Continuing with the series, this is a real classic one. Whenever I recall this one, I get the vivid photographic flashes of the event, and I cannot hold back my smile. After reading this one, one would realise it has all the elements of an entertainer, thrill, suspense, drama and of course fun and stupidity, the last 2 elements, are like forever adages to the experiences of my life. So here is one more in the series:
This must have been September/October of 2005, when it was the first few months of my marriage and work both. Well it was also the very first time of
Kingfisher Red's, which was erstwhile Air Deccan's first year of crazy promotions. It might sound unbelievable now, but back in those days, they were selling
Mumbai-
Vadodara for a mere 599 INR. So, I made optimum use of the bulk buying and I practically booked every second weekend. So this was one such weekend incident. I think my
flight was the early morning 6 am flight. And as a tired fresher, I was scared that I might end up missing my flight, since waking up at 4 am to catch the 6 am flight sounded like a mission impossible attempt. So, I asked my flat mates, I do not even remember who all were there, but I definitely recall Payal and Ritu to plan a night out. The strategy was to stay awake as much as I can along with my friends, and then head straight to the airport, which was like just few km away from my flat. So we girls were all in the party mode, and happily dressed and made up, headed to
Cafe Mocha at
Powai. We enjoyed our evening heartily with all the girly giggling and sumptuous meal. I think we definitely must have had some cheese fondue, which is my favourite there. From Mocha, we headed back home, it must have been close to midnight by then. So, technically half of my mission was over. I just needed to be awake for 4 more hours, and then had to leave for the airport. Well, I could have gone to the airport at 12 also, in case if anyone thinks that could be a smart idea to stay awake. But then, the people who are close to me and also the
Jet airways staff knows that I sleep like a log even at the waiting bay of airports even after the security check.
*
So, after reaching my place, I asked Payal to chat with me for some time, as she was the only one who was a late night sleeper. We must have chatted for another hour, after which she started feeling sleepy, (we had some alcohol too at Mocha). So after the chit-chatty session of killing time, I started cleaning my closet, which badly needed an order, considering the chaos and abuse it was subjected to each day. That again consumed 1 hour, so it was around 2:30 am, still 3 and half hours to my flight's departure, and my eye lashes were drooping, which were getting hard to open. While writing this blog I just pondered upon the fact that when ever one is supposed to wait, each minute and second seems like hell. In an attempt to kill more half an hour, I just did some time pass with my hair, tried curling them with the temporary fem curlers. Then at 3 am, I was out of all patience, I picked up my bag, and headed towards the airport, since I made up my mind to wait at the airport only.
Our flat was on the second floor, which had 6 flats, 4 were occupied were our landlord, and in one of the flats lived a strange looking christian woman, about whom there were many dangerous gossips. I did not know much, except for the one that she practised WITCHCRAFT.
I am always considered a bold and dauntless person who is scared of nothing, even I thought the same about myself, until that moment. hahhaa. So, I was dragging my bag on the staircase, and in the pitch dark I suddenly heard some strange sounds, the ones you can recall from the
Zee Horror Show days
. They were some horrific cries and shrills. I immediately looked back, and found nothing. I got shrills running all over my body, I instantly thought of going back to my PG and waking up Payal. I was just about to do that, and suddenly it struck me that I could not enter my flat, cause I had given the keys to Payal only; and ringing up the door bell would have been a futile option, considering the heavy and careless sleepers all the flat mates were. The fear inside me reached its threshold, when again I heard those screams and shrieks. I had no dare to look anywhere or even open my eyes, but just out of curiosity I did. In my mind I could only imagine that
Wicca. But to my amazement, I saw a pack of kittens jumping and playing with joy, since their mommy cat had caught a big fat bandicoot in her mouth. So, as you must have guessed by now, those sounds were of the struggle between the prey and its killer; and then of the little kittens' joyous cries of party time!!!
I laughed seeing this, and went back with my mission of catching the flight on time. The particular incident was so live and vivid in my memory that I was all fresh and active for the entire day, journey and the almost 3 hours of wait preceding it all.
I still cannot help giggling
thinking of that incidnet.
* This funny event some other time in some other blog
