Nevertheless I came away a precious keepsake.
It goes without saying that on any evening in the month of Thulavarsham , when the Easterlies bring thunderous rain, the dark clouds get the better of this celestial activity. Yet the sun hung there suspended low and orange, a perfect circle, at about 6 pm, in a grey sky. In about half an hour when Sagararani would be mid sea, it would slide down. It was a moment I waited for.
Half an hour before the time of departure, 5.30 pm, the upper deck filled up with a mixed crowd of about 50, a rumbunctious group from Kannur, a couple of domestic tourists, chirpy children and a wailing baby. A few couples and the elderly found quiet and peace in the air-conditioned hall on the lower deck; a few men sat around the tables in the restaurant, looking into their cell phones. Once the boat set off the action moved to the upper deck abuzz with the excitement of a two hour journey in the Vembanad Lake, through the shipping channel, past the mouth of the estuary, 10 km into the high sea.
By this time I learn from Surej Shams, the courteous marketing manager, the details of the vessel. That the 100 seater has been offering this popular service for the last 12 years, that they have special packages for groups and educational institutions, that though there is fierce competition from private boat operators this is the only IRS certified service with a license to sail beyond the channel into the sea.
Sreekanth KA, the tour guide who doubles up as a DJ as the evening progresses, begins with a friendly introduction and moves on to informative commentary about the buildings on the coast as the boat glides past them. The High Court Jetty is the embarkation point and Sreekanth’s narrative begins from there.
The newly constructed dark and glassy High Court building, its asymmetrical silhouette standing out amid more regular architecture is noticed as never before. Before fancier malls became common place, the pride belonged to the pyramid shaped GCDA complex, Kochi’s first mall, the Rainbow Bridge, Bay Pride Mall, Taj Gateway, Ernakulam Boat Jetty where alighted none less than Swami Vivekananda, the Children’s Park, oil tanker berths, history of the Cochin Shipyard, tales of the man-made Willingdon island and of the harbour engineer Sir Robert Bristow are told in a riveting narration, facts unknown to many city dwellers.
From a distance on the boat, suffused by the cool sea breeze, the buildings with their histories hold fresh meaning.
Meanwhile, two courteous lascars are handing out snacks on paper plates followed by a strong cup of much needed beverage. A story to listen, a scenery to watch, tasty snacks, a warm drink has by now created a mood that binds us all in a oneness not felt at the start.
We look at Dorothy, Bristow’s personal launch, and its tryst with Nehru, graciously placed in the Island Park, century-old structures of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry appear close, standing testimony to their bloody past. On the opposite bank the LNG terminal, Vallarpadom, Dubai Port, loom large and Sreekanth offers details, information he has drawn from various sources. A Sopanam artiste he carries his off shore work with easy grace and charm.
By now the wind has grown stronger and the waters choppier. The thrust and force of waves is felt as if inspired by the crackling thunder and flashes of lightning in the sky. One realises that in between the past and the present, the sun has set slowly and silently into the horizon.
What has replaced is the darkness enveloping Sagararani, the sky sporadically brightening up with lightning and in the distance the twinkling skyline of our city.
But if that is outside, there is much jollity on board. Sreekanth has requested the in-house singers to regale with favourite and popular songs. The mood lifts further and almost everyone has their fingers and toes tapping to the pulsating music. Once he dons the role of a DJ, the volume is pumped up higher and the group from Kannur rushes to the well of the deck and break into frenzied dancing. Jimmki kammal has brought almost everyone to the floor, except the few women who watch beatifically.
I move out to stand near the Wheel House and find the srank manoeuvring the vessel into a big U turn, on its return trip. “This is near the seventh buoy,” says Surej as the floating marker bobs jelly like in the water. Holding on to the railing, on the bow, I watch in awe the beauty of the spectacle that nature is. The Queen of the Arabian Sea, with her tiara of winking lights, is a beautiful sight to behold. Closer in the channel, fishing boats are returning and the dredger too seems to have done its job for the day. The evening has spread itself full and at Sagararani it has shown all its shades.
Nobody, not even those, thick in the thrums of music and dance, inside will be unaffected by the natural beauty that the boat cruises into and out, stirred by the breeze, darkness and flashes of light.
As I slip into reverie I am nudged happily by two young women in dark body suits with bling frocks, their coiffured hair and made up visages, a reminder of film artists from the sixties. Soon there is going to be a performance by them. I quickly move in not to miss and watch charmed their graceful rendition of a semi-classical cinematic dance.
By now the city lights have grown bigger and familiar sounds of a town in the throes of daily grind are beginning to be heard. We know we are close to our destination and everyone has begun to descend to the lower deck.
I watch the passengers as they wrap up the evening, checking the mobile phones and looking at the approaching jetty.
Sagararani moors smoothly, the gangway comes on and we walk out in twos, moving thoughtfully back to our day-end routine.
Tom Jose, CMD, KSINC, tells me over the phone that the leisure trip aboard Sagararani is one of the most popular ones but there’s something still better coming soon. The Nefertiti, a 200 pax carrier with better facilities will join the fleet early next year with more entertainment and facilities.
But that’s next year, I feel, this is here and now.
I look back at the boat, moored and empty, its red frilly canopy waving in the breeze, and a sense of contentment fills up. Money wise the three hundred rupees on the trip have been spent well, I have enjoyed myself and though I missed the sunset, I savoured all else that came with it, an evening of robust entertainment and the beauty of twilight. More so I saw the city in a new light, as never before, a precious keepsake.
