each year, i plan spending new year’s eve with friends…walking on the beautifully-lit streets of mumbai late in the night and eating bhel puri at churchgate, or someplace (any place)away from home. but no matter how hard i try to get away every year, i find myself with my family again.

hmmm, i guess that’s how it has to be. next time, i don’t think i’ll be making any more plans.

strange, in those six hours, one of my favourite lobo songs played twice in the background…

i had made a realistic wish on my birthday, and it came true.

For the second time in my life, i won and lost again. and all it took was six hours, five years, a lifetime, and my favourite jacket.

he was behind it all along. for almost a month. even if he was my best friend.

and here’s the worst part…he wasnt alone. my entire family was involved in this plot. especially my sister.

they all won.

i am now part of the wired community :-o

another year. another birthday. new clothes, friends, phone calls, wishes, lots of bebinca, surprise visits by friends (from goa) and surprise gifts…

ever wonder how every year, there’s this one day in your life that you live for every moment?

had i reached two minutes later, i would never be able to meet my “e-mail friend” rajeev nair.

it was just like the coca-cola ad on tv. i had asked rajeev to wait near the sterling coffee stall at vt station. and when i arrived, late as usual (40 minutes late!), i coundn’t locate him. and to make things worse, every coffee stall had been painted red and blue, just like the sterling stall!

boy! was i visiting cst after a long time!

however, unlike the coca-cola ad (thankfully), we knew what the other one looked like…we’d exchanged photographs a few months back, and soon enough, the two e-mail pals found each other.

we then walked to tea centre at churchgate, and talked over crisp pakodas, yummy waffles, maple syrup and hot chai, talked a little more at marine drive, and then set back towards vt station. i remember how afraid i was that i’d never be able to speak to rajeev when i meet him in person, but sheesh, i guess i did most of the talking today!

hmmm, it can be so refreshing to know you have a friend who’s outside your usual work circle, and someone so simple and uncomplicated

i dont remember the time, but it was early december 14, just some time time after a late game of scotland yard…

so, radsidoo, why don’t you wear something new for your “date” tomorrow?

i dont have a new dress, besides, i don’t have the time

so why dont you buy one on your way to vt tomorrow?

nah…no time for that, have to meet rajeev in the evening.

but its your birthday on 15th!

thats ok, i’ll get a new one later. right now, i dont have the time for it.

no time, sure?

huh?

no time, even to get it out of my bag?

GASP!! but how…? when did you…?

gawd! i LOVE surprises!

thank you, mahesh, for making my day :-)

its better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you are not.

and when best friends fight and patch up, you know you are you.

and i really was pleasantly surprised to receive your email.

leslie’s immune system has gone for a toss. while his blood reports and other tests show normal, the doctors are unable to diagnose the problem. avina’s been suffering from wheezing cough ever since she moved here to nerul, so is preeti, who now is turning to some allergy tests as a last resort. vimal’s been absconding…apparently, he’s ill too. mahesh is recovering from a severe cold, and a sore throat.

this place sounds more like a dispensary with each passing day. everyone’s falling sick, and i strongly believe the air here is to blame. some years ago, the mankhurd-chembur-kurla zone too was declared unsafe for living, thanks to the chemical industries and the toxic fumes they used to emit.

this place is no better. what nerul needs, is an erin brockovich.

my first saturday off at zdnet india and i took my cousin venkatesh and his friends lokesh and sis-in-law vanita to linking road at bandra.

venky and i couldnt help admiring the way vanita bargained (in pure bombaiya hindi) for the right price for her many handbags and shoes, while lokesh and venky were surprised when i expressed my dislike for shopping (especially window shopping).

but i did find someone who did interest me…a little greying gypsy woman who had a small wooden box and lots of white bangles on her hands and arms. so picture perfect!

when i went closer, the box had little wooden blocks with pretty designs on it, and a small circular dabba with some sort of dye-soaked cloth in it.
Mehandi!!

since i already had henna on my left palm (at anjani’s wedding), i promply extended my right hand to the little lady, who charged me just five rupees for my happiness.

finally, we left for Planet M where mahesh joined us. vanita also wanted to shop for clothes and soft toys so i led them to the crowded saturday-evening-crawford market… with not much luck with her clothes, vanita consoled herself with two bags full of rather ugh-looking santaclauses and mickey mice, and monkeys of course, with velcro palms attached. when i asked her if she was sure she wanted them, she replied brightly, “well i need to tell everyone at home that i “shopped” in BOMBAY(!)”

phew!

anyways, the most interesting part of the window shopping for mahesh and me was when we came across a toy store on our way out of crawford market, where we picked something each for our new interest…board games!

while mahesh picked up Life, i bought a detective game called Scotland Yard.

next stop: my favourite irani restaurant Bastani, where we ordered the usual bun-masca and yummy lemon tarts, and chicken sandwiches for mahesh and lokesh, who violated his saturday-only-vegetarian-food rule.

finally, in true saturday-spirit, we rounded off the day with a good movie, Mission Kashmir, which was playing at Metro.

hmmm, now that was a well-spent holiday :-)