Carpe Diem!
Monday, August 20, 2007
The week that was.
It was around 11 at night. As I walked down the the Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi, I realized I’d left something behind. And no it wasn’t my bag, it was just sleep.
I was excited that my sister is finally leaving single hood and at the same time I was sad that there will be someone else that she will be constantly talking about rather than listening to my senseless stories of my life in Bombay.
Night 1
Well Mini and Manyu came to receive me at the airport and thankfully there was just Rohan with them and not a huge gang. (well I didn’t really expect a huge gang to come pick me up in the middle of the night, leaving Tini’s dinner party in GK…you see I’m not that popular with my cousins as my sisters are!)
I really wanted to meet everyone. My cousins from far far away who probably didn’t know who I am anymore because I’ve been busy living my life in Bombay, while they visited the rest of the India contingent in Delhi. My cousins whose kids probably still don’t know my name (even though we spent one full week together.)
Well, I was surprisingly not feeling tired at all. The long wait of meeting everyone and getting used to the feeling of being home, had not yet sunk in when the few of us who were wandering the streets of Delhi that late at night, decided to go get some beers, someplace. So we went home and quickly got dressed up to go to this place (the name of which, I don’t remember now). But sometimes bad luck just follows you like a mongrels incorrigible curled up tail. And this time it did. We’re in the capital of this country and we don’t have a place to go to for some beers….so we went somewhere and ate to our hearts content. Yes, in the middle of the night we ate a lot…at Yellow Brick Road. After which we just went home and slept.
Day 2
The next morning we went to Neemrana.(it’s en route to Jaipur, from Delhi and is beyond comparison with Alibaug, Manori, Lonavla or any such place). This truly awesome fort used to be the king’s residence and it’s now been converted into a hotel for people who can spend some green money to stay in it. It was flocked with tourists and people from Delhi who just wanted to get away.
We saw some Folk dances in the evening, come of took a nice swim in the lovely pool and then we all went to this huge room (where my cousins were staying) and spoke until midnight. It was nice. Talking about our families, the people who matter so much to us and briefly about our lives. (with some vine in our flute glasses.) At one point Tini and me saw something black, flying happily outside the window and it freaked us out. And just then Nitin bhaiya (my cousin’s husband) freaked the daylights out of everyone, when he surprised us with a “boo”. Imagine being scared like that just when you think the person is asleep cause he’s been lying still since hours on the bed and he suddenly decides to greet you with a loud “boo”. Anyway that really did lighten up the mood!! (we went smiling to our beds post that.)
Day 3 & 4
We reached Jaipur and did nothing but loafed around at home. Went to C-72 (my grandparent’s house). Had breakfast at SK’s place. (btw he’s my granddad’s youngest bro who is also known as a sleaze ball!) The highlight of the day was watching old videos (10 years old maybe) of my cousin whose now in college. He was then only an overexcited child and jumping around my aunt’s house in New Jersey and singing all Shak Rukh Khan’s popular songs in his cute American accent (without realizing that he’s been taped and will face the embarrassment of watching it with all his really grown up cousins someday!!)
Day 5
All the girls got Mehendi put on our hands and when Bubbly di (my cousin) got a Mehendi like a tattoo on her arm, we followed suit. Btw now it looks like I’ve got some skin disease on my arm. Anyway, so now on day five there was only one more day left for the engagement ceremony. And we realized that we needed to get our act together. What would we do as a family to make the whole party entertaining for those people who’re coming from Delhi in a bus!! There were a few dance performances that we had planned but nothing was ready. So Bua was panicking and so was everyone else. Mostly the day was spent in practicing dances and making slide show presentation (of Mini’s and Manyu’s growing up years. Thank god we changed that last frame title from ABBY- ASH to MANYU AND MINI!!!).
Day 6- the day!!
We were all set. Everyone looked pretty in dressy salwar kurtas, glittering sarees in the middle of the day. Ready to welcome our new relatives from Delhi. We stood at the door step with flowers in our hands to throw some on everyone who walked in…and inside Mini sat in the air conditioned room (so her makeup satys intact) with flowers in her hair and butterflies in her stomach. Soon she would weigh a little more, owing to the big diamond that she’d wear on her finger. She was nervous and damn excited. I don’t think she knew that time that she was finally entering another territory. She was getting ENGAGED.
So after sometime she was sitting there, gushing like a wannabe bride, smiling that gorgeous smile and not caring about the ladies who were sitting on the gadda around her...gaping at her pretty and happy face in awe. The pandit said a few things, and BAM…she had a ring on her finger and yes, even Manyu had one his. Hehehhe well…they both were now officially a couple. (officially- to my mom , grandmom, aunts etc etc…)
There was great lunch that didn’t eat much of…there were loads of people in my house walking all around so comfortably, that it made me uncomfortable. It was still fun. Because my sister looked so happy.
At night we had a grand party where we had our 7 dance performances. Cute little Shreya got excited about the dances and decided to stay on the dance floor till kingdom come. Andy song a superb song – Phoolon ka taron ka..ek hazaron mein meri behna hai” and basically all the kids in our family was involved in some kind of a dance or song number..after which we all happily unwound with champagne which was passed around after the toast was made. We ended the night with some sparkling spirit and not just the one that we drank. We went home for an after party where after years we all sat on the terrace of our house and chatted and got high on things that I don’t want to mention here…. It was all too good. I didn’t realize the next day the house would be quiet. I was actually catching up on sleep the next day when some of my cousins and sisters fled back to Delhi…so many people were gone in just one morning…
Day 7
Basically I was just eating a lot and feeling all sick with the thought of getting back to Bombay to my house where I’ll have to unpack all my things. I hate unpacking, btw. So that was the end of a week long soirée. That was the end of hanging out with my family until we can all gather this way again after a couple of years maybe. It was incredible.
(I will post some pictures as soon as I have access to any.)
ps: I may have missed out some things taht made the whole week so wonderful, but tehn again i can't sit and write 10 pages can i? Well maybe i can, but right now my brief description shall suffice. =)
I sign off with love for my lovely family in my heart...and the longing to get back together at Mini's wedding next momsoon.
I was excited that my sister is finally leaving single hood and at the same time I was sad that there will be someone else that she will be constantly talking about rather than listening to my senseless stories of my life in Bombay.
Night 1
Well Mini and Manyu came to receive me at the airport and thankfully there was just Rohan with them and not a huge gang. (well I didn’t really expect a huge gang to come pick me up in the middle of the night, leaving Tini’s dinner party in GK…you see I’m not that popular with my cousins as my sisters are!)
I really wanted to meet everyone. My cousins from far far away who probably didn’t know who I am anymore because I’ve been busy living my life in Bombay, while they visited the rest of the India contingent in Delhi. My cousins whose kids probably still don’t know my name (even though we spent one full week together.)
Well, I was surprisingly not feeling tired at all. The long wait of meeting everyone and getting used to the feeling of being home, had not yet sunk in when the few of us who were wandering the streets of Delhi that late at night, decided to go get some beers, someplace. So we went home and quickly got dressed up to go to this place (the name of which, I don’t remember now). But sometimes bad luck just follows you like a mongrels incorrigible curled up tail. And this time it did. We’re in the capital of this country and we don’t have a place to go to for some beers….so we went somewhere and ate to our hearts content. Yes, in the middle of the night we ate a lot…at Yellow Brick Road. After which we just went home and slept.
Day 2
The next morning we went to Neemrana.(it’s en route to Jaipur, from Delhi and is beyond comparison with Alibaug, Manori, Lonavla or any such place). This truly awesome fort used to be the king’s residence and it’s now been converted into a hotel for people who can spend some green money to stay in it. It was flocked with tourists and people from Delhi who just wanted to get away.
We saw some Folk dances in the evening, come of took a nice swim in the lovely pool and then we all went to this huge room (where my cousins were staying) and spoke until midnight. It was nice. Talking about our families, the people who matter so much to us and briefly about our lives. (with some vine in our flute glasses.) At one point Tini and me saw something black, flying happily outside the window and it freaked us out. And just then Nitin bhaiya (my cousin’s husband) freaked the daylights out of everyone, when he surprised us with a “boo”. Imagine being scared like that just when you think the person is asleep cause he’s been lying still since hours on the bed and he suddenly decides to greet you with a loud “boo”. Anyway that really did lighten up the mood!! (we went smiling to our beds post that.)
Day 3 & 4
We reached Jaipur and did nothing but loafed around at home. Went to C-72 (my grandparent’s house). Had breakfast at SK’s place. (btw he’s my granddad’s youngest bro who is also known as a sleaze ball!) The highlight of the day was watching old videos (10 years old maybe) of my cousin whose now in college. He was then only an overexcited child and jumping around my aunt’s house in New Jersey and singing all Shak Rukh Khan’s popular songs in his cute American accent (without realizing that he’s been taped and will face the embarrassment of watching it with all his really grown up cousins someday!!)
Day 5
All the girls got Mehendi put on our hands and when Bubbly di (my cousin) got a Mehendi like a tattoo on her arm, we followed suit. Btw now it looks like I’ve got some skin disease on my arm. Anyway, so now on day five there was only one more day left for the engagement ceremony. And we realized that we needed to get our act together. What would we do as a family to make the whole party entertaining for those people who’re coming from Delhi in a bus!! There were a few dance performances that we had planned but nothing was ready. So Bua was panicking and so was everyone else. Mostly the day was spent in practicing dances and making slide show presentation (of Mini’s and Manyu’s growing up years. Thank god we changed that last frame title from ABBY- ASH to MANYU AND MINI!!!).
Day 6- the day!!
We were all set. Everyone looked pretty in dressy salwar kurtas, glittering sarees in the middle of the day. Ready to welcome our new relatives from Delhi. We stood at the door step with flowers in our hands to throw some on everyone who walked in…and inside Mini sat in the air conditioned room (so her makeup satys intact) with flowers in her hair and butterflies in her stomach. Soon she would weigh a little more, owing to the big diamond that she’d wear on her finger. She was nervous and damn excited. I don’t think she knew that time that she was finally entering another territory. She was getting ENGAGED.
So after sometime she was sitting there, gushing like a wannabe bride, smiling that gorgeous smile and not caring about the ladies who were sitting on the gadda around her...gaping at her pretty and happy face in awe. The pandit said a few things, and BAM…she had a ring on her finger and yes, even Manyu had one his. Hehehhe well…they both were now officially a couple. (officially- to my mom , grandmom, aunts etc etc…)
There was great lunch that didn’t eat much of…there were loads of people in my house walking all around so comfortably, that it made me uncomfortable. It was still fun. Because my sister looked so happy.
At night we had a grand party where we had our 7 dance performances. Cute little Shreya got excited about the dances and decided to stay on the dance floor till kingdom come. Andy song a superb song – Phoolon ka taron ka..ek hazaron mein meri behna hai” and basically all the kids in our family was involved in some kind of a dance or song number..after which we all happily unwound with champagne which was passed around after the toast was made. We ended the night with some sparkling spirit and not just the one that we drank. We went home for an after party where after years we all sat on the terrace of our house and chatted and got high on things that I don’t want to mention here…. It was all too good. I didn’t realize the next day the house would be quiet. I was actually catching up on sleep the next day when some of my cousins and sisters fled back to Delhi…so many people were gone in just one morning…
Day 7
Basically I was just eating a lot and feeling all sick with the thought of getting back to Bombay to my house where I’ll have to unpack all my things. I hate unpacking, btw. So that was the end of a week long soirée. That was the end of hanging out with my family until we can all gather this way again after a couple of years maybe. It was incredible.
(I will post some pictures as soon as I have access to any.)
ps: I may have missed out some things taht made the whole week so wonderful, but tehn again i can't sit and write 10 pages can i? Well maybe i can, but right now my brief description shall suffice. =)
I sign off with love for my lovely family in my heart...and the longing to get back together at Mini's wedding next momsoon.
posted by phantasmagoria at 11:35 PM
6 Comments:
wow! chots! some looooooog party you had ! :)
awwww tochiiii....i miss the neemrana trip and the engagement....and that night when u landed in delhi, ALL of us wanted to go to the airport to recieve u...!and when rohan bhaiya and mini di went to fetch u...we were all waiting at tini di's place...but the electricity went off and the lil kids got scared so all of us had to leave...sooo BASICALLY what i am trying to explain is that u are important!
hehehe... it's all good. i wasn't complaining (bout my unpopularity!) hehehe muah
hey chots nice snap,...was tht arnav behind the sofa? proving to be quite handsome :)
yea, that was arunabh behind the sofa...he's turned out handsome. looks really hefty though... heheh
Awwwwww........ that week was sooooo fun!!!! I miss those days:(
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