Prelude to Bangalore trip
The other day I went to Bangalore (as if Bangalore is just an hrs distance from my place) for an interview. My first call in Bangalore! Ahem Bangalore!! (my friends, family and the interviewers too has occurred to find my “vested interest” for the city)
To do away the pressure of interview, this time also I have taken the trip as another opportunity of spending a weekend in a plush city! Well considering the small town amenities of Hazaribagh and 7.30-go-the-bed-culture, my inclination and excitement towards spending weekend in metros should not bring any sarcastic smile to any one I guess!!
Night one and Vijay Mallya touch
The first night went quite bellow the expectation, as these days people have masteterd the task of "Communifaking" !! (The faking art in communication). Thus the cousin’s cousin who seemed to be very polite and kind and warm over telephone, turned out quite a cold and formal creature ! (Of course it was my fault, I should not have bought in the soft talks of a gal who actually flies…that too for no ghati ones…kingfisher classic…the very airways with Maliya Touch!!) Zeera rice and a mere smoke shared by two of us after a confused auto ride from Zaxandra signal to her place at 12 o clock in the night marked a mundane start of the week end !!
Treasure hunt for the interview, Dr. Anand and time calculation
Saturday was scheduled for interview and again to my woe, I made a treasure hunt to reach the exact destination observing one after another landmark- Cox town InfoTech...St Thomas Town Post office…beauty parlor….Fish shop…3rd Cross road and so on and on…….
(With my terrible road sense as Ari says Talakana, three beauty parlor in the 3rd cross road and the same auto driver who doesn’t know anything about Bangalore…I had a memorable day start!!)
I screwed up the interview as usual, but that’s not the talking point as interviews hardly matters…its all about having fun in Bangalore…..but since Ari is not in the country, my Bangalore trip from the beginning only becomes a bland cuisine! My only friend in the city, whom I am in touch with, is Dr. Anand Sagar Udagii, met only once in a Workshop at Pune, a year back. Never do I shared any intimacy with him, but still he being the only option, I banked upon his company entirely and dreamed of spending the Sat eve with him …while enjoying the glittering weekend ambience of M.G. Road !! (Some how I was convinced that he drinks and all…so pubbing would not be a tough call…I thought ...Ahem!)
My interview got over by 1’o clock and the generous FVTRS people offered lunch, that too a non veg Chinese stuff so, I was done by 1.30pm! ( Miss calculation !!! I thought it would be at least till 3’o clock)
My trusted friend to enjoy weekend in Bangalore , said will make himself free by 5.30 pm in the evening…and everytime I spoke to him he never forgot to mention that he will “make himself free”….oh! I am honored…but still killing the time from 1.30- 5.30 is not a joke…specially when u’re alone in an unfamiliar city and relativity theory rulez high!!
M.G. Road and The heavenly call
I cursed myself silently for not informing the trip to Subhobroto, a lately close friend, who is supposed to arrive on Sunday in Bangalore and could have come on Sat, if I would have informed…..I moaned over the fact that Ari is abroad and wished he never left …wondering weather there could be a possibility of going to Mysore to meet Ari’s friends or what could be other possible alternatives out here to spend the time till 5.30!! (finally, the last one came up as the most realistic consideration)
M.G Road…I decided to go to M.G. Road to kill my time as Shopping mall and affinity towards materialism has developed an efficacy to cushion solitude and depression!! It has always worked in several people’s case, including me, provided one is ready to compromise another material stuff: “money”!!
To add one some more interesting plan to my M.G. Road Loitering, I gave a call to Debashish….our own sweet Deba, who besides being Ari’s roomie, is my closest friends boy friend!! So Deba has always been a ghorer chele and he answered my call by a loud: “Hello…ha bol? Amra Bangalore e!” ….oh God….his words come up so heavenly to me…as if some one has offered me a job in Bangalore…in an organization like FVTRS…with a lucrative salary and lots of travel!! But for me it was only the question of killing time…so why Deba’s call sounded so delightful to me? Why?
Why? Y is the word……..
Deba was not alone, Anindya (Mote) was also there , who is a nice fellow , specially in comparison to several other BE college brute like ones…and we scheduled the meeting at Koramongola Forum, where they were already having lunch at KFC!! Sitting in the auto I was conscious and anxious enough to reach there at mimimum time. But Y? I was supposed to kill time by any means…but with every traffic signal, I could palpate the restlessness within me, the eagerness to meet them as soon as possible….The EXACT feeling which used to play inside me, when I’m out to see Ari, in Kolkata!! Well I might be longing for a smoke…and thus when I met them, that was the first thing I uttered : Aamay ekta cigarette de…!!
So three of us sat on the low height boundary of the shopping mall and had our due share. I was little doubtful that whether I created any nuisance in their weekend plan at B’lore, but somehow I felt having me around they are not so bugged up !! My sense of happiness grew higher! They asked every possible things about the interview…and finally.. inevitably we knew our destination.. pub or a drinking joint !! Mote spelt it out: “Daru Khabo” !
First we were looking for an economic joint, but in Forum the only option remained : Firangi Paani- an overtly expensive one. Failed to found anything else we decided to step in! In between we have several discussions…over many things…and surprisingly Mote talks exactly the similar way of Ari’s. The gestures and body languages and usage of innovative phases, which I used to think Ari’s ethnicity was actually not so, Mote is so very likely to Ari and to some extent Deba too, atleast when comes the use of phase like : Tui ke ?? ( instead of Tui ki?)!!
While sitting with that Big mugful of beer (shared form an expensive pithcher), I was feeling so happy and contended, that I felt Anand should come only. (How mean of me…the guy who’s gonna make himself free for my sake…who is actually my friend and with whom I planned of spending the evening….comes up as a burden to me)…its like dismissing those long planned programmes and meet ups with frends just on a phone call of Ari !! Here they were no Ari, but the way of thinking were just alike. But why?
The mean side of me and the realization
However, I decided to be less mean by chucking out my happiness over the commitment. But as I finished the my mug ( of which Deba took a big sip …though he had one and half and me only one)….I decided to be mean!! We planned it like…if Anand is upto drink, we will drink together and spent some time together and I will finish my shoe shopping with him, meanwhile they will go to M. G. road for Camera shopping and join me later!! But sadly enough Anand doesn’t smoke or drink!! ( I was wondering what extent of fun I am about to experience, if these two roomies of Ari and superbly charming guys were in Bangalore that evening)
I spend almost 2 hrs with Anand…but my heart always craved for them…just it craves for Ari in a similar situation!! So was it because of their Ari like gestures and body languages that I enjoyed and longed for.. or is it the way I like my friends to be…but they were not my friends!! My friend was Anand ! They were precisely his B. E. college friends and his room mates…even when Subroto came and joined us in the late evening or rather I joined three of them …nothing changed!! I thoroughly enjoyed their company as if Ari is around and I believe, if he would have been, I would have not said a single more or different thing…..( leaving alone the mushy stuffs)and it could have been tipically similar…jus like Mote’s and Ari’s behavioral similarities! I positioned my self on the cloud 9 perfectly !!
Ari is not so happy with my if-i-get-d-job shift to Bangalore ! He’s afraid that I might force him to settle in that over crowded city …and he wont be in a position to make me happy…..but without discussing Ari or our relation a single time we made so much of would-have /could-have plans…if I get the job in Bnagalore…the weekends together…boozing together at their Mysore house while eating Bengali foods and listening to the musics….whether Ari will be there or not…has never been counted….as if they are my friends too.. or even if they are not my friends, they were only trying to be polite and decent to Janowaar’s Bou, I do admit they are great dudes…… far better than my other stupid friends…who says Bengali’s are Fattoos….
E.O.D….Deba is a sweet heart and FRIENDS in Mysore
Thanks Deba…for showing the respect…not to choose that “madan bar” for my sake and heading towards the overpriced firangi paani….but I promise this year pujo…we won’t go for any experimentation…u don’t have to get ripped off while stepping out from any some place else with a mere single drink….good old Opium zindabaad!!
While bidding them Good bye at Bangalore city Junction…some how, even after enjoying the weekend, I was not feeling complete…suddenly the interview became a serious issue…I craved for the job like nothing before.. I prayed to God for the first time ever since I am into this interview process….
Besides being close to Ari….now a job in Bangalore means Friends (not the star world soap)…with whom I sensed a strange anecdotal connection…..Bangaliyana u can say !!
