September 17, 2025, Wednesday
Day 8/30 at Trivandrum. I had pondered whether or not to visit the Lulu Mall during my Trivandrum travel days, and even if I visited it, to skip writing a blog about it. Now, even as I write, I’m contemplating never sharing this blog on any of my social media accounts.
After all, almost everyone in my home state has visited either the Lulu Mall in Ernakulam or Trivandrum by now. There won’t be anything novel about this blog to them. But I’m a perfectionist who struggles with recurring guilt whenever I leave things incomplete, half-done, or not to the best level I can. So here goes.
The journey from Attinkuzhi to Trivandrum Lulu Mall was barely a 15-minute bus ride that cost me just Rs 18. If your starting point is Thampanoor, you can board any Kazhakoottam buses, passing via the Bypass road, to reach the Lulu Mall.
I reached the road opposite the Mall by 11. As someone who gets nervous while crossing busy roads, the overbridge was a blessing. The staff in the premises, walking under the scorching heat, holding umbrellas, greeted me with a warm smile and a good morning. They directed me to the entrance.
Window Shopping
First, the doors opened up to various fashion and cosmetic stores and spas. Some of the familiar names on the ground floor were West Side, Shoppers Stop, Biba, Fabindia, Mamaearth, Derma, Bodyshop, Levi’s, and Jack and Jones. Lulu’s own Bridal World and Jewellery shops, such as Jos Alukkas and Kalyan, upped the glamour and grandeur quotient. There was also Lulu’s Hypermarket for everyday groceries and stationery.
As a budget traveller, I fought my urge to splurge and instead found amusement in window shopping. Though I skipped most stores, I got my bag tagged and entered the Lulu hypermarket. I love looking at the wide variety of products. I checked out some children’s picture books, just for research. At that time, I was working with a publisher to develop a new painting book for kids.
Asking for Help
Just then, I realised I was not wearing a mask. Though the world has moved past COVID and face masks ages ago, I still wear them in crowded spaces to avoid falling sick. Only the expensive masks, costing Rs 100 per piece, were available at the hypermarket. So I exited the store, hoping to find cheap ones elsewhere.
I saw a security staff member, a lady in a blue uniform, wearing a mask. I asked her where I could buy one. She directed me to the bag deposit counter, and the staff gave me a mask for free. It was so kind and thoughtful of them.
Many motivational gurus encourage us to ask for help, instead of suffering or striving in silence. They say asking a question, even at the cost of looking dumb temporarily, can get you so far in life. I feel shy to ask people for favors or help, as I don’t want to bother them if I can help it. But I’m starting to believe the wisdom in saying, “I don’t know, or I don’t know how to. Could you please help me?”
More Brands
I reached the first floor and walked past stores such as Lulu Fashion, Lenskart, Toni and Guy, United Colors of Benetton, Vip Lounge, Fast-track, American Tourister, Zudio, Louis Philippe, Arrow, Van Huesen, Manyavr, Peter England, Linen, Basics, Allen Solly, Max, Pantaloons, and Jockey.
I explored budget-friendly brands such as Zudio and Max. I was happy to see the Kalki Koechlin curated dress collection at Max. I like her free-spirited and creative nature. I wanted to buy something for my family, especially my younger brother. But as someone from a finance and accountancy background, he is always advising me not to waste money on unnecessary purchases and to invest more.
Funtura
I climbed the stairs to the topmost floor and reached my favorite area – the food court. I was happy to see the Funtura section with kids’ rides. At least kids of the latest generations will get to experience fun stuff like amusement parks and toy cubes more than 90’s kids like me. For me, amusement parks were all about that one Veegaland trip with my family when I was eleven, and all the romantic scenes I watched in Korean movies where the hero played the toy cube and won a soft doll for the girl.
Food Court
Being the foodie that I am, of course, the food shops attracted me more than the fun rides. There were outlets of Pizza Hut, Burger King, Domino’s, Chicking Corner, Wow Momo, Baskin-Robbins, Subway, KFC, Amul, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell. Not to mention the tempting aromas of shawarmas and biriyani from nearby cafes and restaurants like Paragon.
An Old Friend
Though it was a weekday, I was hoping to run into any of my old friends from Trivandrum. Luck was in my favor. I met one of my juniors from the only IT company I ever worked for. Bhavi was at the food court, along with her husband and Mom. It was her wedding anniversary. I was surprised to learn that she was still working at our old company. I was glad I could meet her and say hi. Equally pleased that my manifestation powers were still working. 😉
Bookstore
I moved beyond the PVR Cinemas and past the shops of Adidas, Puma, Sketchers, Lulu Connect, and HP World, searching for the bookstores. I saw a shop named ‘Stories,’ but unfortunately, it turned out to be a home decor shop, instead of a bookstore. My sister would have absolutely loved that store, but I plan to decorate my house with bookshelves and books.
I kept thinking about a Crossword bookstore I explored two years back. I had visited the Trivandrum Lulu Mall for the first time, after attending a 3K run event, to meet a friend and her husband. But no matter how many times I searched the area, I couldn’t find that bookstore now. To my embarrassment, I realized that I was mistakenly comparing the old Mall of Travancore layout in my head with the new Lulu Mall. As the wise say,
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. – Robert A. Heinlein
Finally, I found the bookstore and entered it. Again, I had no intention of buying anything. I planned to take stock of the bestsellers so I could check for the titles later at secondhand bookstores in Palayam. A book named ‘A Little Life’ caught my attention. I have heard it’s the kind of book that makes the readers bawl even on public transport.
Why are comics so costly?
Lately, I’ve been keeping my eye open for picture books, comics, and graphic novels of all kinds. It’s a space I would love to indulge in, both as a reader and writer. However, the costs of these books baffle me.
If I design a graphic novel, and my publisher prices it at say Rs 1000 or even Rs 700 per book, not many people would want to buy it, especially in a country like India, where even the middle class thinks of books and entertainment as a luxury. One of my friends is researching ways to reduce the price of comics in the Indian market, and I wholeheartedly pray she will emerge victorious and share her findings with the world at the earliest. I, for one, can’t wait.
I scanned the Children’s section, Malayalam books, the flat 50% section, bestsellers, games, and toys. Rows of comfort reads and self-help books assured me I’m not the only one who indulges in it. We are all on our own paths of healing and struggle to become better people. I was happy to see a few of my favorites there, such as Man’s Search for Meaning, The Psychology of Money, and books that appear on every Indian reading list, but still, I have been evading for ages, like The Palace of Illusions. I must read it someday. The smell and sight of books nourished my heart, but my stomach grumbled in protest. Time for snacking.
Hungry Girl
As a forever hungry girl, I finally turned up at the Burger King and ordered a veg crispy burger for Rs 59 plus taxes. The girl at the counter suggested I buy the double burger plus Coke combo for Rs 79 plus taxes. I bailed out at the last moment.
She was so pissed, she gave me the eyes. This pissed me off in return. I was thinking along the lines of: Well, it’s my money. Even if it’s a good deal, if a customer doesn’t want to spend more than they intended, it should be okay, right? Is it fair for the staff to give me a cold shoulder because of that?
But this whole narrative flipped in less than an hour. I had my lunch between 12 and 1 pm. I walked past the Paragon restaurant, watching it slowly fill up with customers even on an unremarkable Wednesday. I took the stairs to the ground floor. By the time I reached the mall’s exit, I was hungry again. Maybe I should have listened to that staff and gobbled down that double burger and Coke. I gulped down the water in my bottle, hangry with myself.
P.S. After reading this blog, many of my friends might ask me if the write-up was sponsored by Lulu Mall or one of the numerous brands I’ve listed here. Unfortunately, your friend is not successful enough to get such sponsorships. But hopefully, someday. I really hope some food brand will sponsor me for life. 😉
To be continued…
Author’s Notes
~ All content on this blog is the intellectual property of the author. © 2026 Lirio Marchito. All rights reserved.
~ This blog is part of a series exploring my travels through Trivandrum, the capital city of my home state, Kerala, in India. You can read more posts from this series here. Trivandrum | Kerala| India
Lirio's Wanderings 