Milk Powder, Girly Cold-coffee and Chauffer driven car
Just to make sure that if I wasn't in driver's seat then at least to be in cleaner's seat, I asked, "So you guys are waiting for me?"
"Hey, Yeah. He is Bret and she is Sarah."
"Hey, thank you, I mean you are showing us around when you are here just to chill a bit over the weekend."-Bret.
"Sure", I said, "You guys are most welcome (With Thanks I accept tips too, that is off the record)"
So, I had some plan. Take Kerrie, Bret and Sarah around the down-town area of Mumbai and show them some of my favourite places. I even thought of the buildings we would pass and their past and a bit of history and some stories. Where I couldn't find anything significant I was even contemplating of making things up, after all, being a dynamic, impressive tour-guide isn't that easy. However, first thing they made it clear that they had already walked down my favourite stretch of road; they had seen two of the best monuments in Mumbai-Gate Way of India and Victoria Terminus. So there went my preparation and making things up strategy disappearing in the thin air.
I cleared my throat and came up with a new plan, new route. We headed straight from Regal theatre towards Asiatic National Library-Magnificent Structure, with steps so tempting that in the evening one just can't avoid to sit down there chatting with friends. Right across the library is a park, which I used to visit only when Kala-Gohda festival used to take place there, otherwise why would I want to go into the park. I had very little knowledge about the park and about the buildings around. I gawked at the information board, perhaps with more curiosity than any one of my tourist did.
"Yeah, so guys this was built by this guy, who belongs to Parsi Community", I said slowly taking the conversation into the realm of expertise, Religions in India; "Tata, the family which has been in business for long. They began with Tea and such products…"
"and now they practically own everything, don't they?"; Bret Completed my sentence. We took a small stroll in the park. Me and Bret then talked about Aviation Industry, Vijay Malya and lot of other stuff, while Sarah and Kerrie couldn't escape the stare from some of the workers hanging around the park.
I went on and on about the facts and small stories about the place, while I confronted with some churches, corners and alleys that I had never thought existed. Strolling down from National Library we came up to Akber-Alis, Flora-Foutain. That is where I tried practicing a bit of German with Sarah and talked a bit bout German food and so on. I narrated a bit of history and there I found myself struggling for words and facts, to explain as to how the very name Bombay came up. And that is when Kerrie came up with help, Bom means something nice or beautiful or something like that in French. And I completed, "Exactly, Bay means Bay, so that is why the name, Bombay." A good tour guide always pats backs of his tourists when they come up with such a handy piece of information. But, I still don't know why Portuguese people who ruled Mumbai and eventually gifted it to Brits, would have come up French name for Bay or what might have struck Brits to name it so. Anyways, petty things; "We are now heading towards Marine Drive Sea Face and the main train station." – I declared.
Now that is the part of the city I love. We walked down from Flora-fountain to Churchgate. There I showed them the Fashion Street, road side book shops, Oval maidan (ground), road to my junior college, our own lovely Eros theatre and the busy train station. I am not sure but we must have walked around a couple of kilometres or may be more. I wasn't thirsty yet and I lacked consideration and imagination to ask my fellow walkers if they were thirsty. Thank God, Kerrie brought it up if one can find some good coffee shop near by. And I thought of one that would have been at least half a kilometre away. That is when they caught glimpses of Inter-Continental. It is a five star hotel and except for once, when my friend pulled his car over and went in just a take a leak, I had never been inside the premises, neither did I have any intentions of going in this time. My wallet is kind of allergic to places like these. Never the less, how can I leave my group alone, I sneaked in with them. The hotel has a good ambiance, offcourse it is designed for the upper class. Everyone had a look at the menu, my eyes were glued on the Necklace road and the peaceful Arabian sea which was facing the scorching sun so calmly. Bret, "Hey, order something. I mean anything you want to have. It is on us."
"Yeah, you've been walking us all around and talking so much. You know so much from the city." Sarah.
Kerrie just nodded her approval.
"All right, a cold coffee, please."- Me.
"Yeah, I will go for a cold coffee, too." Bret.
Sitting down there in the comfortable chairs of the coffee house of Inter-Continental, I saw two street children pass by. That is when Kerrie mentioned this incident – "We were at Gate Way of India and she just approached us."
"She asked", Bret said; "Where are you people from? How do you like it here and so on"
"and she walked up a few spaces with us" Kerrie said. Then asked us for money in such a way, it was so difficult to say no. Her younger sister was ill and hungry and she wanted to buy her some milk-powder. She started just a small talk and then begged for the money with such an innocent face. "Man, I couldn't sleep that night."
Bret consoled, "I don't think you can go on giving money like this to everyone. It is ok."
Somehow it didn't feel all that pleasing to sip onto the cold coffee now as much as I had imagined.
It took eternally long for the guy to serve us coffee. In the mean while Bret told us about his experience with Café Coffee Day outlets in here and how he didn't like the Cold Coffee one bit. I was wondering if he was going to like the one he was about to be served.
"I used to work in this coffee house and we guys would keep working for a few hours and we would be so wired up, you know", Bret narrated; "We would just take the expresso and keep it in the deep freeze so it would really cool off and then take out the coffee later on and add some ice to it and then just unwind on the Cold Coffee." As much as I was impressed by his frank narration about working a few summers in coffee shop I was disappointed that he wasn't going to like the upcoming coffee, though it was going to be a five star coffee.
"Geees, it is such a girlish drink…" Bret.
Well, it was only fraction of second till Kerrie and Sarah nodded to it.
"Girlish cold coffee. Well, we Indians just love milk based products and so we love our cold coffee that way." A bit of take it or leave it explanation with modest tone from me didn't really change anything but I am glad I clarified.
Clock was ticking all this while and it struck us that Sarah has to fly off at around 7:30pm so we better get moving. We decided to go up the Malabar Hills and then down to sea face again and then we were to push off to Haji Ali, Worali and then eventually to Bandra where we would part ways.
I was contemplating the idea if to take my tourists to see Ban-Ganga, a lake of great historic importance and one of its kinds, in Mumbai. Eventually, I called up my dad, woke him out of his sweet siesta and asked for a bit of directions and in return he asked me to call up one of my uncle who stays right next to the lake. So it is, Ban-Ganga, Walkeshwar.
Now, this wasn't exactly my comfort zone. I hadn't been there since I was a kid. I didn't know the way around and I wasn't sure if I was going to call my uncle or not. Well, left right, round-n-round and we finally arrived there. Ban-Ganga is a nice calm place right in the city but makes you feel so far away from the daily hustle-bustle. It is a place I had always loved to be when I was a kid. Somehow, I had not turn up here in long time. It felt good to be there. My group liked the place too. I, then just thought of excusing my self for a bit and going on to say hello to my uncle. I greeted my uncle and spoke for a bit and was about to leave. He asked me what was the matter with me…
"Nothing, there are just couple of friends I'm here with, so…"
"No problem, call them in. Let us sit inside."
I had no idea how this one was going to turn up. I landed up there, unannounced. My uncle somewhat (well, quite a lot) surprised to see my friends, folks who were out to do some site seeing and not to go for tee and coffee to some completely unknown Indian household. Well, now it seems it turned out damn well.
My aunt offered them some home-made cold drink, which I think they loved sipping onto as they chatted with my uncle. My uncle found it amusing, as his son in America was visiting some of his American friends over the weekend and he had some Americans and one German guest to attend to and ohh yeah, a nephew who turned up after quite a bit of time.
Come to think of it, what a tour guide I was. Not just the places, not just the old streets and monuments but now I actually facilitated some culture exchange opportunity to my folks. Well, that is definitely not what I was thinking then. I was a swinging pendulum between a nephew, googler (because they were my office colleagues) and a translator. I felt life is interesting and so are its consequences.
We left their house after adequate dose of Indian Hospitality. My group thanked me and I got an opportunity to enforce, as to how nice people we are. Aren't we?
I gave idea to the driver as to where we had to go and turned around; Sarah was aggressively going through her travel book to search for a good eatery; Bret had his eyes glued to the road to look for some nice place to eat. I think Kerrie couldn't have done much sitting right in middle. "Umm, eating is never a problem in Mumbai. I mean…(what's the big deal)" I said, casually; "We'll definitely find something."
Sarah suggested a few places but they were really far and then being a local came handy, when they gave into me and agreed that I could take them to the place I think is fit.
Yuhuuu, what a personalised trip. More than anyone I was convinced. I took them to favourite part of my city, my junior college, now typical Maharashtrian food and then Bandra, where I studied for four years. It can't get better, can it?
We then, drove down to Shivaji Park, Dadar, where we halted for Lunch. At three o'clock noon, it was going to be a heavy lunch. Ordering was a little tough part because I wasn't sure as to what they will like and what they won't but it all turned out well. We freaked out on Puri-Bhaji, Wada-pav (Mumbai-burger), Misal (spicy vegetable with crispy snacks) and then Mango dessert. I was so full the food was awesome and I was glad too that Bret, Kerrie and Sarah, all of them liked it ( & I didn't have to pay a penny).
Next stop was Bandra. We had a peaceful drive, as our driver refused to speed over 40kmph come what may. We went to see the ruins of Bandra fort at bandstand. It was very breezy there and with two beautiful women with shades and skirts, getting stares from men wasn't something unexpected. One can see the Bandra-Worli sea link bridge being built, it is some site. It is also known as lands end, where one is surrounded by water from three sides, as this is the point where the land narrows down to submerge into the sea. The Sun was going down but may be it was still hard enough to give sun burn. "Ahh," Kerrie said ; "I forgot to put sun-screen." Bret instantly stood tall between her and the Sun to give her some shade. Then they posed for a photograph, they looked so sweet then. I'm sure those four guys who collaborated their efforts to take one photograph of us would agree to this. We walked around for a while and then we had to say bye to Sarah.
Sarah left and then I was wondering if I should leave or stay. I love Bandra bandstand sea face. I had studied in a college near by. We had just visited chapel in my college and now I didn't feel like leaving that place. So, I just tagged along with Bret and Kerrie. Tour was over, I was out of facts and figures and stories and there was nothing to be explained. Right then the tour-guide vanished in the same thin where his words, stories and some hours spent together had vanished. I was just having a walk, by the sea, with two wonderful people, talking a lot and asking a lot of question. Pleasant, it was.
'I reached airport. Now in Kingfisher business lounge, having a coffee and reading a book. Now relaxing'; if I may say so then Bret informed us about this sms from Sarah. I was glad that she reached safely and she was relaxing, but I was also concerned, though she wasn't relaxing with us going around the city, was she enjoying at least? (because by far this was the most luxurious tour I had ever had)
Coffee seemed appropriate to unwind from the whole day's site seeing. So, I got this one coffee, so totally free. And I was thrilled when Bret asked me how much would be the taxi fare back to my home from this very point. We had a nice evening by the sea face. We talked about lot things and exchanged a lot of information, about people, places and cultures.
Finally, we parted ways right outside the sea side café. Little fumbled if I was seeing off my tour group or colleagues or acquaintances or somewhat friends, I settled it with a good old formal hand-shake and happy journey greetings. I got on to the bus and left.
Gazing at the horizon standing next to Taj Hotel and Gate way of India, I'm wondering what has taken my friend so long to get the pastries from the Taj Cake shop. I'm contemplating if the free coupons worked or they didn't, did she meet up with some of her friends there, is it window shopping or she has just ran out of money. And right then I hear, "Sir, Madam, Where are you from? Which country? How you like it? "Girl struggling to keep up the pace with a tall European couple walking by; "It is so, my baby-sister is hungry and I need to buy milk-powder for her. I need this money for her. Hungry. Please. Sir."
Here is the thing, I'm hungry and I need those pastries, so I got to rush to find my friend.
Neo
