The Virtual Connect

A decade and a half passes and all of you haven’t been together at any one time. A tit-bit here and a tit-bit there, some Facebook posts, Insta stories and all the other social network seem to keep you updated with a peek in each other’s lives. As a matter of fact, none of you are truly aware of how each one is sailing through. This is evident from the fact that when you connect in the group together, you realise people have switched jobs, switched domains, moved into new homes, new cities, new countries and you are clueless! So, how does this reality dawn on you. Well it takes the pandemic COVID-19 to bring you back to your roots and the longing to be truly connected with each other. 

Physical social distancing well maintained, the hypothetical social connection to be weighted. Now was the time to face each other, look into each other’s eyes, see each other’s expressions, hear each other’s laughter while remembering all the resonance and vibrations it used to create when we were all in the room together. Indeed, it was time for the Room No. 52’s reunion! It was time for a virtual connect via a group video call. 

And, thus it was Day1 when the ‘Madame Chairperson’ of the group initiated the Zoom video call for the group. Well, don’t be alarmed. No sooner did the government issue its advisory on the usage of Zoom than we switched to other alternatives. But the show didn’t stop! Thrill ran down our spines as we awaited the weekend. Not that we were all not tied up with our weekend chores and family time which needed the due attention; missed over the rest of the weekdays while we work from home. Nor that we had some extra hours donated by Mother Earth from the 24 hours clock! All we had was the enthusiasm, the will and the longing to be together! And yet again, ‘where there’s a will there comes a way from the most unseen of passages’!

Cheerful greetings, incessant laughter, uninterrupted chatter; you bet! Yet there was no disturbance or confusion. When engineers sit at each end of the call, the loops are complete and they know the unsaid protocols very well. They know there have to be turns to speak, no one to be left out, each message to be duly acknowledged when received, and if an interrupt occurs, the processor should resume where it paused the conversation. Thus, it means nothing should be missed. If anything is missed, the team ensures to check their respective broadband connections, switch to better interfaces, repeat telecast and what not! Well, no we were not too many. Only the five of us. The ‘Famous Five’ who spent their hostel lives together through thick and thin. Were we really famous in the hostel, well we don’t care. But we were famous amongst ourselves, we bonded well, we quarrelled well, we had unsaid expectations; which were sometimes shattered, we had no expectations, which came as pleasant surprises when the others in the group showered their love! We ate together, studied together, used only 1 desktop shared together in 2004, and of course we washed utensils together! That defines a family. Indeed, living in our separate worlds with our own small families, there still was a bigger connect which tied us together. That is what Banasthali Vidyapith ensured. Every individual to be independent and geared up for life with the sweetness to share their lives and spread happiness across. No moral lesson classes to preach us these qualities but an ambience provided in the right spirit. Thus, we imbibed!

And weeks pass, but the calls became more regular. Some of us eagerly awaiting the call, while others joining reluctantly and yet not ready to quit. We are now like the infamous characters of Satyajit Ray’s ‘Shatranj ke Khiladi’! Come what may, the weekend show goes on! It may for several more weeks until the world outside gets back to normal routine, and then it may cease. Or it may go on! We never know. But for now the moment we enjoy together is inevitable and there is no stopping us! Cheers to friendship! Cheers to life! Cheers to one of the regularly captured screenshots of our calls!

A gratifying vacation

Cleanliness, Hospitality, Gourmet. The three words that complete our recent vacation! And here I elaborate..

Our family of four decided to close 2019 and pull in a fresh start to the new decade in a company of a close friend and some relatives who have their abode in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. This was a relaxed trip so we had ample time in hand considering our kids are travel sick and we don’t have the liberty to move at a fast pace.

No sooner than we landed in Indore, we were awestruck by the cleanliness of the city. On the record- Indore had been the cleanest city of India for the third time in a row as of 26th Dec,2019. All you needed to do was take a panoramic view which we did clockwise then anticlockwise then again clockwise, just to be sure and be pleasantly surprised how spick and span the country was kept in this part of the globe. On our way to the hotel, we heard the ‘Chowka lagayenge’ motivational song by Shankar Mahadevan as part of the 'Indore Swachhata Abhiyan'. This was being played in every waste collection vehicle that kept ensuring any mess is immediately taken care of. The song was to be a regular treat to our ears for the coming days. A truly passionate endeavour by the municipality to lead the cleanliness survey 2020 in the country.

We stowed our luggage in the hotel room and off we went to dine with our friends at the vegetarian restaurant, ‘Guru Kripa’. To our utmost disbelief there was a patient queue outside the restaurant in the December winter evening close to 12 degrees C. There was a seating arrangement by the coal fire which the customers surrounded to keep themselves warm while they chatter and pass their time until they get seated at the dining place which was to be decided, on call by the staff. A seamless, efficient affair which would have been precarious if the city was our home town, Bangalore! Such was the paradigm shift. The 'dahi kabab', paneer platter, crispy corn starters with the ever so winter soothing lemon coriander soup were a delight. The main course offered 'dal fry', 'veg kofte', hot crispy 'tandoor naans' , the unique ‘sev ki sabzi', relished by all namkeen lovers! This was a heads up. If you’re at Indore, you need to develop this compulsive love affair where lovers cannot choose; for the love has to be with the 'Kindred Indore Spirit' that resides in ‘Sev’, a popular Indian snack consisting of small pieces of crunchy noodles made from chickpea flower paste in umpteen flavours! Thus the ‘sev’ would follow us no matter where we eat.

Our next morning was a planned trek uphill to Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary which is spread over 5 sq kms and is home to different species of birds and other wildlife. It has an ancient palace, called ‘shikarghar’ which was built by the Holkars and used as a hunting hut long back when it had a huge population of tigers, leopards and deer. Our group consisted of 3 kids and 3 adults. It was such an adventure with the adults trying to catch up with the unstoppable, running, rolling kids. And our dear friend was marvellous in matters related to children. His ability to gel with the kids and interact with them respectfully, involving them in mystery solving adventures kept everyone’s spirits high. The nature walk was breathtakingly beautiful and mesmerising with a good cardiovascular workout.

   
           

         

                         

This definitely deserved a fine breakfast on our way back at the ‘Apna Sweets’ shop where we relished the famous 'poha-jalebi' combo, an eternal Indore breakfast. Lunch at relative’s home was a sumptuous feast over warm pleasantries. With a stuffed belly we slept peacefully at the 'Radisson Blue' that did keep its reputation at par with the other branches. The street food, however was a clear winner in comparison to the buffet served at the hotel.

The next day was our local visit to the much revered ‘Khajrana Ganesha Temple’ built in the 18th Century by the queen, 'Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar'. Indore airport is named after the same queen. Our love for reading took us hunting for some book shops. Alas! We didn’t find any. 'Reader’s Paradise' on Race Course Rd is the one stop book shop which we discovered later. The scrumptious ’Dal-Baati’ was ready to welcome us for lunch hosted by our friend’s aunt. The outpouring affection was soaked in lots of ghee with variants of crispy as well as soft 'batis' that kept coming out of the aunt’s magical cauldron! This was not all. We had some hot steaming rice with delicious ‘Hari mirch ki pakori waali kadhi’ which is a thick gravy based on chickpea flour containing vegetable fritters called ‘pakoras’. Apparently, the tongue kept craving for more while the stomach cried for mercy! A word of caution for all those going in for ‘Dal-baati’. Never try to quench your thirst for water soon after you have this dish. Let the system settle down before you gush water down your greasy throat.

Day 4 of our trip was a planned visit to 'Mandu' or 'Mandavgad' which is an ancient city in the present day Mandav area of the Dhar district. There is a deep gorge called ‘Kakra Khoh’ that separates Mandu from the Malwa plateau. This is located about 7 to 8 kms before we reach Mandu. It displays some excellent views in Monsoon when the waterfall is vibrant. The children enjoyed the camel ride here and tried some shots with their archery skills. Mandu was ornamented with colourful lighted trees and beautiful handcrafted chandeliers welcoming one and all to the New Year Carnival. The MP tourism had really put in their best show to make the tourist spot more attractive. We were mesmerised by the architectural marvel, the Jahaz Mahal, which literally, is shaped like a majestic ship. The well maintained lawns were impressive. A stroll through the garden sprinkled some royalty on our common souls. It left us pondering how the maharajas and queens would have lived in such massive structures and what would the ancient life be like. Ahead by centuries, we can hardly imagine the culture of those times. This followed by our visit to the massive celestial white dome called the 'Hoshang Shah’s tomb'. 'Mandu Fort' was massive and we concluded the trip with the 'Roopmati Pavilion'. This is constructed on the lofty crest of the hill, beyond the palace of 'Baz Bahadur'. 'Rani Roopmati' agreed to go to Mandu on the condition that she would live in a palace within the sight of her beloved and venerated river Narmada. And we were just in time while returning to seek the blessings of the ‘Narmada Arti’. The beauty of the place topped up with the fancy ambience left us mesmerised.

The hospitality factor of the trip moved us to our friend’s family apartment which was a comfortable stay with all furnished amenities. Morning breakfast explorations were at ‘Chappan Dukan’. The 'Johny Hot Dog' had a mix of the veg and non veg fillings inside the buns which he had christened as 'hot dogs', 'banjos' and burgers. The famous 'poha- jalebi' at the Madhuram and some 'sabudana patties' at the 'Vijay Chaat House'. This was a filling morning breakfast at a considerable low price. To top it all we had the winter special, ’kesar milk’ and ‘rabdi’ at the 'Lakshminarayan doodh wale ki puratan Dukan'. And one must say, 'Old is Gold'!

Our day was supposed to be a relaxed break with a quick visit to the local doctor as the winter cold and digestive unrest had to be attended to, for we had an evening to savour the famous street food at the ‘Sarafa Bazaar’. This is the local market that comes to life after the jewellery shops are closed for the day and the palate is all prepped to be enraptured. We began with the ‘Joshi’s famous dahi bade’ and  ‘Bhutte ka khees’. I loved the ‘dahi bade’ that had the right mix of all the ingredients and soothed the taste wonderfully well, not to forget the dexterous flip of the plate and the magical way in which Mr. Joshi added all the spices. ‘Sabudana khichdi’ was enriched with peanuts, lemon, coriander, chillies and the inseparable ‘sev’. Hot, crisp ‘Aloo Tikki’ was just apt for the cold night. And what we had next was the ‘Kulfi at Nema’. One of the striking feature of the market was that every stall was very enthusiastically installed. The snack was prepared generously and ornamented attractively with a flock of customers at every stall. The entire street was vegetarian and one could never really imagine the variety there was in store. Bon appetit is the sole motto at every Indore food stall. 

Thus began our pilgrimage to the holy city Ujjain. It was roughly a 2 hours comfortable drive and we were there! Soaked in the spiritual ambience, was the magnificent 'Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga’. There are temples all around the city and one can never finish visiting all in a day. We paid our homage to the ‘Ram Mandir Ghat’ at River Shipra offering some food to the fish. Silently wishing that the river could be well kept to maintain its sanctity. Our return journey was en route the ‘Jantar Mantar’ or the ‘Ved Shala’, built by 'Maharaja Jai Singh II' in the 18th Century. It was constructed with the aim of measuring local time, altitude, declination of the Sun, stars and planets and to determine eclipses. An amazing treat to ponder intellectual quest of that era. We lunched at 'Charpai- The Dhaba' on the Ujjain Indore highway. It is supposedly very well known for the vast spread of menu. However, the main 'dhaba' was closed getting prepped for New Year's eve. It was at their cafe that we ordered some 'Masala Dosas' and 'Uttapams', which did justice to the cuisine. The warmth and love awaited us at the splendid dinner hosted by auntie, our friend’s mom. ‘Dahi bade’, ‘Maa ki daal’, rice, ’bhindi veg’, ‘papads’ with ‘hot tawa rotis’. Oh! What a delight! Cannot thank enough!

And we welcomed the New Year, the New Decade, 2020! Indore had hit the ‘chowka’, the cleanest city for the fourth consecutive year! And we were heading to ‘Omkareshwar’. The highway was smooth. We had a total of 4 kids tucked at the rear seat, busy with their varied childhood games. And it was a wonderful journey all the way. The temple is situated on the 'Mandhata' or 'Shivapuri' island in the Narmada river, the shape of the island is said to be like the Hindu 'ॐ' symbol. One needs to check the timings of the temple as we had to wait for about an hour before the gates were opened for the devotees. The 'Garbhagriha' of the temple remained closed between 12:30 to 13:25 hours. You could choose to row across the river or cross the bridge to reach the temple. Lunch was in the open, under the shade of the ‘Chickoo tree’ next to the farmland with colcassia growing far and wide. Never felt so near to nature especially at the meal time.

And off we were to ‘Hanuwantiya’, one of the finest MP Tourism resorts gracefully positioned on the largest man made dams in India, the Indira Sagar on River Narmada. The wood cottages were unexpectedly comfortable. There were water rides and sports corner where age wasn’t the barrier. Good food, lots of birds, nature at its best and the evening bonfire with some dances and songs are etched into our hearts forever. We stayed overnight and returned the next day to our base location. The hot 'tandoori parathas' with delicious veggies at the ‘Jassi da dhaba’ filled us to the brim. Such a humble and scrumptious affair.

We checked into the ‘Sayaji Hotel’ to complete the last leg of our Indore trip. There are umpteen restaurants in the hotel. We chose the ‘Kebabsville’ and to name the other few were the ‘Chopstick City’, ‘Sanchi’, ‘Mediterra’, ‘Cravings’, ‘’99 Degress’, ‘Quorum’ and ‘Go Bananas’.  Food was ravishing. Light music by the coal fire was a treat to the soul.

Bidding farewell to all our lovely Indore people, we returned to ‘Namma Bengaluru’ the next day with lots of fond memories and bags full of Indore packable savoury. 

What a wonderfully gratifying vacation to start the year!

The System that fails beyond measure!

As I woke up to a new day, a new beginning on 'The First of January, 2017', my heart and mind was all prepped. A fresh start. The commencement of another round of memorable events in the new year! With my morning cup of freshly brewed tea, I read the day's news. Frenzy took over the tranquil mind!!

Bangalore Molestation: Quoting TOI  "the place was unrecognisable. It was like a mini war zone. There were crowds of boys between the ages of 17 and 25 behaving absolutely horrible even though there was a large police presence."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bengaluru-horror-i-was-there-with-my-wife-brigade-road-was-like-a-mini-war-zone-says-a-reader/articleshow/56332697.cms

The news left me horrid! It was intimidating! I was aghast! Well, I believed Bangalore was quite a safe place! My hopes were crushed!

No, this was not my first instance of reading such a news that left me so devastated. What troubled me most was the fact that the incident seemed to be a planned attack by a mob of drunken men on those streets of Bangalore which were expecting and all geared up to celebrate the New Year's Eve! Did I read it wrong? 

I cross-checked and I quote; "In the wake of New Year celebrations, a contingent of 16,000-plus policemen will be assisted by 3,000 home guards in the bandobust across the city .There will be special focus on central business district areas like MG Road, Brigade Road and Church Street that draw thousands of revellers."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/bengaluru-wont-do-a-mumbai-this-new-years-eve-will-party-till-2am/articleshow/56248197.cms

Now, what is it that I should believe? If I trust the civics that I read in school, it is the Ministry of Home Affairs that is concerned with all matters pertaining to the maintenance of public peace and order. The constitution assigns responsibility for maintaining law and order to the states and territories, and almost all routine policing—including apprehension of criminals—is carried out by state-level police forces. The constitution also permits the central government to participate in police operations and organisation by authorising the creation of Indian Police Service.

This learning gives me an affirmation as a citizen of this country that 'All will be well' if the zone is well policed.
But my belief was shattered like an empty glass made of glass thrown as a 'fast Yorker' against a wall! Indeed, this was a clear case of failure to protect the citizens of the country. Or then, I raise my eyebrows and wonder if it was intentionally planned to not equip the cops with requisite machinery and force to tackle the evildoer in the rightful manner! Does it have something to do with racism, I wonder again! 

With endless incidents reported everyday on the molestation of females in the society, why is the system not in place? A punishment so gross that would send shiver down the spine of these males who are running so high on testosterone that they've grown wild and incapable of behaving as humans; indeed have turned wilder than beasts; is the need of the hour! Don't you ask me Mr. Police Commissioner to ensure case is filed before an action is taken. I know very well how and what the female goes through if she has decided to file the case, for the support the system provides is in the gutter!

To top it all Mr. Minister comments, I quote " A large number of youngsters gathered -- youngsters who are almost like westerners... they try to copy westerners not only in mindset, but even the dressing, so some disturbance, some girls are harassed, these kind of things do happen." 

http://www.ndtv.com/bangalore-news/cannot-go-unpunished-centre-on-bengaluru-new-years-eve-horror-1644430?site=full

This is exactly the mindset of the ruling lot in this country! What do you have to say to this?

It is a pity, real sorrow! Women today have started feeling so terrified that they don't even feel confident to discuss the problem openly in the society. Rage is there, no doubt but it gets communicated by forwarding mails or WhatsApp messages created by a third party who would have consolidated all the atrocities committed on women and made her a sorry figure leaving her more terror stricken than before!
I am no exception! Reminds me of the time when the feminist movie, 'Pink' was released last year and having read the reviews, I was hoping to watch it with my women friends. I feel strongly now that these are the must watch family movies with all adults, males and females of the family sitting together and sinking in the thought the movie left us with. No wonder molestation is prevalent even in conventional families where the victim is too frightened to raise the voice.
In a continuously evolving society, it's a very gradual change that can be expected at the ground level where the parenting should be rock solid to instil the right values in a child and turn him into a righteous human.
However, a severe chastisement to the wrong doers would, I feel definitely discourage future such incidents leaving the women of our society more confident and honourable!
For now, to all the women folks out there, let's gear up to strengthen our self defence abilities.  

Under the weather

A sleepless, restless night. Running nose and continuous cough. The body all wearied  out. Each cell screaming its existence to draw attention. The morning bell rings and I wake up with a soar throat,nose and head. All that the body desires is to get back under the quilt and laze. Alas! It's worthless as the aches,sneeze,sniffs,croup keep me company. The eyes glance at the clock and the soon to be readied school girls. Sob! No nerve today! 

Some high priority calls to dial. The kids' respective bus drivers to be communicated about the no pick up today. Call at my work to substitute the day's schedule. And finally, the call to my father, our family doctor who saved me from the unmanageable queuing at the local doctor's today! The viral had crept in and fever followed. Husband got the prescribed pills from the chemist before he hurriedly gathered himself to leave for office. No breakfast and no lunch packed today! What was to follow would be a real rough day with the kids at home and their energies all high! Absence from school for no genuine reason would be a treat for the day!

The antibiotics could not be swallowed empty stomach, so a healthy breakfast was a must. The craving was for some hot,spicy soup. Some extra spicy noodles. Like the ones you get in a pure Indian customised Chinese roadside stall! But the consequences would be disastrous. Hence, the sane plan. Oh! How much I miss you, mamma! Had you been with me, I would have got a real healthy, nutritious home made soup to begin with. What would have followed is something I can only dream of now!

As I pulled myself together and made my way to the kitchen, the mother in me became the doer and priorities changed. I should first cook for the kids. There was fresh milk to be boiled. Some milk porridge to be steamed as kids wouldn't relish the 'dal ka daliya' which was on the menu for me. There wasn't any fresh stock of vegetables in the refrigerator. Express delivery by BigBasket was the saviour. No cash hurdle too. Thanks to the online payment options. Before the breakfast was ready, kids were up and ready to embrace their exciting day. 

The curious elder had a set of queries to understand why the day seemed different and why a Monday morning appeared to be a weekend. Very patiently, in a husky voice, with numerous interrupts to the wash basin (Well! Am not a tissue person. Just can't hold the phlegm and feel completely dissatisfied until it's flushed under running water. That gives a clear picture of the frequency of visits to the washroom. Every three and a half minutes to be precise!) , a memorandum was set up for the day. Or so I thought! 

The kids had a splash together in the bathroom, nothing lesser than their annual Holi festival! So, though the idea was not to strain myself bathing both of them, the washroom did demand a proper cleaning up to the seven feet tall tiled walls. Ignorance would complement the doctor's prescription and I quickly took a hasty shower, grabbed my porridge prepared with the humble 'moong Ki daal', a recipe perfectly nutritious and satisfactory to my taste buds (which hated anything sweet for the day). 

I had my medicine dosage and sneaked under the blanket to rest. 

The family protocol was clear and the kids knew they couldn't venture playing out of the house. Of course, there was no stopping them with the planned mischief in their room. Throat had given up and I was voiceless. The medicine induced the sleep, I guess as my restless mind slowly became incapable of keeping the mental watch on the kids' activities. 

It had been roughly an hour when I woke up to an abrupt thud! I rushed into their room and thanked God the kids were safe. It was only a chair that had fallen. Poor children were waiting for a severe scolding. Thanks to the mute me, I could respond instead of reacting and whispered them to have their lunch. By now the body had gathered some strength and was craving for food. Fresh bottle gourd with a dash of lemon and some hot phulkas that didn't take me long to prepare left all three of us satisfied to the core. It was time for the kids to retire to bed for their afternoon nap and I took the R.K.Narayan's book, covering myself comfortably under the blanket. When did I doze off again, I remember not. 

The evening approached with a sense of guilt for the home was all topsy turvy and the cook declared her unannounced day off! It was my turn to chop a lot of veggies for dinner. The restless me had planned pav bhaji and the season's first 'gajar ka halwa'. Husband dear returned home earlier than usual with some hot 'kachoris' that was just what the palette craved for. How would the day 2 pass was the big question to be dealt with next morning! 

"For my loving students who continue to inspire me and help me grow."

Look inside your heart, for a dream is waiting there,
To encourage and inspire you, to take you anywhere.
                             Listen to your dream, for it calls out sweet and clear.
                             And beckons you to follow without doubt and without fear!
Feel the power of  your dream, for the strength that it will give
Will help you find your happiness, everyday you live!

I wish you all,  a happy heart! A heart free to dream, a heart open to life!
              

Feels good to grow older!

"I like the feel of your name on my lips

And I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss

The way that your fingers run through my hair

And how your scent lingers even when you're not there

And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh...."

'Boyzone' had set the mood on!

Music has that power! A strong pull! It takes you back in time to when you first heard it or when you often use to hear it, if it's an old record. At the same time, it sets up some new memory cells getting born in your mind's database, especially if it's the new track on the speaker.

Soon I found myself glancing in the mirror. Perhaps the only true physical reflection that had a lot to say! As I ran my fingers through my hair and focussed my gaze on the partition, I acknowledged the grey hair follicles depicting adulthood. I hope I've used my 'grey cells' well and wish to keep exercising them regularly keeping those neurons filled with vigor!

Thirty four years on this planet. What pride! Each day is life earned and lived well! Every passing day being a new learning! Did I ever imagine I would learn to swim in my twenties and my Karate training would begin in my thirties! Numbers are mere records to let the doctor know how biologically old the mass of body we're carrying is. It's the feeling and the enjoyment of belonging to the world that keeps us high spirited. 

If I ponder on how gracefully I'd like to age and foresee myself draped in those gorgeous six yards of Cotton or Silk, donning a bigger 'Bindi' and a natural grey hairdo, I'd be losing the present! On the eve of birthday, all I would focus on would be to live the greatest blessing, called 'Life'!

Time to have some cake. Cheers!

 

A Reunion we longed for!

One fine Tuesday as the clock was about to strike midday, I gathered myself with my coffee mug and the day's newspaper when suddenly my phone whistled to a ping on WhatsApp. It's not the group chats that I am keen to check as soon as they ping, they're all in silent notifications. Nevertheless, my phone does whistle when individuals ping me. At least this ensures I can respond if am not engaged. So this was an unknown number and as per the protocols of networking, the sender ensured she introduced herself. Thus affirming two engineers were on either side of the communication channel!

The call sounded formal. It was probably the years between the calls that tried to distant the conversation yet amity turned the time's wicked intent down. The dialogue ended in an informal note zooming across the time defeating it by connecting the hearts! It was an invite for a college reunion! And the prompt response was a big "Yes, am in!".

This was not a regular event. We had not met since we passed college. It has been over a decade that I've been in Bengaluru, my acquired home town. I wasn't born or brought up here. My origin lies in the foothills of the Himalayas! 'Namma Bengaluru' as we call it is where I started my career, settled after marriage, birthed my daughters and explore what parenting holds for me with each passing day. The city keeps us on our toes and has turned us into a constant planner scheduling and rescheduling our days according to the traffic! Alas! What a catalyst! Since 2006, many of my college mates shuttled between the Silicon Valley of India and the rest of the world. I had been in touch with most of them. Yet meeting as many of us as possible together had just never occurred! This was it!

  

There's this concept of Priority Scheduling in Operating Systems, Computer Science. If a high priority job enters the queue, all the other tasks wait for it to complete. This was exactly our attained state of mind by now! Come what may, we were to meet. And we had to do so at the earliest. Thus followed a series of pings, buzzes, chats, calls, mails and posts. Good to be living in the era of technology. We were sorted! The following Saturday was our date! Just three days away!

Saturdays are Karate mornings for me and my daughter, a busy one. Succeeding which  I had to depart for the venue where we planned an 'Only Friends' Meet'. No, we were not on a secretive mission! Our intent was to re-live our college days all over again at luncheon with a noble thought not resulting in boredom for anyone. Hence, no families this time.

While I was still battling my way through the mean traffic congestion, thankfully not behind the car wheels, which allowed me to check the WhatsApp message, the 'Ms. Punctual' announced her arrival at the venue. Butterflies fluttered in my gut and I shifted from one end of the car seat to the other, breathing deeply trying to relax and travel patiently. This happens with me every time time runs ahead of me! My chronic condition! The chat looked very tensing with the others pinging their respective arrivals soon. New ideas are born just at these testing times! I pretended to be too ignorant on the chat to believe that the meeting was scheduled the same day, and I bluffed that I missed remembering the date! Emojis assisted the melodrama. Thus triggering a bullwhip effect that lasted for quite a while leaving me with spurts of laughter!

Finally, we all were there! 

                            

  

Hugs, Kisses, Hellos and Hi were just the onset of what was to unfold! Now that's what an enduring friendship is. The twinkle in the eyes, the beaming smile, the everlasting chatter! No matter how many years pass when you meet, you're brought back exactly to that moment you were together with flashes of fond memories taking a hold on their rightful share. And then you want to narrate and narrate again and you don't mind telling the same story umpteen times until all at the table are aligned to what is heard! This is interleaved by the cackle with the mouthful . Manners have no room today! You speak in all your forms. The maiden that you were, the grad that you became together, the mother, the wifey, the employee, the athlete in you! Your pompous speech tells it all and everyone relates to it with a dash of their own experiences.

We were all at our high with no pegs down! Credit to 'Our Spirit' and none to any 'Spirit'. Our seating arrangement was aptly chosen. We were all by ourselves, the noisy corner table. What was the menu? I'm not the right person to jot that down. Something I don't remember at all! Yet, if someone asks me to review the restaurant, I'll rate it high. The four hours that we spent there were enriching, jovial and would have certainly released a high level of endorphins in our systems refreshing us to the core!

Such was our beatitudes that we didn't check we paid one head extra in the bill until the restauranteur approached us with an apologetic note highlighting the error in their cheque.

For us all that mattered was the priceless Saturday afternoon very well spent! And I returned home with a souvenir for my dolls that adorned their doll!