Prologue
It was a shabby huge hall just before you step out from the fort. We were pretty exhausted and contended with the happy hour alcohol and climbing top of the fort and merely interested to see any more things, when Sandeep made me stood at an angular corner of the hall and placed himself quickly onto the other end asking me to press my ear against the cold wired wall….” Debo can u listen to me?” yup.. Pretty clear I answered back; startled completely by the architecture of the room, but then there was something more flattering: “Debo will u marry me?”…An ever craving phrase hit upon my ear!! Never in my life have I imagined I would get a marriage proposal like this….
The call
I got the call at an odd hour of my work, when I was out to field at a tacky corner of Razabazar, taking swift lunch of prohibited beef biriyani- an angry voice puffed in: Are u coming or not? And the fainted tint of my Hyderabad trip arrayed back as a torment in the middle of my “convincing doc s programme” (yea, my pride of working in a Nation wide programme of National AIDS Control Organization to prevent Sexual Diseases for the wider benefit of India’s latest concern HIV & AIDS has now come to a mere doc catching game for a stupid training for the release of mighty 2nd cheque from NACO to cash in our salaries!!!)
And then there were many such long distance calls followed in at the time of my dinner, during late nite power cuts, in the midst of terrible way-back-work traffic and so on. Some times it was calm n composed leading questions of my tour plan and the final dates and tickets and sometimes over excited assurance of well settled arrangement of hostel-stay-plan by masquerading cousin sis, fights with Super and so on….which all actually
reinforced my trip to Hyderabad, removing dilemmas over logical thoughts of not opting leave at an crucial hour of new project and immense carve to spend an unplugged holiday;
reiterated the fact that I got to go and
remembered me thousand times that two souls out there at distant corner of SSIM waiting irrationally and impatiently for my arrival:
sandeep and ria!!
The official agenda
Confused with the bitter relation with my boss, I was stumbling for an opportunity to grant leave (as according to my boss’s “management theory – “leave isn’t your right but privilege)!! And I was refused to grant leave when asked rationally saying “the reason is personal”. I was told, if really need the leave, you will get it and the “real need” list topped the leave for marriage!! Me the gal, who has not got distant plan for marriage (thanks to my boy friend), got least amused with the proposition contrary to many of my age would, to hear an easy approval of “long wedding leave”!! And thus I had to talk the call saying “I’m actually going to settle my marriage”- to stuff some more pounds on the rationale behind my trip. Well it wasn’t a complete alien scheme: Sandeep being the eligible bachelor with a handful job at HDFC and our freaky conversation over the prospects of our marriage covered up the lie of my official agenda ushering comfort upon my conscience.
The Hug
After settling comfortably at the side lower of Falaknama with a Dan Brown, I overheard some discussions between the pantry guy and my neighbors that the train will reach Hyderabad some 8-9 hrs late and its scheduled like this for a month or so. It was a mere overheard fact but the impact was enormous. I detested literally everything after ensuring the truth of the train schedule!!(I guess those who knows me well will well understand the fact behind my dismayed situation and why can’t I afford to waste a single moment of my tour plan at Hyderabad! I spend counting hours remained for Hyderabad for several hours in the train, leaving aside the interesting encryption of Ensei Tankado!! But it all get dissolved somewhere under the sun, when the train hit the Secundrabad station and I met Ria. Well Sandeep was there too (a bit more handsome than he appeared in the photograph) but Ria, the over excited one as always ,figured me out in the crowd sprinkling happiness in the air and extending a bi….g tight hug, which I never got in my entire life! And it extended so long that finally Sandeep felt left out, which made him speak off “now let it be…and lets go”!!(This actually didn’t make any difference on Ria’s action!)
Well then I hugged Sandeep too which made him crack into a generous smile but his conscious hug without actually touching me gave the back drop of a traditional Malayalam guy, very unlike of another Malayalam friend I know- Bala.
Pubbing
Heading for the Pub so eagerly and making a plan to spend more time over there chucking out Bairaju Foundation visit is the only thing which I am repenting about my Hyderabad trip, specially after the long drawn battle with my boss (and my give in situation) ever since I have come back from there….
But repentance doesn’t faded away the aura of pitch dark pub at city, which I consider as an ultimate couple’s destination, abandoning Bala’s Colaba based happening one, not even visiting it. Apart from the drink and smoke and the silly- life- problems which we enjoyed in the midst of comfortable darkness and loud “Hotel California”, I will always remember the Hot- peeper- Chicken- hunting with the toothpick from the plate with the help of mobile phone back light!!
Golkunda
Golkunda was my only demand and I had to visit that to satisfy my child hood fantasy about this fort. And being the only destination for our photo shoot Golkunda will always carry the traits of my Hydearbad trip through several snaps posted at orkut. I have seen many forts and climbed many stairs to reach the top, but visiting Golkunda is incomparable as till now, I could sense the pulse of very moment spent out there filled with intangible happiness and excitement. Sandeep took the toll of being a guide and was really accurate while giving crappy stories in a confident gesture. We missed the famous Taali point of the fort in search of some unconventional destination in vain and finally before coming out got to see a place, which should be conventionally famous, but to our luck was not.
It was a shabby huge hall just before you step out from the fort. We were pretty exhausted and contended with the happy hour alcohol and climbing top of the fort and merely interested to see any more things, when Sandeep made me stood at an angular corner of the hall and placed himself quickly onto the other end asking me to press my ear against the cold wired wall….” Debo can u listen to me?” “Yup.. Pretty clear” I answered back; startled completely by the architecture of the room, but then there was something more flattering: “Debo will u marry me?”…An ever craving phrase hit upon my ear!! Never in my life have I imagined I would get a marriage proposal like this…. having tryst upon resonance created by some ancient architect for some technology freak Nizam………
I had to conceal my amusement and I had to act smart, thus I popped out a prompt reply- “Oh of course!!” But I wish it was true! Nothing more romantic than this could have ever happened, if only it were my marriage phobic boy friend, instead of Ria’s best Friend Sandeep!!
When our “Mom” claimed ‘I am Single….’
It’s a real fun to see Ria, who has always been considered as Eyya boka ( enormously stupid) among our Kolkata friend, to turn into a responsible being, taking only care of my food, bath water, bus timings and etc. And it was amazing to experience the party craving gal putting a ban on drinks after a mere two pegs and forcing people not to drink more!! The one, who has always made plans for my week ends during her Kolkata stays actually wanted us every time to get back soon from every place we visited; literally making me and Sandeep a pact of rebels!! No wonder we gave her the upper designation like MUMMY!!
But the most hilarious episode was to witness our Mummy’s fight with her boyfriend –Deba (who’s by any chance was not our Papa) and after that her declaration to be single and not ready to mingle!! I am not sure about the period she remained in her very single relationship status, but will always remember the snaps clicked at Eat Street celebrating her single hood!!
Sandeep… I miss the burger
I have never missed a burger in the same way as I did that day. And I never cursed myself before for not listening to Ria’s advice “pack a chicken sandwich for dinner” as I had to starve becoz of all these till 12.30 in the next afternoon.
But I will miss many more I guess….the jacket, which Ria took off from her body to protect me from cold, the full share blanket to cover myself from the terrible high speed fan at the hostel room, the intensity of the hugs, the kisses (which I never got from any of my friend), the untold good bye to sandeep for the stupid punctuality of the bus, the love and concern in the burger for a mere chat friend or a best friend’s friend and….
(lot more , which are actually not palpable to pen down in black and white, which I guess will remain as a bond between us, a resultant path created with this trip….lead towards somewhere deep, intense…… unknown to others…..
Love u guys…a lot!!
The call
I got the call at an odd hour of my work, when I was out to field at a tacky corner of Razabazar, taking swift lunch of prohibited beef biriyani- an angry voice puffed in: Are u coming or not? And the fainted tint of my Hyderabad trip arrayed back as a torment in the middle of my “convincing doc s programme” (yea, my pride of working in a Nation wide programme of National AIDS Control Organization to prevent Sexual Diseases for the wider benefit of India’s latest concern HIV & AIDS has now come to a mere doc catching game for a stupid training for the release of mighty 2nd cheque from NACO to cash in our salaries!!!)
And then there were many such long distance calls followed in at the time of my dinner, during late nite power cuts, in the midst of terrible way-back-work traffic and so on. Some times it was calm n composed leading questions of my tour plan and the final dates and tickets and sometimes over excited assurance of well settled arrangement of hostel-stay-plan by masquerading cousin sis, fights with Super and so on….which all actually
reinforced my trip to Hyderabad, removing dilemmas over logical thoughts of not opting leave at an crucial hour of new project and immense carve to spend an unplugged holiday;
reiterated the fact that I got to go and
remembered me thousand times that two souls out there at distant corner of SSIM waiting irrationally and impatiently for my arrival:
sandeep and ria!!
The official agenda
Confused with the bitter relation with my boss, I was stumbling for an opportunity to grant leave (as according to my boss’s “management theory – “leave isn’t your right but privilege)!! And I was refused to grant leave when asked rationally saying “the reason is personal”. I was told, if really need the leave, you will get it and the “real need” list topped the leave for marriage!! Me the gal, who has not got distant plan for marriage (thanks to my boy friend), got least amused with the proposition contrary to many of my age would, to hear an easy approval of “long wedding leave”!! And thus I had to talk the call saying “I’m actually going to settle my marriage”- to stuff some more pounds on the rationale behind my trip. Well it wasn’t a complete alien scheme: Sandeep being the eligible bachelor with a handful job at HDFC and our freaky conversation over the prospects of our marriage covered up the lie of my official agenda ushering comfort upon my conscience.
The Hug
After settling comfortably at the side lower of Falaknama with a Dan Brown, I overheard some discussions between the pantry guy and my neighbors that the train will reach Hyderabad some 8-9 hrs late and its scheduled like this for a month or so. It was a mere overheard fact but the impact was enormous. I detested literally everything after ensuring the truth of the train schedule!!(I guess those who knows me well will well understand the fact behind my dismayed situation and why can’t I afford to waste a single moment of my tour plan at Hyderabad! I spend counting hours remained for Hyderabad for several hours in the train, leaving aside the interesting encryption of Ensei Tankado!! But it all get dissolved somewhere under the sun, when the train hit the Secundrabad station and I met Ria. Well Sandeep was there too (a bit more handsome than he appeared in the photograph) but Ria, the over excited one as always ,figured me out in the crowd sprinkling happiness in the air and extending a bi….g tight hug, which I never got in my entire life! And it extended so long that finally Sandeep felt left out, which made him speak off “now let it be…and lets go”!!(This actually didn’t make any difference on Ria’s action!)
Well then I hugged Sandeep too which made him crack into a generous smile but his conscious hug without actually touching me gave the back drop of a traditional Malayalam guy, very unlike of another Malayalam friend I know- Bala.
Pubbing
Heading for the Pub so eagerly and making a plan to spend more time over there chucking out Bairaju Foundation visit is the only thing which I am repenting about my Hyderabad trip, specially after the long drawn battle with my boss (and my give in situation) ever since I have come back from there….
But repentance doesn’t faded away the aura of pitch dark pub at city, which I consider as an ultimate couple’s destination, abandoning Bala’s Colaba based happening one, not even visiting it. Apart from the drink and smoke and the silly- life- problems which we enjoyed in the midst of comfortable darkness and loud “Hotel California”, I will always remember the Hot- peeper- Chicken- hunting with the toothpick from the plate with the help of mobile phone back light!!
Golkunda
Golkunda was my only demand and I had to visit that to satisfy my child hood fantasy about this fort. And being the only destination for our photo shoot Golkunda will always carry the traits of my Hydearbad trip through several snaps posted at orkut. I have seen many forts and climbed many stairs to reach the top, but visiting Golkunda is incomparable as till now, I could sense the pulse of very moment spent out there filled with intangible happiness and excitement. Sandeep took the toll of being a guide and was really accurate while giving crappy stories in a confident gesture. We missed the famous Taali point of the fort in search of some unconventional destination in vain and finally before coming out got to see a place, which should be conventionally famous, but to our luck was not.
It was a shabby huge hall just before you step out from the fort. We were pretty exhausted and contended with the happy hour alcohol and climbing top of the fort and merely interested to see any more things, when Sandeep made me stood at an angular corner of the hall and placed himself quickly onto the other end asking me to press my ear against the cold wired wall….” Debo can u listen to me?” “Yup.. Pretty clear” I answered back; startled completely by the architecture of the room, but then there was something more flattering: “Debo will u marry me?”…An ever craving phrase hit upon my ear!! Never in my life have I imagined I would get a marriage proposal like this…. having tryst upon resonance created by some ancient architect for some technology freak Nizam………
I had to conceal my amusement and I had to act smart, thus I popped out a prompt reply- “Oh of course!!” But I wish it was true! Nothing more romantic than this could have ever happened, if only it were my marriage phobic boy friend, instead of Ria’s best Friend Sandeep!!
When our “Mom” claimed ‘I am Single….’
It’s a real fun to see Ria, who has always been considered as Eyya boka ( enormously stupid) among our Kolkata friend, to turn into a responsible being, taking only care of my food, bath water, bus timings and etc. And it was amazing to experience the party craving gal putting a ban on drinks after a mere two pegs and forcing people not to drink more!! The one, who has always made plans for my week ends during her Kolkata stays actually wanted us every time to get back soon from every place we visited; literally making me and Sandeep a pact of rebels!! No wonder we gave her the upper designation like MUMMY!!
But the most hilarious episode was to witness our Mummy’s fight with her boyfriend –Deba (who’s by any chance was not our Papa) and after that her declaration to be single and not ready to mingle!! I am not sure about the period she remained in her very single relationship status, but will always remember the snaps clicked at Eat Street celebrating her single hood!!
Sandeep… I miss the burger
I have never missed a burger in the same way as I did that day. And I never cursed myself before for not listening to Ria’s advice “pack a chicken sandwich for dinner” as I had to starve becoz of all these till 12.30 in the next afternoon.
But I will miss many more I guess….the jacket, which Ria took off from her body to protect me from cold, the full share blanket to cover myself from the terrible high speed fan at the hostel room, the intensity of the hugs, the kisses (which I never got from any of my friend), the untold good bye to sandeep for the stupid punctuality of the bus, the love and concern in the burger for a mere chat friend or a best friend’s friend and….
(lot more , which are actually not palpable to pen down in black and white, which I guess will remain as a bond between us, a resultant path created with this trip….lead towards somewhere deep, intense…… unknown to others…..
Love u guys…a lot!!
