The Foursome Rick-ride!!!

Carter road Bus Stop, 10.45PM, tired of waiting for the Bus!

Any sane person (ignore people from Mutual) would know that 9/3 = 3! But no! Pratiksha had to do her own Maths and force us into one Rickshaw. No not all nine but 4 of us - Manorath, myself, herself and Pranjali. And mind you - all are from healthy families! So what was the need to commit this sin of cramping four people into the rear seat of a tiny Mumbai Rickshaw? A good observer would conclude that in the given circumstances, with Pratiksha making a decision, you sincerely cannot expect a logical reason! Anyways, I hardly had a choice and so before the others could even realise we had hired an auto and already made ourselves amply comfortable within its dark environs. Guess who sat on whose lap?? Ok no comments! :)
The person's legs pained excruciatingly though, let me inform you all. I got this from my secret agent. And yes even his knees became wobbly after the 'healthy' affair. Regardless, of what their camera could capture, however waste it was, our cameraman started clicking Photos. Manorath then handed over his prized possession to one of the G-Sisters, we shall henceforth call them thus to save space and my typing efforts. Coming back to the Photos, they were yuck! I mean, yes, Y-U-C-K!!! I hereby give a disclaimer that the person whose only visible part are his awesome hair ,shall, under any circumstance, human or otherwise, not be deemed, construed or held to be Satsheel!!!

The rickshaw was filled with chronic laughter. Laughter of all sizes and flavours, varying pitches and differing volume, impregnated the rickshaw. Oh yes, we all were carrying balloons, with Pratiksha holding two. We could barely manage ourselves, so taking care of the balloons was a huge task. There was hardly any space to sit so the balloons were all tucked behind, well almost.

I was afraid that a Policeman would catch us for exceeding the seating capacity and fine us. I was mentally preparing for reasons, with making Pratiksha pay topping the charts!!! I don't know why they wanted to click my pics? They tried vociferously to get a glimpse of my face on the Camera's lens making me momentarily feel like a Celeb. :p
Suddenly, Pranjali screamed 'Chirag!' She seemed to have seen a 'Friend" (ahem ahem!!!) of hers and was excitedly showing us. Hardly did she realise that we would have more sinister ideas than simply looking at random people. Chirag had till then gone ahead and I had not got to see who it was. We asked the Rickshaw-wala to 'Chirag ka Paathlaag Karo' and he actually listened to us. Like a maniac he drove to hit a pothole. Our rickshaw barely managed to avoid tumbling to the left and we thankfully didn't get thrown out of the rickshaw. Pratiksha it seems was going to literally fall out. We stopped at a signal and there was a guy with a girl behind him on a bike on my right. I loudly asked "Kon Chirag?" I didn't know it was him and Pranjali, out of shame didn't even enlighten us. We were later informed that he was peeping inside the rickshaw to see who called out his name. The rickshaw reverberated with cautious laughter. People continued their photographic tirade. We even clicked pics with the Ricksha-wala at Bandra Station. He actually pulled out a scarf to pose for the Photo.

It was one insane Rickshaw ride which I doubt any of us will ever forget. If Chirag ever reads this, know that it was Pranjali, the younger of the G-Sisters, who actually was inside the Rickshaw!!!

Chicken Biryani LIVE flown from Hyderabad

Piping hot ! picked it up from dhawal at 12.30 am in the morning on his way to his hostel from the airport. it was still hot. it smelled impeccably indian. strong! i slept with hyderabadi dreams! i couldn't wait till i feasted onthe biryani. kuku was to join me for lunch but for unavoidable reasons he couldn't so i invited tanay and bela. bela got veg. biryani for her tummy. the biryani we had was rich in spices, little tangy, with succulent chicken pieces well marinated, and a warm aroma. just irresistible.
i have a few recommendations to make -
1. you must have a very sweet friend like dhawal who although is strictly veg. got 2 large packs of chicken biryani from Hyderabad
2. you must never forget to tell your friend whenever they go to Hyderabad to get chicken biryani
3. and never ever miss a chance to eat biryani from Hyderabad House
4. thank God for 1 to 3 above!!!

Irshaling our way up!

It never starts at 6 although everyone is given strict warnings to come before 6 sharp!!! Poor people from far away lands, come waddling through deep waters and cross treacherous mountains to reach on time but... we never ever start on time!!! This time it was Jay for whom we had to wait and he stays the closest. Our over-enthusiastic hikers had made last minute reservations which resulted in 6 extra members than the bus could accommodate! Vikas then had to get his car along with 5 people going therein. We did manage to leave the college premises by around 6.45 am which was 45 minutes behind schedule but nevertheless digestible. And I had achieved the unimaginable, having convinced Ayushi, Nisha, POOJA and Rucha to come for the hike, the last hike for us as students of Podar! From the ex-pods side we had Puja, Akshay, Parin, Mandar, etc. I was too sleepy to do anything but still I did manage to click a few photographs on our way while constantly eating chicken rolls from Hearsch, Veg. Sandwiches by Sir and Bread-Butter-Jam by Ayushi!!! I must say that the butter and jam was very nicely spread on the bread, an art very mystically mastered by the new moons in the granite laden kitchens! Ayushi was to be the famous personality thanks to my Blog. She had personal requests for photos and autographs from many ex-podarites!!! We reached quite early, say by 8. We had just stopped the bus to see whether the place was correct and very filing back in when the engine went up in smoke. The entire bus was engulfed with a putrid smell with the smoke spreading throughout the length. There was supposedly some short circuit in the engine wiring due to which we could not take the bus further. We had to begin our hike much before the designated place, because of which (I came to know later) we lost around 45 minutes one way! The initial walk was tiring for a few. On our way to the base, we crossed a beautifully huge dam. We couldn't yet see the magnificence but the gigantic proportions left us belittled. We kept walking, clicking photos of shoe-laces, iron-masons, flowers, and of course US! Vikas and company had already parked their car at the Sarpanch's house and were waiting for us. We left without any time-shedding activities. On our way we blabbered like there was no end... Maybe it was the fun of hiking together, for the first time in 21 years and 5 years after joining college, or maybe we never got to talk in college due to Chris' ultra-influence. Whatever was the case we soon reached the G8 and LR of our hike. On the right was the LR hike G8 was spread on on right. I guess only G8 was used without the flush of course. We passed a small hamlet, resting at a juncture where the dam could be treasured in one's eyes. There was a very cute puppy, jet black, puddling its way with us. Farther down we spotted kids (baby goat). It seemed at the end of the day that the hill was infested with kids with not a single adult goat or sheep in sight!!! Anyways, Sir held an impromptu meeting at the congruence of G8 and LR for a small introduction of all the ex-podarites. We marched ahead as the sun kept blasting our backs with increasing ferocity. The climb initially was not tough but the temperature made it challenging. On our way we encountered rocks which Vikas confirmed were not climbable. So we changed our route and reached the other side of the mountain where there was immense amount of shade but little space. Sadly not all reached. Sir was standing at the edge looking out for the people still finding their way up. He heard screams coming from below on the other side from where we climbed. I was clicking photos from the rocks and sir waved at me. He was trying to point below the mountain. I thought he wanted me to capture a particular scene in my camera but when I reached I was shocked at what I was seeing!!! ANUJ! Stuck at a very odd angle on the slope below. He had maneuvered alone and had climbed till he could go no further. His desperate call to sir seemed to come from his last bout of energy. We frantically called Manish who then was carrying the rope. He handed it over to Bhaji who climbed up where I took the rope from him and reached the spot where Anuj was stuck. I, Sir, Arjun and Shrenik tied the rope around ourselves and let the other end loose towards Anuj.
Click here to view Anuj's Climb up!!!
I must appreciate his skills as he effortlessly came up the slope without any ounce of pull on the rope. With the rescue operation over, he went to a small corner and meditated for a while to calm himself down. Those who managed to reach began feasting like hungry hyenas. This was the first time on a hike that I got to eat so many varieties of food. Generally the staple diet is Theplas!!! Piles of them... this time we had shrikhand puri, puran poli, kheema pav, sandwiches, parathas, pulav, and sindhi papad puri!!! After lunch we began scouting for the remainders. We managed to get them notice us and they soon reached. Then we were misinformed by a few ex-podarites that the only way we were going to climb down was after doing the needle hole at the top, which meant serious rock climbing! I must place on records my sincere thanks to them for egging us on!Everyone began filing out of the shade and started climbing the rocks under the hot sun. Mid-way came a clarification that we would anywhichways be going back the same way and those who did not wish to climb the frightening rocks may go back and wait for the rest! We marched on, egging each other, waiting for the person ahead to climb first. Vikas, Uncle and Bhaji were there guiding us up, instilling courage in us. At the top there was a small ladder. God knows who put it up there but it was scary - what if it came tumbling back? At the pinnacle, there was needle hole and what a sight it offered! Huge expanse of water on one side, and a deep valley on the other, fierce winds blowing within. We sat for quite sometime in between the hole, witnessing what rarely one gets to. It was mind blowing! Ascending down was fun. It didn't take us much time and our thirsty throats were satiated at the village which was at the base of the mountain. We splashed in the dam for sometime where Shrenik had a miraculous escape, Ayushi playing the Baywatch lifeguard. The water was spectacularly dirty but we didn't mind. I need to mention this funny thing that happened. Some guy, whose name I can't place now or rather shouldn't place now, removed his tracks in the water to 'swim' properly. What he didn't realised is that he won't be able to wear them again while coming out. Poor guy! He was later removed with a towel! The hike was truly an awesome experience and an unique one that!

Patching up!

I have been thinking about it from a few days, especially after watching 3 idiots... I spoke to Dhawal and we agreed upon the plan around 3-4 days before Jaie's birthday! I hadn't spoken to her since FYBCOM or so, I'm not sure and I felt it was about time to get rid of such non-sense, kiddish activities. I spoke to Dhawal and we planned to give Jaie a surprise birthday at Candies. Managing it must surely have been tough for Dhawal, given that he had told her he and 'others' were coming, but only I was included therein. I had warned Dhawal that she might just decide to corroborate with Aruna and Prajakta. But thankfully she didn't. The best part of that day was when Dhawal told me he has already got her a gift. When asked what, he very coyly replied that he is ashamed to talk about it. That was the worst reason one could have ever given, due to which I began listing things or acts that could be embarrassing enough to give/do as a gift. But the truth was to unfold later. Meanwhile, I had begun heading towards candies, stopping at the Bandra Birdy's to buy a Chocolate Truffle Cake. I did manage to get some decent words iced which cannot be revealed here. But while on my way, Dhawal called me several times, mostly - as per my understanding - as he could not ward off Jaie's questions about the 'other' people who were to attend the party and secondly as I don't know why! Lol :P. I reached Candies and he came down to meet me, gallantly carrying Jaie's cell so she couldn't make calls to Aruna or Prajakta. I chose a place, opened the cake and he went to call her. Now obviously she didn't expect me and as far as I remember her first reactions she was even afraid to sit on the chairs in front of me!!! But then, the ice was thawed without saying much. I refused to sing Happy Birthday for decency's sake. The day did end on a very good note and I hope our new found friendship grows to greater heights.

P.S. Jaie - I need the Pic you took to put up here!!!

Nisprag - Love story on the last day of college!

Waah waah what a name and an apt one that... although the love story was named much later, it was an instant hit among both the heartbeats. Their eyes met for the first time during RAPPORT. But on the last day of college, when college was about to end, the Being single Tapasya of 5 years was about to be successful, the advantage of doting on others was becoming eternity, suddenly, their eyes met again - and they kept meeting with emotions flowing on the eyelit highway. Their meditation was thrown in the bin and suddenly they took charge of each other's hearts. They couldn't express their feelings openly due to the presence of unwanted elements, but discreetly, they spoke. They did things which should not be mentioned here. Although they were candidly caught on camera. They shared their moments, moments which they had not thought of or rather didn't or rather could not share for the past 5 years. But suddenly reality struck just as they were getting acquainted. They would never meet in college thenceforth. It was the last day of college right? For 5 whole years they prayed for their Mr./Ms. Perfect and they did find him/her but unfortunately on the very last day of college, when it was already time to say bye? They didn't know whether to say hi or bye. They chose to keep quiet, act as if nothing ever happened, and no one ever saw their unison. They told their friends that there was and is and will never be anything. Both tried belying all hard facts. They tried disillusioning their friends. Why? To hide the pain that erupted due to their love on the last day of college!!! May their souls rest in Peace - Together!!!

LOL

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Smiling Once Again!

with smiles lost god knows where,
trudging along the way, for want of some care,
warmth and belongingness was rare too,
but then cometh those through?

who would have wondered,
that with so many uncertainties,
the trip that was in doubts,
would bring back my smiles?

for the first time, the gaiety came from the people,
and i didn't have to satiate myself only with the food,
but seriously can someone be so nice?
as to welcome a stranger and make him feel so close?

i sort of left mumbai behind, as i got cozy with pune,
all the worries and tensions seemed to thin away,
no more guilt and no more appointments,
just sheer serenity...

someone said, how come you enjoyed so much more than us?
well, i crave for happiness, crave for good friends,
i got both here, without expecting any, and my smiles came gushing back, from deep slumber within!



add to it i saw 3 idiots there, and this particular song left me spell bound - give me some sunshine!!!

click here to listen

My Most Memorable New Year!!! - Part III

The rains lashing against our faces, the car moving at its pace being driven by Kuku, the cool winds blowing serenely, the night engulfing us with glowing darkness. The sight was brilliant. The sensation was mesmerising. Pune was ours and how! We drove through half the city as we wanted to go for a long drive! Accompanied by Ankita's shrieks, we hardly needed any horns. We came back home and played cards. We were to go for a movie the next day. 3 idiots. No one seemed to care. People hardly slept. I had 4 hours of sleep. We got up and were joined by Kunal. Breakfast was at Durga where we had seriously lip-smacking Khichdi and Pohe and watery Cold Coffee. The movie theatre being far off, we rushed off. The movie was quite nice, with ankita threatening to reveal the plot as she was seeing it for the second time. The afternoon we lazed in some mall and were joined further by Amar. We drove back home where on the way Ankita was caught for driving without a licence!!! Kuku meanwhile had left at 6 as he was already too late. I and Deva returned home at around 2 am on the 4th as we didn't get any tickets. What I noticed and which deserves serious commendation here is that everyone although they were heavily exhausted, came to drop us till we left Pune. That was something which touched me deeply. The experience was worth a life time. the smile still isn't fading away. The heart is yet full of mirth!!! Indeed a New Beginning!!!

My Most Memorable New Year!!! - Part II

Wow! It was already the second day of my trip and I had barely time enough to recuperate from my sleepless night before. It took us some time to leave by when it was 8.30 !!! ( I personally knew it would be though others were being very optimistic about 6) Steadily, we settled in the Tavera whose Driver we were to find out in the next 2 days, was craving for sleep since Jesus was born. All in we set out on our adventure for which I and Ajinkya had set all hell lose with the sheer magnitude of planning we had undergone!! We drove on and on and on... We were passing by some dam, the name of which I cannot remember. A vast expanse of blue water, waves rippling on its surface, surrounded by huge, lush green mountains. I was on the lookout for some place where we could dip our waters in the serenity. We got down for a few pics at a point having an awesome background. But the water was still far away. We moved on and on. Finally I spotted a few people off the coast and asked our driver to stop the car. We found a path through thickets and fences and reached the shores. Aah, it was sheer bliss. We clicked a few more photos. We again went back to our car. I couldn't wait to reach Harihareshwar. Konkan was beckoning and we soon reached Tamhini Ghat. On our way we slept, yawned, again slept, listening to music simultaneously. All of us were immensely hungry. But as we had entered the Ghat there were no roadside hotels in sight. Hunger was taking its toll!!! Especially on me. Crows, Vultures, Owls, Eagles, all were cacophoning in my tummy. We finally took a breaking the fast halt in the middle of nowhere and gobbled 2 plates each of hot Pohey. The car went on the winding route and we reached Manmad. Ajinkya as usual had to try confusing himself while trying to change plans. The new query was - how to squeeze in Murud? Dude, it is 60 kms on the opposite side of our destination, its already 12 and we still hadn't checked into our rooms!!! Thankfully we stayed put and reached Harihareshwar via a small long cut. The room was below expectations but was alright since we hadn't come to stay within the four walls right? We were allotted one hall instead of the two rooms we had booked. For lunch we went to a small hotel opposite our rooms. It was spicy but yummilicious. I as usual had non-veg. We went for a hot, under the blazing sun, afternoon walk on the shore, exploring the beach and what it had to offer. The Kokam Soda that we had at the beach was amazing. The soda guy added a pinch of masala salt which made the entire drink to fizz up and overflow in the form of froth and bubbles. A few of us could manage without spilling any drop, though the others weren't that lucky. We next went on the beach, well not exactly the beach but yes the beach. Or say the outskirts of the beach. Dhawal and Ajinkya went around the huge hillock, on the prowl for adventure whereas I, Kaustubh and Gaurav stayed put preferring to observe the beach instead. We waited and waited for the 2 musketeers to return and once back, left for our rooms, constantly arguing on what to do next. Sleep or come back to the beach? Kuku and Ajya decided to hit the pillows whereas I, Dow Jones and Gugu went on to explore the rocky structures on the beach side. All of marched in half pants. The rocks were intricately carved by Nature and went on and on and on. I Had been informed that the area was blessed with Dolphin sightings and I like an obedient fool scouted relentlessly for a sight or two. Crabs gave us ample company but were too scared to venture anywhere near us. We finally decided to climb the hill. Idea courtesy Gugu and First Climb courtesy Me! Lol. anyways, we climbed the hill and perched ourselves on a high vantage point from where we could see 200* on all sides. It was a magnificent feeling. Passersby were pointing at us but were too scared to climb up. While scouting the area we spotted Ajya and Kuku. Poor Souls were carrying our spare clothes as well as theirs and had to climb the hill that way with the heavy load. And mind you, it was a straight climb. We went still further up the hill and found a small cave. All the rock structures were formed naturally. Like pores on a sponge. I constantly kept reminding the others that the sun was about to set and we ought to be on the beach. Well finally everyone relented, but not before a few more snaps. I and Gugu sat down to build a sand castle. It was our finest creation. With a moat and a temple on top. We went a bit ahead and dived into the sea. The beautiful sea, the cold sea, the gigantic sea. A shiver ran down my spine. I submerged myself into the water and the salty warmness engulfed me. It was certainly warm as compared to the cold air. We had loads of fun in the water. We posed for pics which Kuku was kind enough to click. The mud was easy to splash around at each other and most of the times when I would scoop out a dollop of wet mud, a small shell with a live crab or a similar yucky, slimy creature would crawl out. And off it would go. The sun set right in front of our eyes, turning crimson and then the sky darkened. The air became colder and we decided to call it a day. We changed a bit and went back to our room. We were too tired to do anything. But we did bathe. Ajya and Kuku didn't tough!!! Dinner was Chinese which was okayish. The night was awesome. I learnt how to play Poker and guess what? I won my very first game. The night continued and one by one we fell asleep - me being obviously the first!!! The next day went in frolic too with new places to explore. I need to mention here the serene temple which we visited in the morning at Harihareshwar. The place is called Dakshin Kashi and is considered very holy. It felt like our very own temples in Goa. We left in the evening and reached Pune by night at around 11 or so. We chose to go to McDonalds for dinner as no one was very hungry. We were joined by Ankita whose Wagon R was to prove very useful for the next 1 day. Thereafter, we went on to fulfill my age old desire - CAD B. Chilled & chocolaty, it was ultimate in satiating a chocolate-lovers hunger! The night stood waiting for us to explore and the empty roads of Pune were more than welcoming.

My Most Memorable New Year!!! - Part I

Trust me guys, when I say most memorable, it certainly is better than the most memorable one! Everything was perfect - the places, the people, the occasion and the sync! The idea was very feeble when it was mooted and a tad unrealistic as it included arranging accommodation at places which we had never been to, gathering 8-10 people and managing their time, arranging vehicles et al. Ajinkya should be thanked for managing almost everything and we co-ordinated with him from Mumbai. He actually even came to Mumbai and we met to call the listed home stay options at Harihareshwar and Shriwardhan which I managed to download from the net. Finally we managed to get da decent accommodation anda vehicle. We also managed to decide on the place for 31st night and then all I, Dhawal and Kaustubh had to do was reach Pune.

We took the 6.04 pm Sahyadri from Dadar on the 31st. The Journey was quite eventful with all of us getting hurriedly getting down at the wrong station which happened to be 3-4 stations before our destination but luckily we got in before the train left. Observing the surroundings was the in thing. One of co-passengers seemed to no have had food for ages. Her boyfriend was getting different stuff at almost every station. She even asked the chaiwallah - Arey bhaiya sirf chai kyun laa rahey ho. Wafers nahi hai kya. But the best part was when she couldn't resist the temptation and opened the cake they were carrying and ate a fingerful of cream. The train moved on and we finally alighted at Shivaji Nagar. Getting autos was always going to be tough considering it was Pune and after arguing with half a dozen autos we got one for 80 bucks. I was quite hungry then too. Ajinkya's place was a mess. I didn't know whether the mess was in the room or the room was built around the mess. But, we found place and in the next 2-3 days managed to shift almost everything within the place for us to sit and sleep. We dressed in a jiffy and were off to Garden Court off. Chandni Chowk. But we were 5 as Ajinkya and Gaurav were the new additions and we had two bikes. Finally, we decided to sit triple seat on one bike and double seat on two. The Double seated bike would go ahead and apply brakes when they spot Policemen. The third person on the triple seated bike would then slowly get down and the remaining two would proceed only to be joined by the huff-puffing third person who was to come running. Dhawal was the third person!!!
We managed to avoid the cops and reach Garden Court by 11.30 pm on 31st in the nick of time!
The view from the restaurant was breathtaking. It was perched atop a hillock overlooking quite some portion of Pune city. The weather was cold... The food was over-priced and was okayish, but the entire experience of riding pillion on bikes and reaching that place with friends was spell-binding enough to forgive the incompetencies of the hotel staff. The new year was ushred in with borroed firecracker displays from neighbouring parties and for Gaurav it was in Loo that he chose to welcome the New Year! All said and done, we once again got onto the bikse and drove home. Of course I didn't drive. Why? Because I don't know how to! We reached home by 1.30 am or so just to be joined by one more friend... These people spent time doing all kinds of useless activities and hardly slept. I and Gaurav fell asleep by 5 only to wake up at 6 - already an hour late than the scheduled time of the driver!!!