Mylambadi, a relaxed and laid-back place. But this has nothing to do with the nature of people who make the place come alive.

Most people have a bit of land for themselves and this naturally makes them hard working. The village wakes up as early as at 5 AM.

A place where everyone knows everyone else. At every turn of the road, a friendly face.

Like most other places in Kerala, people are religiously neutral but politically sensitive. Many are voracious readers. A typical morning in my village starts with hot chai in the local chai shop, where not one, but minimum 4 different newspapers are read and analyzed.

That old man sporting a big moustache, casually clad in a lungi can tell you what North Korean nuke deal is all about.

Don’t be surprised that his friend has read all the religious texts in the world including the Tibetan book of the dead. You just need to strike the right cords for the stories to flow.

Narrow winding roads adorned by coffee plantations on both sides, two charming little schools – one named after my grandfather, a post office with the brightred-letter box which would have played a major role in many village love stories, a small ration shop with old wood work, a chai shop with rickety wooden benches, a small river that runs through and few charming houses, completes Mylambadi.

The rest I leave to your imagination.