I have barely finished my Jaipur Literature Festival series, now I am blogging on the Kala Ghoda one. The lazy me, so I have now started drafting the thoughts as post titles, so that I do not forget them, and I can then keep coming back to them whenever I find. So, now this is the commencement of the Kala Ghoda series, and this particular post is on the night previous to that. I ended up reaching Mumbai on the 3rd of February at around 5 pm. I landed up at my friend Sweta's home at Mahim. Though my friend Saurabh kept calling me up and asked me to meet him directly at his place, which was some hotel Regent in Andheri east. Since, I was getting down at Dadar, so Sweta's place was a convenient choice rather than Saurabh's. I picked up Sweta from her office and then we both went to her flat. I was happy to see her surviving in Mumbai all by herself. There was a massive change in her since she left Vadodara. I remember I used to tell her that people who do not even learn to be self sufficient in a foreign land, end up becoming one in Mumbai, such is the magic of magnificent Mumbai.
An important detail I forgot to mention here is that during the time I was waiting to catch a cab from the Dadar station to the Moghul Lane in Mahim (Sweta's office), I ended up buying a wig for myself!! It was a nice curly haired wig in jet black hair. I just loved it and could not resist the challenge of not buying it.
OK, so my darling friend Sweta made tea for me, and left back to her office. She had already kept some snacks for me, along with the dresses and matching jewelry with it. I took a nice warm bath, slipped into one of Sweta's dress and jewellery and headed to meet Saurabh at Andheri East. I had to wear a jacket and leggings below the dress so that I could cover the distance from Sweta's house to the nearest cab without being leched by any one.
Luckily I got an auto rickshaw quick from the Bandra flyover, else I would have been stranded there hailing to each and every rickshaw that would have gone by, including the ones that were occupied too. Sometimes I seriously feel that there should be a direct helpline to report about the taxi and rickshaw drivers who refuse to take a customer for any reason, including the cheap ones like, "lautne ka bhada nahi milta....." One would just need to inform the authority about their vehicle number, and then through the channelised transfer of information, the guy would be dealt by the cops at the next traffic signal.
With such thoughts in mind I landed up at hotel Regent to meet my friend. Both of us were thrilled to meet each other. We last met in November in Bangalore, so this was after 2 months that we were meeting each other. It would have been 5 minutes of entering his room, and the reception called up to know if the room had to be changed to a double room. That situation was embarrassing was both of us, we both laughed it off. While Saurabh was changing, I masked up another layer of make-up on my face and removed the superfluous clothing that I had layered on myself at the time of entering the hotel. I was hungry since the whole day, so we decided upon eating first then taking a decision of going to a disc later. Both of were so engrossed in our chatters that we did not notice the dark fumes that were coming out of our car. We asked the driver to drive fast so that we could escape that dark cloud of fumes; we were aghast to know that we had to get out of the engine of our car had burnt down. Saurabh arranged for another car which came in half an hour, till that time we both had to stay in the car since we were in the middle of the Andheri east station area. My dress would have created another break down there.
We did not waste a single moment when the new car arrived, I directed the driver to Andheri west to a restaurant that is my favourite, which is Trishna. But I was surprised to see a restaurant named Pebbles in its place. But this new Pebbles restaurant was hoisting a Sea food festival, so I was fine with exploring it. I was happy to know that the place was Trishna only with a changed name. "Numerology is indeed in fashion" was the thought that crossed my mind and then I moved with Saurabh to pick up a place close to the window. I was excited to see the Ipad menu. But surfing through it all, I could not find my favourite crab delicacy, so we had to call for a waiter, who linked me with my favourite Tandoori crab. It seems that few things like customized suggesting in a restaurant can not be replaced with the high-tech gadgets. I only ordered for that, though Saurabh ordered some fish first, which he did not like. I suggested him to order something else, but still he continued worth it until he was about to puke. Then he ordered his usual chicken tikka to feel better and satiated. And there I was lavishly munching on my king sized crab all for me, since Saurabh is not a sea food person. The flesh in it was so soft and juicy with carom seeds infused in the masala with which it was seasoned. I was flushing it down with my Bloody Mary, while Saurabh was enjoying his beer. I told Saurabh that on my first anniversary me and my husband were having Crab, the same way I was having that night. My husband was simply cracking the hard shell for me and I kept munching and enjoying the flesh with some rum. That was at Sheetal Sumandar, another good sea-food joint that shut down few years back. But that night I had to crack it myself, since Saurabh was petrified the moment he saw the live crab, when it was presented to us before being cooked and served.
While both of us were busy with chats and crabs, we both did not notice that a popular bollywood director was dining with his wife and kids on a table next to ours. He was constantly looking at us, but after some time we realised he was only looking at me. Whenever my friend would stare back at him, he would turn his roving his eye to his plate, till he could spare another glance on me. That behaviour of his was absolutely annoying. I could not help wondering what he would be doing to the females who would be going to him to become actresses, when he does not spare a woman who is not even bothered to know that he is a bankable director in the Indian film industry. I cannot mention his name here, but I can tell you that he is totally non-controversial and has made many successful movies including one which had Kajol and Amir Khan. We left the Pebbles and the director with nasty eyes after our dinner to our next destination. The next destination was not decided, me and Saurabh kept brain storming on that. Immediately it struck me that Sweta must be lonely at her place, so I called her up to know if she would like to join us. It seemed to me that Saurabh was not interetsed in inviting her, but still I did. So, then we planned to go to Bandra's Carter road to have coffee. We picked up Sweta from her flat and then we headed to Carter road for a coffee. We could not find a coffee, since it was post mid-night, so we only ended up having a cold coco shake. After loitering around on the pavement at Carter road for sometime, we headed back. Heading back turned out to be a turning point. Saurabh was not interested in going home or to his hotel alone, so Sweta told us that there was a nice sea side at Dadar where we all could spend some more time together. We headed to that place and I was all mesmerised by it. Firstly, I had never heard of a sea side at Dadar where one could sit down on rocks by the sea-shore and could enjoy the atmosphere along with the pacifism of the Sea. I could have stayed there longer, but I knew that Sweta had to go to her office tomorrow, so we all were set to leave. Happily just at that moment Saurabh did something that makes me happy today, but at that moment I had a bad taste in my palate. He asked me to be with him for the whole night. I was fine in doing that, but I knew ultimately to sleep I had to go somewhere, and looking at him at that particular moment, I somehow read that he did not mean that in his earnest of intentions. There was something in him at that particular moment, something of the sort that he was mocking in that director few hours back. I do not why but I was not comfortable, so I told him that we both girls are going back to our home and he is most welcome to stay with us, since he does not wish to stay alone. But I knew he would gesticulate a denial to it, and he did. And then I knew I lost a friend, well I have spent many years of living to sense that. I hugged him a good-bye but he reciprocated a limp response to my hug further confirming my doubts. I smiled and went away with Sweta to her flat. That was the end to the day and to the end of a friendship between two individuals of different genders!!!!
P.S: I did not post my last picture with Saurabh, since he is not a friend anymore.
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| the Crab that I did not spare |
OK, so my darling friend Sweta made tea for me, and left back to her office. She had already kept some snacks for me, along with the dresses and matching jewelry with it. I took a nice warm bath, slipped into one of Sweta's dress and jewellery and headed to meet Saurabh at Andheri East. I had to wear a jacket and leggings below the dress so that I could cover the distance from Sweta's house to the nearest cab without being leched by any one.
Luckily I got an auto rickshaw quick from the Bandra flyover, else I would have been stranded there hailing to each and every rickshaw that would have gone by, including the ones that were occupied too. Sometimes I seriously feel that there should be a direct helpline to report about the taxi and rickshaw drivers who refuse to take a customer for any reason, including the cheap ones like, "lautne ka bhada nahi milta....." One would just need to inform the authority about their vehicle number, and then through the channelised transfer of information, the guy would be dealt by the cops at the next traffic signal.
With such thoughts in mind I landed up at hotel Regent to meet my friend. Both of us were thrilled to meet each other. We last met in November in Bangalore, so this was after 2 months that we were meeting each other. It would have been 5 minutes of entering his room, and the reception called up to know if the room had to be changed to a double room. That situation was embarrassing was both of us, we both laughed it off. While Saurabh was changing, I masked up another layer of make-up on my face and removed the superfluous clothing that I had layered on myself at the time of entering the hotel. I was hungry since the whole day, so we decided upon eating first then taking a decision of going to a disc later. Both of were so engrossed in our chatters that we did not notice the dark fumes that were coming out of our car. We asked the driver to drive fast so that we could escape that dark cloud of fumes; we were aghast to know that we had to get out of the engine of our car had burnt down. Saurabh arranged for another car which came in half an hour, till that time we both had to stay in the car since we were in the middle of the Andheri east station area. My dress would have created another break down there.
We did not waste a single moment when the new car arrived, I directed the driver to Andheri west to a restaurant that is my favourite, which is Trishna. But I was surprised to see a restaurant named Pebbles in its place. But this new Pebbles restaurant was hoisting a Sea food festival, so I was fine with exploring it. I was happy to know that the place was Trishna only with a changed name. "Numerology is indeed in fashion" was the thought that crossed my mind and then I moved with Saurabh to pick up a place close to the window. I was excited to see the Ipad menu. But surfing through it all, I could not find my favourite crab delicacy, so we had to call for a waiter, who linked me with my favourite Tandoori crab. It seems that few things like customized suggesting in a restaurant can not be replaced with the high-tech gadgets. I only ordered for that, though Saurabh ordered some fish first, which he did not like. I suggested him to order something else, but still he continued worth it until he was about to puke. Then he ordered his usual chicken tikka to feel better and satiated. And there I was lavishly munching on my king sized crab all for me, since Saurabh is not a sea food person. The flesh in it was so soft and juicy with carom seeds infused in the masala with which it was seasoned. I was flushing it down with my Bloody Mary, while Saurabh was enjoying his beer. I told Saurabh that on my first anniversary me and my husband were having Crab, the same way I was having that night. My husband was simply cracking the hard shell for me and I kept munching and enjoying the flesh with some rum. That was at Sheetal Sumandar, another good sea-food joint that shut down few years back. But that night I had to crack it myself, since Saurabh was petrified the moment he saw the live crab, when it was presented to us before being cooked and served.
While both of us were busy with chats and crabs, we both did not notice that a popular bollywood director was dining with his wife and kids on a table next to ours. He was constantly looking at us, but after some time we realised he was only looking at me. Whenever my friend would stare back at him, he would turn his roving his eye to his plate, till he could spare another glance on me. That behaviour of his was absolutely annoying. I could not help wondering what he would be doing to the females who would be going to him to become actresses, when he does not spare a woman who is not even bothered to know that he is a bankable director in the Indian film industry. I cannot mention his name here, but I can tell you that he is totally non-controversial and has made many successful movies including one which had Kajol and Amir Khan. We left the Pebbles and the director with nasty eyes after our dinner to our next destination. The next destination was not decided, me and Saurabh kept brain storming on that. Immediately it struck me that Sweta must be lonely at her place, so I called her up to know if she would like to join us. It seemed to me that Saurabh was not interetsed in inviting her, but still I did. So, then we planned to go to Bandra's Carter road to have coffee. We picked up Sweta from her flat and then we headed to Carter road for a coffee. We could not find a coffee, since it was post mid-night, so we only ended up having a cold coco shake. After loitering around on the pavement at Carter road for sometime, we headed back. Heading back turned out to be a turning point. Saurabh was not interested in going home or to his hotel alone, so Sweta told us that there was a nice sea side at Dadar where we all could spend some more time together. We headed to that place and I was all mesmerised by it. Firstly, I had never heard of a sea side at Dadar where one could sit down on rocks by the sea-shore and could enjoy the atmosphere along with the pacifism of the Sea. I could have stayed there longer, but I knew that Sweta had to go to her office tomorrow, so we all were set to leave. Happily just at that moment Saurabh did something that makes me happy today, but at that moment I had a bad taste in my palate. He asked me to be with him for the whole night. I was fine in doing that, but I knew ultimately to sleep I had to go somewhere, and looking at him at that particular moment, I somehow read that he did not mean that in his earnest of intentions. There was something in him at that particular moment, something of the sort that he was mocking in that director few hours back. I do not why but I was not comfortable, so I told him that we both girls are going back to our home and he is most welcome to stay with us, since he does not wish to stay alone. But I knew he would gesticulate a denial to it, and he did. And then I knew I lost a friend, well I have spent many years of living to sense that. I hugged him a good-bye but he reciprocated a limp response to my hug further confirming my doubts. I smiled and went away with Sweta to her flat. That was the end to the day and to the end of a friendship between two individuals of different genders!!!!
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| Sea-side at Dadar |
P.S: I did not post my last picture with Saurabh, since he is not a friend anymore.
