in Chennai.
Union Club in Madurai.

Those were my meeting spots. Laughter. Business talks. Political debates. Life updates. Some evenings were heavy, some were light, but they kept me grounded.

Bangalore visits had reduced.
Before 2015, Bangalore used to be almost a weekly emotion.
After that, priorities shifted. Travel changed direction. Responsibilities quietly took the driver’s seat.

That was also the period when I purchased two houses in Madurai.
And the construction of my present house was happening brick by brick. I still remember walking through half-built walls, imagining furniture, imagining children running around.

Today when I think back…

I don’t remember the stress.
I don’t remember the tiredness.

I remember the movement.
I remember the building phase.
I remember the silent excitement.

A 3-month-old baby.
A growing business.
Under-construction dreams.
Reduced Bangalore trips.
More responsibilities.

Life was not slow.
Life was not easy.
But life was beautifully in motion.

Ten years passed quietly.
But that version of me — driving highways, carrying dreams, and learning fatherhood — still smiles somewhere inside.

And that 3-month-old baby?
She is ten now.
Time really doesn’t ask permission before it moves.

A Dinner Without Rush – Rare Luxury in Madurai


Today we went out for dinner — my family and my friend’s family together.

Being a vegetarian in Madurai is not easy. Options are limited. And even in those few hotels, the model is mostly quick service. You order, food comes in 5 minutes, and before you finish your first dosa, you can feel eyes around you.

Three or four families standing nearby.
Waiting. Watching.
Silently asking, “Are you done?”

Irony is — we also do the same when we enter. We scan plates. We calculate who might leave first. We mentally reserve a table before it is even free.

There is no space to sit and talk. No time to laugh loudly. No feeling of outing. Just eating and leaving.

But today was different.

We went to Marudheeswara Restaurant at Iyer Bungalow.

Yes, we had to wait for 30 minutes.
But surprisingly, it didn’t feel like waiting.

They made us sit in a garden-style entrance area. Antique setup. Calm lights. Pleasant breeze. It felt like we had already started our dinner before entering the dining hall.

Once inside, the menu itself felt refreshing.
Not the usual routine items.
It had a unique fusion South Indian touch. Even the utensils were artistic and different. Small details, but they mattered.

Food?
Average to good.

But experience?
Very good.

That is what stood out.

We spent almost 90 minutes there. Talking. Laughing. Kids enjoying their food peacefully. Nobody standing behind us. Nobody pushing us with their eyes.

For 7 members, the bill came to around ₹2500 — less than ₹400 per person. Slightly premium for Madurai standards, but honestly, what we paid for was not just food. It was time.

After a long, long time, we had a dinner in Madurai where we ate without rush.

Sometimes luxury is not five-star food.
Sometimes luxury is simply not being hurried.