3...

And then one day the three would meet…

So it was written… so did it happen!
Rewind back to Calcutta. Early, formative years.
Formative? Hmmm… can almost hear Appu and AJ nodding their ever so wise heads.

Screw all that! Back then we were 3 of us. Hozi aka Hozefa Meccawala (Gujarati sounding, gujju boy. And he is as weird as this sounds. Take my word for it), Sudhin aka Sudhinra Nath (Bengali sounding mallu boy) and me (Gujarati sounding mallu boy)

Hozefa was the bright spark. And so I made him my best friend. Let alone flunking any exam, he was never ever 'surprised' by those nonsensical 'Surprise tests'. He was the rubber-ball, badminton court- football champ amongst many others.

Then came Sudhin. His report card made me happy. It was a sea of red with the solitary blue (for PT) standing up and hoping to be counted.

We've been through it all. Porn. Fights. Chits. So on and so forth.

Hozefa and I have been friends from the age of 3. And my mother tells me that when we were in upper nursery he went to her with a complaint.
He accused me of having shown him my weenie…Man! Did I start early or what?
Something which he claims he has no memory of now.
I say, ask them other people…hmmm…

Anyways the first hurdle came. Class 10. All of us managed to jump over it without hurting our parent's ego or ourselves. On second thoughts maybe a few dents here and there. But the bottom line is that we crossed the finish line. With chest and head arched in front.

Sudhin left for kerala. Did speak to him once. But other than that no news.
Hozefa tried to become a CA. I tried to be Hozefa.
Life went on.

Many moons, a wife and a kid later, for Hozi, both of us were in Mumbai.
Then I went to Gurgaon. He went to Kuwait.
We didn't think much of Sudhin.

Fast forward. No news from Hozefa as well. Called his Kuwait number, they said he'd gone back to India. Well thank you! But where in India? Back to square one.

The other day I check my mail. See his name in bold shouting out from the Inbox. It's been marked to Sudhin as well. Shit! Can't be.

There's another mail from Hozi, validating my e-mail id. Ok..ok… it's getting a little boring…
So many mails and calls later, I finally speak to Sudhin.
THIRTEEN long years later!
This is what I got to know from him…
While I was in Calcutta and Hozefa was in Calcutta, Sudhin was in Kerala
Then when I was in Calcutta and Hozefa was in Calcutta, Sudhin was in Bombay
I was in Bombay and Hozefa was in Bombay, Sudhin was in Bombay
I was in Gurgaon and Hozefa was in Kuwait, Sudhin was in Bombay
And now…
When I'm in Bombay and Hozefa is in Bombay, Sudhin too is in Bombay.

Thank you Bombay… we're back…Me and my best friends!

Appu ab idhar hai…

All this Appu talk of late was getting to me. And what better way to bring all this to an end by having her come down.
And that's precisely what she did. Bags, baggage and meeshu et al
The itinerary was set. She'd be here for a week. Sunday to Sunday.
Left the rest of the planning to the 'main man' - Chidu.

Arrival date: Sunday 5th November

9:30 am shopping for the list Appu demanded for. Carrots, beans, mixer, grinder etc etc etc.
Salary IN 1st November. Salary OUT 5th November. (for Chidu, I must add)

Flight lands at 11 or so. But like always we were late. So the master decided to skip the dropping of shopping bags at base and instead lug them all the way to the airport.
He also had some theory about getting the cab driver to park in some 'special' place.
It was to be a clean pick-up. A job that would up the bar for the CIA. In-out in 5 mins flat.

Flat it sure was. No not the tyre, you silly! How very predictable. The plan fell flat on it's or rather our face. The flight was late. Chidu couldn't find the 'special' place and so on and so forth.

2 shady looking 'madrasi boys' outside the arrival lounge.
2 carry bags with carrots, mixer-grinder etc.
'What bomb are they thinking of next?' was the question let out by those prying eyes.
Though must admit that got more raised eyebrows from the womankind.
And they weren't bothered with this threat-shreat business.
All of them were dying, no pun intended, to know where we got the vegetables from and whether we'd driven a better bargain than themselves.

Finally the flight landed. And yes! Appu took the 'toy train' of the aeroplane world - Air Deccan.

Cut to home. The introduction with Meeshu didn't go as planned.
I scared her. She cried.
Appu stared at me.
I stared at Meeshu. She cried.

Right then Meeshu felt for me the kind of love Cocoa feels for the thermometer and the places it visits on her body. Cocoa doesn't normally say anything. She cried!

Now that Appu came.
Gargi and Kaushik came.
Vicky came.
Even Anu came.
Vicky will come again.
Vinnie came.
Good i say!

Drive slow, folks on board!

So it was written. So it was done.

The above line sums up how I was the past week. And I attribute this state of mind to the visit of my parents.

To be honest, I see no reason to complain. The 4 days could very well be summed up in just one word -- GLUTTONY. This vice is nice!