It was a long year of phone calls, hellos, emails and chatting, planning for a trip, a get – together, birthdays went by; but the meet never appeared to materialize;until this day.
A friend of ours was married in Bangalore and we were invited to join the reception party in Hyderabad. Well, this seemed like a great opportunity to meet and everybody agreed.
We planned, as it was more feasible; my friends would directly come from work and I would pick-up the flower bouquet before joining them friends at the venue. Then was the “What Not to Wear” part, we decided on the elegant Indian wear – The Sari.
It was the evening and I hadn’t zeroed in on the sari; After a course of coarse phone calls, the time was set to 7:30 PM; and the late-comer is supposed to give the other; the number of chocolates, number of minutes they were late for.
I had to hurry and was glad that I was at the flower shop when the next call came. They were already at Begumpet and I was nowhere close. Believe me, holding a bouquet when you are in a sari is a tedious task you would ever ask for. However, there was more in store for me; the autos were not in sight and when they did come they didn’t want to be hired. With every minute, I was worried; Dad at any moment might ask me to drop the plan; leaving me in all tears. After a hunt of 10 mins, I was relieved when I got into one.
The ride was a happy one; no traffic and the auto driver; he knew the place .Only the thought prevailed; how many chocolates I have to part with- A sad thought; The Happy one – I was atlast going to meet them.
I reached but there wasn’t anyone in sight, when I rang they asked me to wait at the gate; but was glad I found my way to the reception.
The Chiran Fort – Begumpet is one of splendid palaces of the Nawaabs. As you enter, you are treated to lush green lawns with tables laid for a perfect family dinner. As you follow the pathway, you can do nothing but marvel the grandeur of the palace. When you pass through the hallway you are welcomed to the huge life size portraits of the Asaf -Jahi Kings, their prominent glamour is impeccable. The end of the hallway, a cozy seating area greets you to Velvety Ruby Red Palatial Chairs. You are bound to feel like a king when you sit in one of those. Well it was me, the Queen (As the king is nowhere in sight), admiring the arches, the ambience is so soothing, one has to be in the environs for this sheer pleasure. The hallway then opens into a gallery. All lit for the reception. I wonder how beautiful it must be on a moonlit night.
Back to Reality....
I still didn’t have my friends around. All the time, wondering what must be keeping them, I rang, so that I can guide them to where I was. I thought they that had lost me at the entrance and were probably wondering where I was... The Case Of Mistaken Identity. It was just a few minutes later that I realized how wrong I was. They were the one's late. Thanx to Varu for the tip-off.
After the chocolates deal was settled for good, the friendly conversations came through. We moved to the party but the Newly Wed couple wasn’t in sight. We found our way though the crowd to a less chaotic area. We were happy; we could make it of all the time constraints, the traffic and other odds.
Avinash joined us after few minutes. It was the first time I saw Bhabhi. They make a good couple. Hope he recuperates soon from the bike accident. It hurts to see an active, adventurous person like him mapping his every move (literally).You should know, he is one of an Antique Collector. More about him, sometime later.
The newly weds were still nowhere in sight; the DJ’s “SCHIKS” for Roshini, for Rashmi were well off, but the crowd would sure have preferred something else. Dinku’s mom came by, she is so graceful, and as Jo said Dinku gets a lot from his mom.
Atlast the couple arrived, the place appeared to be ever more brighter; though I am not sure, was it because of their impeccable aura of being a couple or probably I was dazed as my tummy was giving up on me. We were all hungry now, but the queue to wish the newly weds never seemed to end.
We decided to save the wishing part for the latter, after the soup to be more precise; & of course, it was all about having fun at someone else’s wedding. The soup was delicious. And as the agony of hunger subsided, and seemed to have latched onto the other part of the crowd. We decided to move towards the stage to wish our so famous comrade. But were stopped, as they had some other event in the planning.
Well we decided for the better and joined the festivities. The food was great and served with elegance. After about 20 mins and without much further ado, we made our way to the showground; Dinx appeared to have lost some weight, the fashion advisor must have heaved a sigh of relief; the trick worked….lol. Dinku and Sharmila make a perfect couple. Dinx! Don’t try to improve, Ever.
Seeing the two couples here, I felt, world does change a lot, when your better half is next to you. By the way, I didn’t mention about the dessert yet; The Khubani Ka Meetha was authentic; the apricot dish was incredible; the apricots were caringly cooked, subtly sweetened and it felt just so right.
Conversations:
• Latest Who’s Who & Who’s Where.
• Few fashion tips from the crowd. (Hey ! this is a Her’s Blog).
• Few Wot to do’s and Wot not to do’s.
• The jewellery worn by Jyoti. It was a beauty Varu.
• Sudhir’s Progress – Tarakki – He looks even more sweeter now with that hairstyle of his. Nevertheless, I should say he has turned into a responsible person, glad I know someone like him.
• Neelima- Was another name remembered. Hope she is doing fine.
• We missed Avutu.
• Enjoyed seeing the huge portraits Avinash’s GrandParents as he introduced… lol
By the time we started back home, it was about 10:00 PM, and were pleased to get a pick up to a nearby auto stand. Thanx to Varu.
The Evening: Shared few laughs, remembered a few long forgotten faces. Had fun. And is sure a great one to my “Good Day Kitty”.
P.S:
1. Both the newborns; They look so cute and cuddly and are so much like their moms… Have no clue when I am gonna hold them.
2. Waiting for Dec’20. Beware Sudhir…
3. Chocolates due.
No comments:
Post a Comment