Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Pune Trip

Social obligations sometimes do come in, not just your way of travel but also in the way of your career aspirations. Amy had her B School interview and her close cousin's wedding. Amy has qualms to choose one over the other but she manages to give time for everyone.


Well, aspiring for higher studies means folks in office dont know about the same. The challenges to entering a B School is not about CAT and other ATs nor the interview but how not to let your boss know about your preparations. And in Amy's case her boss was getting married and hence was on vacation. So she confides in her ex boss to keep track of any urgent mails. Mynk was Amy's partner in crime to bell the entrances. She ensures all work is taken care of and falls ill ;) She attended few events the day prior to the wedding and left for an early morning flight on a sleepy friday morning.

 After her first round of interview, (She also guesses it was GD - it has been 3 years now! ) she gets call from office from an angry boss. All the happiness of clearing first rounds just vaporizes in thin air. She calls up Mynk, who does the urgent work that came up. Hoping there would be no more issues, completes her interview process. Goes to her mom 's fav aunt's place, checks for live updates of from the cousin's marriage. It was a great reunion with family. Exploring Pune without any aids was fun, well this was the laying stone for her independence.

These were the plans that was known to all. The great friends of Amy, and given the fact she never used to come for trips with her friends. This was a best chance before everyone moves off in their own directions. So Mr Nan plans a Lonavala trip. Amy, Nan, Nan's Cousin - Smit , the Cousin's best friend - Nis and Best friend's friend Ria. Phew it was the most linear friendship in a grp of people atleast me and Amy has seen till that point. These days Amy skips the few point of contact even in linear friendships. I am still the same.

So Amy leaves Pune Mami's house catches the train in which Nan was coming from Bangalore. Nan also got down to check if Amy got the train. The general was obviously unclimbable. Nan and Amy did what they have been cursing passengers who climb into reserved bogies and stand!!! And lo.. today we were doing the same. Dual standards.. Shame on you Amy !!!

Reached Lonavala at night way past 12. Amy always had a deadline to reach home at 7 pm and look at her. Walked through the roads to reach the resort where the friends would meet them. Once they reached the Dorm no one was to be seen. On asking we found out they are taking bath (at 1 in the night are they friggin outta their minds?) And when he opened the door it smelled as if he just emptied one whole bottle of body wash on him. Not just that they went out to have dinner at 1 40 am? Amy am sure was scandalized thinking of grandpa. Once dinner was over she had a long day and just wanted to hit the bed. Only thought hovering her mind, "why the hell is she stuck with such sophisticated high class folks" and wanted the next day to pass as quickly as possible so that she can go back to her home.

Morning, groggily they woke up. Got ready and left the room. "Who is in for chai? " Amy's eyes lit up at the name of chai. When they were walking towards the restaurant, Nis said "lets have chai in the tapri" There was a flood of happiness - mast chai and he s not as bad as she judged him to be. Then the craze started - it was an instant connect with Amy and Nis that she forgot long term best friend Nan and also Smit whom she has met few times.

There were 700+ fotos clicked in the next 5 hours and it felt like 5 months of staying together. Goodbyes suddenly seemed very tough and as a result Amy & Nan left Lonavala late. The delay avalanched to a point that they missed the bus back to Bangalore. Amy skipped the idea sadly not to visit the famous ganpati temple Dagdu Seth. All they got was a khatara state transport bus and it was not even revolutionarily fast!!!

VRL bus waited and left the stop which they were supposed to board. Nan put some jugaad and some plan in place. They took an auto to cover distance across pune and catch the bus in next stop. So much traffic, Amy left all hopes of reaching home. Probably take another bus. But just for the flow sake going with the madness created by Nan.

And then Amy reached her limit of patience, when Nan stopped to buy sweets and namkeen from a famous shop. She generally rolls her eyes at quirkiness of people but she couldnt understand which part of last couple of hours of urgency didnt Nan understand. She was about to burst when Nan comes back. To keep her cool she started talking to Autowala - asked where Dagdu Seth was. He points right across the street. She was like "Come on! Life cant tease me better!!!" All she could do was give her signature sheepish smile. (In Sain's language the Duck Face ;) )

Well if all these were to happen then she some how felt they would catch the bus and guess what - They Did!!!









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