Finally in Calcutta. One of those places which come up so often in the literature you read that you start to form shapes in the head. Most of my shapes were colonial since those were the times when Calcutta was the foremost city in India. The stay was going to be too short to sufficiently satiate all my curiosity. I wanted to experience this city as much as I could, take in all I could and all I had was a night and a day.
It's hot and sweaty as soon as the aircraft doors open. Stepping down the plane exit there is a pitch dark night - some labouring lights struggling from the distant Subash Chandra Bose terminal building, few people milling around quietly attending to their businesses. Its not the bustle of IGI Delhi nor the glaring luminance of Changi, all is very sleepy here. The insides of the airport are empty, ours is the only midnight flight. Immigration officers come out when we reach their area. Hardly any questions are asked, they want to go back to their sleep. Luggage arrives promptly and out you are shoved. The car park is fairly empty, and there are only a handful of cabbies. They don't haggle for prices, they want to get out of here as well. The whole thing is like a chemist woken up at night who'd give you anything you want to be able to go back to his sleep.
The streets are empty at 2 AM, and there's nobody sleeping on the sidewalks unlike the other Indian metros. It's humid but not dusty and the huge Ambassador is rattling along fast enough to keep it's innards windy. Salt Lake, where I am to put up, is not too far from the airport or maybe it seems so because there isn't any traffic along the way at this time. I am too ashamed to ask the driver if there is a Salt "Lake" here. Maybe tomorrow.
Harry's Guest House is a house. It's fortified with a guard and high boundary walls. Inside, the air is heavy with the smell of new spotless paint. The staff is quick and efficient, and obviously eager to go back to sleep too. The room is simple, clean and quiet. The aircon and TV work, amazingly, and I'm soon cold and asleep - in the background KP goes on punishing the Windies bowlers on the telly.
