Mumbai – Bangalore – Mumbai :A jolly journey story

They say…“Life is a game of chance…You just assume of choosing”…Quite true… I never thought in extremes of my Kurlaistic (a new word very soon to be added to Oxford Dictionary) mind that I will be leaving my lovely home town ….the KURLA…but again the “chance” overtook the “choice”….

I was on my way to office on Thursday when I got a call from my uncle informing that I had to accompany my brother to “Bangalore” for he is having an interview scheduled on Saturday. My boss called me at around 12:00 p.m. thinking of loading me with some work… He explained the problem in detail but very soon he realized that I am a bit disturbed… I told him that I am leaving for Bangalore by 1:00 and will complete the work on Monday…He was too kind to give me a day and half off with best wishes for the journey… (Really JnJ rocks…a family indeed…)

This was the third time I left my lovely Kurla and dear Mumbai in my life…We boarded the bus at around 2:30 p.m. and journey started…with Ahmed part2 coming to life (the guys who accompanied me to IIM Indore know the meaning…). He is naughty and enjoys every moment of the life… He is fun loving and sometimes mischievous… I don’t know where he hides himself during normal course of life…

A beautiful girl (mind you …she was really beautiful) was sitting just behind us… She was singing some songs (of some love n romance types…). Her voice was so melodious that I was forced to be attentive to her…and perplexed that if I have to rank her voice and beauty then which one will I prefer. I was making plans as how to start a conversation…Listening to the song, I closed my eyes and found myself on a lonely island with her…She was sitting in front of me with her beautiful eyes locked with that of mine…Her soft hand in my hand and her lips …Oh…It felt like heaven…But that joy was temporary….Coz….

Then entered the Villain – an old man (later I realized that he is actually the angel sent to help me). He was having reservation for one of the seats which we had occupied. I requested him to take my seat in next row but he was too adamant to accept it…as there is some jewel hidden in that seat....or as a politician, he is not ready to let someone else enjoy his position… Anyhow we changed the places and took seats which were exactly adjacent to her…

After a break, I again entered the heaven of my dream for she was continuously spreading the magic of her voice in the air…The bus left Mumbai and was speeding on express highway…Then started a movie (some Govinda movie…. I don’t remember the name)…and one more lovely characteristics of her was revealed…Her smile …so innocent and so pure…It felt like some one has used the chosen pearls of the world to create this artwork…I was constantly staring at her without even a concern as what she may think after realizing this…She looked at me…smiled…Oh…that was the most lovely expression I had ever seen….in my life…

I don’t know for how long all this continued…may be an hour or so…The movie was still on but we were sharing the smiles and stares….with no words…like a silence movie…that was crazy…I guess…She opened the tiffin (some puri bhaji and cucumber stuff…) and offered it to me…I had taken a good lunch but how could I let go the opportunity to talk to her… I refused very politely (very much indeed…just to impress her) and told that I am not feeling like eating anything as of now… She insisted again and forced me to take something… I took two slices of cucumber and thanked her for the (much needed) treat…

I checked my pockets and found few “Alpenliebe” (that I took for timepass in the bus…)…Believe me …it was the most precious thing I could have had at that moment… perfectly suiting the environment… (All those Alpenliebe ads flashed in my mind…Ji Lalchaye Raha Na Jaaye…) I had some orange cream and chocolate flavours….I decorated about five of them on my palm and offered it to her with a broad smile on the face….She chose one of it after playing for a while, with her fingers on my palm… A wave of ExCiTeMeNt passed through the body…

The bus stopped at some Dhaba for dinner… We kept some distance (mind you…my younger brother was with me…) but our eyes were continuously scanning each other…The journey started again…She offered me some chips that I took after showing some pseudo-resistance….and shyness….And then I…oops WE entered the dream of the heaven where we started from…The bus was moving at the top speed but failed to match the speed of our imagination and curiosity to know more about each other…

I don’t remember for how long we stared at each other before lights were switched off… I woke up at around 6 a.m. in the morning…. She looked even more beautiful as if she has taken a dew bath…We took one stop for breakfast at some dhaba just outside Bangalore…I enjoyed the Idlis and Sambhar (the only dish of south :-)…I bought few Cadbury chocolates for her…The journey continued and I enjoyed every bit of it…her laughter…her smile….her eyes….her lips….

I was about to ask for her name (Yup… I admit it was indeed the stupidity of not getting these details earlier…) and place in Bangalore where she had a dance program…but again “chance” overtook the “choice”…Conductor announced of my stop and I left the bus without even looking at her…(don’t know ...Why?) …The bus ran away with her…and we just managed to have a last glimpse of each other…may be thanking each other for the unknown and strange relationship that we shared during the journey… I don’t think we will meet again in future…or may be we will…

I took an auto for a nearby lodge….Hotel Anmol Residency…took a hot water bath…and slept for about 2 hours… She was still with me ….in my thoughts and dreams…at least she had this much right…. She was hot…Oh sorry… I mean Bangalore is HOT (now I understand why it is the largest consumption centre for powder and fairness creams) and clean city…

I went to a nearby mosque with my brother…We offered Friday prayer and then checked in a South Indian hotel to enjoy Rasam, Rice, Sambhar and Fruit Juice…It was a wonderful experience….They are a bit “Kanjoos” for giving Chapatis or Rotis…but you can have rice as much as you can…So 20 Rs….is sufficient for you to enjoy a good meal… I booked the tickets for the return journey at 5 p.m. the next day….and returned to the lodge… The room was decorated decent enough with a T.V. set that challenges you to search for language channels other than “South Indian languages”…Somehow I managed to find ESPN…with the news of India defeating Windies….by 9 wickets….being flashed on the screen…. I rang up Divya and Prasad to know more about Bangalore…and they promised to meet me in the evening ….

We met near Shivaji Nagar (though I failed to locate even a single symbol representing Shivaji…)…from where we went to M.G. Road… (Mahatma Gandi Road)…I guess the name is given to tease Gandhiji…coz you will find more Videshis (foreigners) than Indians over here…. Chinese, German, American, Russian ,African…and even Bangladeshis…(people of all races…and nationality)…a sort of universal brotherhood …gathering…Name any brand and you will find it here…some of them are not there even in Mumbai…quite strange…huh…

It’s a place which gives a nice treat to eyes (esp. for boys…)…and girls can enjoy too… After spending an hour or so we went to Garuda Mall….Believe me…it is equivalent to about 2 R-Malls…in size….and 10 R-Malls in terms of CrOwD and quality…We enjoyed burgers and then moved into the SCARY house… a place similar to haunted hotel of Essel World….with the only difference that Ghosts were real human beings rather than auto-movement statues… It was really horrible… Divya – the Brave Girl…led us through it…and Prasad was walking behind me….as two guards are protecting me against any possible danger… There were falling snakes, moving walls and floors…There was one lady sitting at a corner…It looked like a statue in first glance but then she winked and we ran away from there….Prasad waited there to praise that beautiful lady ghost…(no idea as what was there in his mind…) Divya – the Brave Girl…finally led us out of the horrible place….I don’t understand if she was acting to be frightened or she really was…J

We enjoyed “Bhutta”… sorry… “South-Bhutta”....It’s not that tasty…So my advice would be…Don’t try Chinese and Punjabi Dishes in South….We promised to meet again tomorrow and left M.G. Road…or I should say Maha Googly Road…

The auto-rickshaw driver (preferably called Anna…) dropped me about 1 Km from my hotel…because of 1-way constraints, as he quoted… Almost all the roads are one way so you can never be sure to return via same path you took earlier…I searched for my hotel speaking in half English and half Kannada…After 30 minutes of scanning I managed to reach my hotel room….safely. Hey Girls…try to get back before 9:30 p.m….

I never thought that next day will be my rush against time… I woke up around 6 a.m. in the morning …We left the lodge by 8:30 a.m…. I dropped my brother at the interview office and then went to Prasad’s room….to leave luggage over there… (This helped me in saving extra 700/- of lodge…Thanks to Prasad…) Divya came by 10:30 a.m. and we left for M.G. Road again…. Then we went to “Vishwakarma” (can’t recall exact name...) Museum…- dedicated to Science and Engineering…A wonderful place to check if you come to Bangalore…There are about 4 floors with each floor giving an exciting and knowledgeable insight into the world of science and engineering….There are Engines, Aircrafts, Machines of all kind, Levers, Pulleys, Space Equipments etc…Everything was excellent but “Fun with Science” section is my favorite…you will enjoy a lot over here... So don’t forget to take your children to the temple of knowledge…at Bangalore…We enjoyed the Sugarcane juice of SOUTH and believe me it was tasty and CoStLy…may be due to the cost of transportation J…

At around 2:30 p.m., I got a call from my brother that he had to stay one more day for the processing….Now this created a bit stressed situation…coz I had few tasks to complete
….pick up luggage from Prasad’s room
….give it to my brother
…cancel one of the tickets
….arrange for some money for my brother

I was already running out of time…with clock ticking on 3 p.m. Prasad came up with a scientific solution of DOT (division of tasks)…Prasad and Divya took the responsibility to get luggage from Prasad’s room and meet me at the interview office…Meanwhile I will arrange for some money…. When I went to the interview office… I came to know that my brother is already selected and there is no need for him to stay back…. Prasad and Divya came up with the luggage…Prasad gave a treat celebrating his first Winter Stipend…

We left Bangalore…at sharp 5 p.m. by bus…I saw one more beautiful girl in the bus…and the story of glances, singing, Cucumber, Movie, Alpenliebe, chips, unknown relationships and dhaba repeated once again… :-)... I hope you got it…right?…Then via Express Highway…the bus entered the Great Mumbai…soon a very familiar OdOuR alarmed my senses that now we are in Mumbai….A not so hot …not so clean…but a great city Mumbai…with the heart of it not so clean either…KURLA…:-)

Joke of The Day : Complexity Defined...

Two men, one American and an Indian were sitting in a bar drinking shot after shot.

The Indian man said to the American," You know my parents are forcing me to get married to this so called homely girl from a village whom I haven't even met once. We call this arranged marriage. I don't want to marry a woman whom I don't love...I told them that openly and now have a hell lot of family problems."

The American said, "Talking about love marriages...I'll tell you my story. I married a widow whom I deeply loved and dated for 3 years. "After a couple of years, my father fell in love with my step-daughter and so my father became my son-in-law and I became my father's father-in-law. My daughter is my mother and my wife my grandmother. More problems occurred when I had a son. My son is my father's brother and so he my uncle. Situations turned worse when my father had a son. Now my father's son i.e. my brother is my grandson. Ultimately, I have become my own grand father and I am my own grandson. And you say you have family problems.... Give me a break!!"