In this age of Artificial Intelligence, we have seen some life transforming inventions. We totally agree. But mind you, every generation had its own inventions that took the world by storm. One such invention was the "inflatable-pillow". It made overnight train journeys an absolute pleasure. Much like one would flaunt an iPhone today, back then, your status symbol was defined by carrying an inflatable-pillow. It was your priced accessory.
Before this novel invention saw the light of day, life was not easy- you had to carry your personal, oversized pillow from home. The pillow was stuffed in a "hold-all" and lugged into the train coupe. And when it was time to sleep, the hold-all was unwrapped on the train-berth. The hold-all body served as the cushion, and the bulbous pillow was the headrest.
That's when the "inflatable-pillow" made its grand entry! Suddenly, you didn't have to carry your pillow from home. It was replaced with a sleek, petite inflatable-pillow. It looked like an oversized handkerchief- a piece of canvas, that could be carried easily. But this little, diminutive fellow was a pocket-sized dynamite when it came to utility! At one corner of the cloth, was a tiny aperture, fitted with a plastic cap. You blew into the aperture. With each puff, you watched it grow like a balloon. Soon, your pillow was ready!
Stretching yourself on the train-berth, with this pillow as the headrest, you stared at the overhead, grilled fan. The steady rattle of the rail and the rhythmic rocking lulled you to sleep. Needless to say, it was a pleasure like no other. You owed the experience entirely to the inflatable-pillow.
Inflatable pillows had a quirky sense of humour. Sometimes, you blew your lungs out, but the pillow wouldn't budge. It stayed flat and stubborn like a rebellious child. Totally breathless, you examined the sides of the pillow, only to find a tiny incision. Yes, a safety pin left carelessly open in the suitcase, had done the deed- it had successfully managed to burrow a pin-hole into the pillow! Now, the pillow was as purposeful as a punctured bicycle tyre!
Inflating this pillow was no mean task. It required the power of a "naadaswaram" artiste. The cheeks were full and puffed, the forehead veins throbbed, the eyes bulged, the ears went red- all of this...all of this...to gather that lung-power to force the next breath of air into the pillow. It was hard work.
Sometimes, after expending your entire energy in inflating this monstrosity, towards the end, you fidgeted with the cap and struggled to close the vent in time. The pillow punished you mercilessly for your clumsiness. By the time you got your act right and managed to plug the aperture, the pillow had deflated to its original, flat self! The hard work was now completely undone and you had to start from scratch!
At times, your fingers lost control over the inflated pillow, while trying to plug the cap. It was now a free spirit, much like a run-away balloon. It darted across the coupe like a meteor across the sky. You ran after the meteor and retrieved it...in the process, providing ample, comic entertainment to the co-passengers.
All said and done, an inflatable pillow had some serious weaknesses. Once inflated, you were never satisfied with its shape, size, feel and comfort. There was always some "room for improvement" much like the advice you hear in parent-teacher-meetings. If the air was too full, it bounced about ungainly and summarily threw your head out when you pressed yourself against the pillow. If the air was less, it felt as though your neck had no support. Getting that right balance was an unending battle. Often, you spent the entire night blowing hot and cold- till eventually sleep took over...and you slept...regardless of the pillow!
Inflatable pillows had a strange fragrance that hung around them...all the time. It was tough to classify the smell as pleasant or unpleasant. May be, it was the musty odour of the canvas, may be, it was the excess saliva, may be, it was the smell of that plastic-cap. Perhaps, it was just the fact that it stayed in the closet for months on end, and brought out, only when it was time for the annual summer vacation!
Nonetheless, the inflatable-pillow was your faithful, travel companion. What would I not give...to get those days back?...to lie down on that train berth, with that blue, inflatable pillow as headrest, to stare at that grilled, ceiling fan, and to hear that TT's voice, "Yes, the train is late by 2 hours. We are yet to reach Cuddapah. It will reach Renigunta only at 3 am. You can sleep till then!"
