It was last Saturday evening and I and PP bhai were wandering in the gadget section of Croma. The salesmen there have stopped entertaining us because of the weekly technical test we have been taking of them :) We bumped into one of our old friend Mishra there. “Abey Mishra, yahan kya kar raha hai? Kahan tha itne dinon se?” asked PP bhai by patting him ‘hard’ on his back. The un-stabilized Mishra adjusted his glasses – “Hey guys – TS, PP. Long time – No see man. You guys are still in India! You know - I have been in the States for the phaast (past) two years. I khame (came) back a month ago” said Mishra with an accent. We listened to his US stories and ‘safe’ Vegas ‘adventures’ for an hour and then we left.
Next week – 8pm. ♫ Tere bina zindagi se koi...(instrumental) ♫. That was my cell ringing and Mishra was on the other end. “TS, there’s a good news. I bought the ivTech man!”
Me – “ivTech…Hmm... Whats that? Oh you mean that foot massager that you were checking out at Croma. I knew you are a ‘man-of-pedicures’ :)”
Mishra - “No dude. Remember I was telling you that I am planning to buy a car. I did. Bought a Honda”
Me –“Oh my God! What you saying - You bought an Accord!!!!”
Mishra – “Nahi yaar, Honda City ivTech”
Me –“Ohh…” (That ‘Ohh’ seemed like that he had bought a Luna Moped. I hate myself why I do that!)
Mishra – “You ignorant fellow! Come down I’ll give You a drive & by the way - YOU know what You should write on your grave’s tombstone –“TS - Died dreaming of Accord!”
Me – “Hehe …! For me, unless it says “Died during a Honda City crash” anything is fine yaar :)”
Within 5 minutes Mishra was there with the shining beauty. “Kahan chalna hai TS?” asked Mishra
Me- “Arey, aaj toh Thursday hai na. Lets goto Peer baba. Eat pani-puri at kakas, pack some bhel and head to Suicide Lake. What do you say?”
Mishra –“You still goto Peer baba! Kya yaar … CCD chalte hain.Also I have heard that a new open air restaurant has opened at Aurora tower’s roof. Let’s check out that.”
Me – “Hmm...So you wanna please different kind of goddesses today :)...ok...No probs...Let’s go”.
Our entire friend group has been going to Peer baba since past 11-12 years. Every Thursday we went there on our Ranger’s, Atlas and BSA’s without fail. But now, as we all have got our way through life and no more feel the ‘need’ of it, so the ‘ritual’ has become an ‘option’ now.
So, as the Honda was crawling through the streets, I listened to Mishra as how there are no potholes in US roads. I started imagining if the roads there were having potholes and cows sitting in middle of the roads then –> Trinity’s superbike chase to escape the Agents in Matrix revolutions would have been more fun – I mean she budging the cowdung, road pits (aptly deep to do bungee jumping:) and mostly avoiding the drunk baraatis dancing to “Mera Lucky kabootar.. ♫” in Punjabi Dolby sound would have spiced up the movie :).
My day-dreaming ended when I heard Mishra blowing horn continuously as he was rattled by a group of slum kids who were riding their cycles in the middle of the road– “WTF!!! Bicycles should be banned in this country. Or else make different roads for ‘these’ people!!! ” – shouted Mishra furiously (who is also an ex-owner of – “Atlas - Aapki Shaan ki sawari” :) I tried to pacify him – “C’mon yaar, bachhe hain. Ignore them they are just kids”
So finally we reached and were seated in the open air restaurant on the 12th floor of Aurora Towers. Mishra called the waiter – “Tchh…Tchh… Yes you! Come here and clean this table! Fast!!! ” By this time Mishra’s ‘madam’ had also come there. They hugged and ‘air-kissed’ each other. Mishra laid back on his chair, outstretched his arms - looked at the vast expanse of the city lights and said – “TS - Things look so small from up here. Don’t they?” I looked down, gazed through the long stretch of the Honda City and said – “Yes they DO!!”
