I left Kerala, my home state, way back in 1988 when I landed my first job in Bhopal. Ever since then, I have worked in many cities, wherever my work has taken me.
In January-February, thanks to work from anywhere, for the first time in the past 32 years, we (my wife and I) stayed in Kerala for close to one and a half months. That was never possible before because the duration of "long leave" from the office is usually a week or 10 days or at the most two weeks.
For as many as 43 days -- from January 9 to February 21 -- we were in Kerala. Now I can say, "Though I haven't worked in Kerala, I have worked from Kerala."
It was at times an odd feeling. Because I have always been in my hometown only on holiday. And this was the first time I was working as well. It took some time for me to adjust to this new reality.
My home is in the countryside, in the midst of trees. Every day, I used to wake up to fresh air wafting through the open windows and to the sound of birds. A walk on the undulating pathways in the neighbourhood, soaking in the early morning sunlight and the refreshing coolness of the verdant surroundings. The air is clean and the nights are pitch dark, the peace and quiet occasionally punctuated by the chirps of insects.
