The new year born! The way we wanted it!

We all woke up after the long late new year dinner!

We had achieved what we wanted to. We felt good about that. We 3 [Kanna, Thenapa, Myself] decided to get Kavya something. We got her this large teddy.

Later we went to InOrbit Mall and we played paddle ball game. We had a bet match. Knock out basis.

Kanna and Me. Kanna won 20-16
Joe and Thenapa. Joe won 20-8
Joe and Kanna. Joe won 20-19

Thenapa tricked and made me play opposite to Kanna. He thought Joe would be an easy target to win, but it proved to be wrong!

Now, what was more fun was the crowd around us actually cheered. They would have wondered why on this earth these 4 guys are playing a game that was for 13years and below.

So, Joe won the 400 Rs and we went straight to the restaurant. We had a small challenge to tackle. That was Kavya. We had taken her out without her mom and we were not having diapers. [Has anyone ever wondered why the male restroom does not have a baby care room?]

We somehow managed it and we left her in the kids play area and had our food.

Then we left the baby with the bear(s)

We were all silent through out the drive back home. But we were very happy. Thenappa usually takes my purse for his use since he feels it brings him luck. So, he got me a nice wallet and I gave him the one I was using. Thenappa even took my back pack.
Joe took my card folder. Kanna, I took his watch!

We returned home and started packing our bags.

We all signed on pieces of paper and put it inside our purses. That was the souvenir! For us it marked the accomplishment of what was a dream for so many years.

My return flight was the next day morning. So was Kanna and Thenapa’s.

It was a very strong feeling inside me when I took my boarding pass.

The counter clerk said, “you have great new year and a nice flight sir”.

I replied… “I did have a great new year…”

We were clueless!

The previous night we had got some “dosa maavu” for breakfast.

Joe & I are woke up first and we decided to make “tomato chutney” and “coconut chutney” for the dosa. I made tomato chutney while Joe took up coconut chutney.

Below is the outcome:

The dosa did not come out well, it was like bits and pieces. Somehow we made some 10 to 15 dosa and we sat down for breakfast.

Today’s culprit was the tomato chutney. Thenapa vomited 3 times. The chutney wasnt good at all. I was sure when I was making it, but something went wrong!

So we discarded the breakfast we made. We decided not to throw the food out considering environmental hazards. We went to “Sukh Sagar” in Andheri and continued our breakfast.

It was almost 11 when we were ready to step out of the house. We went to a market place, not sure where it was. The shops were named Alfa 1, Alfa 2, Alfa 3 and so on. We went to Alfa 3. Alfa is some sort of a factory outlet. We ended up buying clothes for some 5000 Rs.

While driving to Alfa, Joe did an important thing. He called his wife and asked her to arrange for the usual cook who has been asked not to come because of us.

After buying clothes, these guys wanted to have non-vegetarian food badly. And Joe was [again] recommending that we go to some restaurant where the “fish” was too good.
So, the lunch was at that restaurant where I had nothing to do but watch these guys eat!

After those guys finished eating, we left the place for home and we re-checked our purchases. The dinner was luckily secured and we were sure that the evening was ours.

We were lazy after the lunch and we took a short nap and we decided to explore Mumbai for the evening.

We drove up to the BSE. Joe wanted us to see the BSE. He considered all of us Pattikadu. Then he showed his office and other RBI offices in Mumbai. All this was around 7 PM. Then he drove us through the necklace road [Marine Drive]. Then we stopped shortly at a place and took two photographs. Here is one.

Our exploration was getting difficult with the traffic. Joe then decided to take us to the Kissy Beach.

I was wondering what this “kissy beach” would look like.

It was like this…

You can see Kana, Joe, Thenapa and the tea boy.

So.. why is this called Kissy Beach! I found that many young couples had parked their cars by the side of the road and kissing each other..

Apparently the Corporation of Mumbai had closed traffic in that road, not sure if it was to give privacy. Basically after going to India after sometime, I was amazed at the moral decay of the minds there at that beach.

Ok… I have to mention that there was actually no beach there… It was just a road adjacent to the sea and the Corporation of Mumbai had blocked access to go to the sea. And the name Kissy Beach was given by Joe…!

We spent time drinking tea chit chatting about various school memories for about 3 hours and then we left for home..

When we reached home it was around midnight and we all slept with one goal in mind. Wake up early and head to Pune..!

Kanna’s flight was late by 30 minutes. This is the photograph when we left home to pick up Kanna and this was the photo when Kanna came out of the Terminal. Watch the Sangeetha Hotel Parcel in his hand.

Kanna had an interesting incident at the airport. The Jet Airways would at Chennai would not allow the food parcel as it contained liquid items. So, Kanna gave the baggage into check in and asked her to put a fragile sticker and gave her conditions that she has to give the baggage as he keeps it. Eventually his argument won and they let him in with the parcel. So, all the passengers in flight were flying with Samabar and Idly and Pongal Smell upto Mumbai.

We reached Joe’s home by around 10 AM. We kept talking chatter boxes about all things which came to our mind. I had got Joe a car stereo [Eclipse by name!]. So, Joe, and I went out for getting it installed in his car. Joe was determined to have it installed before going out any where…

Thenapa and Kanna were at home and Thenapa took the responsibility of making “rasam” and rice for lunch.

It was almost mid day when Joe and I finished getting installed the Car Stereo.

When we returned Kanna was still watching TV and Thenapa was still cooking. We eventually took bath and we were ready for the lunch.

Joe had made lots of “appalam” for the rasam. I think he saw what was coming.

The “rasam” Thenapa had made did not have any taste in it. It was pure Tamarind Juice. It was too thick and we did not realize what would happen if we consume it.

But we proceeded and emptied the “rasam”. After 15 minutes when were planning to go out, Thenapa got into the bathroom and said “machi, vayiru kalakuthu. 15 minutes”. Then, Kanna followed the suit. Eventually Joe and I too had the same problem. Thenapa’s “rasam” gave all of us loose motion!!!

So we four spent almost 3 hours going in and out of the bath room. Lucky Joe’s house had 3 bathrooms. After a tiresome download operation for more than 3 hours and when we had nothing left we decided to leave home for some serious action.

Joe decided that In-Orbit Mall was the best bet as it had cleaner rest rooms. We all got into the car around 4 PM and started driving towards In-Orbit Mall. Joe had recorded a CD and called it “school collection”. It contained all the songs which we cherished during our school days. Songs from Takkar, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Sabse Bada Khiladi, Karan Arjun etc.

So, we started to drive talking about various things. 4 old friends, with all their time… no one can imagine what all we were talking. Even we can not remember.

So, we kept driving and driving In-Orbit mall never came. The traffic in Mumbai was terrific. We spent 2 hours going to In-Orbit Mall. Later we went on a shopping spree. Buying all sorts of nonsense!

Thenapa suggested that we buy some groceries to compensate for the disastrous lunch. So, we spent some 3000 Rupees buying groceries for the night from Spencers Daily. So we ended up buying Real Orange Juice, Lays Chat Flavour, Haldirams Moong Dal, Dates and some fruits.

After the shopping spree, we started driving back home. Our night started! Not sure when it ended!