Vinay & AmritI managed to fit in quite a hectic schedule on this whirlwind tour of Delhi.
Monday mroning I headed for Delhi, a bit later than I would’ve liked, but all the same the day had started. I picked up my motorcycle from Praveen’s place at Chirag Dilli and headed out towards my bank which was in Okhla. Man this bank work can drive a normal person crazy. I wish I knew the finer nuances of banking. After two incredibly long hours in the bank, I still had no answers and they still hadn’t a clue about the whereabouts of my Gold Debit Card which I had apparently been upgraded to. So with no more cheques left in my cheque book and no ATM Debit Card, I had no way of operating my Account and the money I had in my pocket is what I’d have to make do with for the remainder of my trip. The money in my bank could stay there a couple of more days and I hope earn me some more interest, I hope. While all this was going on and I was waiting for some answers, I witnessed true Dilli culture with several Jaats ensuing into a rowdy argument with the bank teller and then with the Manager with no respect for any of the other customers.
I left bank satisfied with the fact that they were willing to change my communication address and besides I had lots of people to meet and got straight to the business at hand. My next destination was Nehru Place where I met up with Kaushik, Tanmay and Jimmy. After a brief chit chat and reminiscing about Kolkata, I headed out to Khan Market to meet Aishwarya. I was there at 10 past 4 and a short wait later met her in the predetermined meeting point, in the middle lane of the Khan Market near the Nokia Shop. There was no way I was heading back to Kolkata without meeting her. I hadn’t even met her before I left for Kolkata in August.
She still looks as gorgeous as ever and though it’s just been a month and half or thereabouts since I had left Delhi, the fact that I’ve moved to Kolkata just makes the time away seem like an eternity. We headed for the Market Café and climbed up the winding stairs and were received, especially Aishwarya, quite royally.
We got ourselves a table on the terrace and the next hour talking about how our lives were, our parents, my neice, her nephews, my work, her pottery, et al passed by in the blink of an eyelid. I guess like all good things and hour didn’t seem lik an hour and left me with a desire for it to extend, ut I had places to go, things to do, people to meet. We came down the spiral staircase and she showed me “The Mexicans” (a half a dozen jars she had made and that had been purchsed by the establishment to decorate the place. They were Mexicans, because of the lid being shaped like a Mexican hat) displayed in the wall. Our coffee rendezvous was over and as I walked her to her car, we hugged with the promise that we’d meet soon.
I then got on my bike and literally flew back to where I used to live in Delhi, my house in C. R. Park. The Movers & packers were there already and the moment I laned we set about the task of packing. I had actually got all my boxes neatly packed in Cartons and it took not more than 20 minutes for them to be on their way with my stuff. So my computer, bike (bicycle) and bike (motorcycle) were out of the way and would be in my possession in less than a week in Kolkata.
I briefly met my landlord, not so much my landlord as much as my adopted guardians in Delhi and got to the business of a matter long overdue with him. So while I told him I had another prior engaement for a brief 20 minutes or so after which I’d come back, he allowed me a grace of an hour on learning that I was meeting a young lady for coffee.
I got an auto and headed to Greater Kailash - II Masjid Moth. And just as I was alighting from the auto I met Mehak and her friend (forgive me if I don’t remember his name, because he left immediately after and the fact that his name was a bit complicated. Parent’s should be considerate towards their newborns who have no say in the names they get and which stay with them for life. Please keep them simple.). Mehak herself was looking as lovely and charming as ever, but for a few pounds she had gathered. Success can do that. And she’s going to kill me for this too. But I shouldn’t be talking as I myself having gathered a couple of extra inches around the mid section. Yeah we told each other we’d have to hit the gym soon.
While we sat at Café Coffee Day and chatted and caught up on what was happening and mostly about my previous place of emplyment and the good old days at Radio City 91 FM, Delhi, I got a call from Amit & Abhishek (we were a buddies from our college days and were by some heavenly coincidence in Delhi this Diwali. Amit had moved to Mumbai, and Abhishek to Chicago) and they had already reached my place. So I asked them to join me at Café Coffee Day. On arrival though they did seem a bit hesitant to interrupt my rendezvous with a gorgeous young lady but I insisted and we spent the next half hour enaged in catching up with each other. Mehak’s friend came back and we guys took our leave and headed back to my place to set out on the plan at hand.
We were welcomed by Uncle (Dr. Sen my landlord) and got straight down to a couple of large ones. 12 Year Old Chivas Regal. The evening was turning out to be quite entertainging and Aunty kept us chmping on some fabulous “Shami Kebabs”.
By 9.30 pm we were off to good old Turquoise Cottage. The trip would be incomplete without a pit stop at my usual watering hole. I met the usual suspects and some unusual ones there too. Amrit, Vinay and Anjan were already there and had got a headstart. My brother and Sheldon arrived shortly after. Wow I even bumped into Shorbo, and why wouldn’t I, I thought to myself, the guy is one of the pillars of the place. The guys gave us a 20% discount on our bill just because I was there and they had missed me, I guess.
After a rollicking time and laughetr like never before over Amrit’s antics, it was time to head home. I escorted Amrit & Vinay as they didn’t know the way and after dropping Amrit at the guest house, headed to Vinay’s place in Kalkaji and spent the night there.
Sheldon - my biker buddy and chef par excellence
Anjan (Malcom - Tipping Point) Roy
Rajdeep (My Brother) 
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