Chowpatty Beach & Panthers...

My cousin Veensey called yesterday, she's come down from Delhi and wanted us to have a picnic. It instantly took me back to the numerous picnics we used to have as kids. You see, we were a large family and spread out all over India. Once a year, usually in summers, the whole clan would gather at my grandparent's place for a reunion. This was usually spread out over a month long period and was spersed with a whole bunch of picnics. Most were impromptu, we would all pile up in my uncle's car (a Duker Fiat, blue one), you know where the doors open "the other way" and go off to Chowpatty beach (default picnic destination). It's a small car, but had an amazing capacity inside to take in 8 adults and 5 kids (on the adults laps)..!! Throughout, we would be yelling "Chowpatty jayenge toh bhelpuri khaayenge..." (it's an old hindi song). It's weird how everyone has a concept of space now, we never gave a thought to it back then.
Now, this reunion was from my paternal side, my maternal side had its own reunion in winter. Here too, the picnic used to come to fore... but this time it was in scooters. Ours had a "side car", my uncles had the single scooters. So in the sidecar would be 4 kids, plus one sitting between 2 adults. I still r emember the one from Marol to Powaii via Aarey Colony.... Man!! That was some ride!!! Sandy, Shilps and me kept telling stories about the Panthers in Aarey Colony (there used to be, there still are) and how they can just jump into the scooter and take small children away...
Vidya was terrified then (she was probably around 4-5 yrs old) and Archie, well being Archie said what only Archie could say.. "Anndaa panther kuda naan kusti pannuven" (I'll wrestle with the panther). Of course, we got a nice rap from the adults for scaring Vids, later.

Nowadays, we never seem to get time for picnics. Sometimes, I think our parents had it better then. Life was more simple, more uncomplicated. We complicate our lives unnecessarily. Always want more and more, but it's never enough. Looking back, we had much less than what we have today, but we were happy, truly happy.

I'm going to hold Veensey upto the Sealink drive next week and Vids to another drive from Marol to Powai.

It's time we had those picnics again, it's time we made life simple again....

Tequilas and Pav bhajis..

If you ever pass by the highway in Sion, right after Kings Circle station, is a yellowing building called "Narottam Nivas". We used to live there once upon a time.. my dad grew up there most of his life anyway. One would think what can a kid find in a building that faces the highway, has absolutely no ground space for kids to play, no gardens, no greenery, just flat concrete backyard and you step right out into the footpath on the main road. But you see, that's the beauty of being a kid... you never think about these things. Somehow, you find a way to make your surroundings interesting too. And we did have interesting things to do here. 

Tequila Bar in the building next door, had the best orange and mango stick ice-creams ever. Still remember the owner, a short, plump, unsmiling lady (I think she was Iranian descent, they used to call her Iraani lady anyway). Then there was the pub right below my place, which quickly turned into Shawn's Snack Bar (the owner's decided it was a better thing to do since they lost 3 members to booze over there). The most interesting guy was the poor paanwalla.. his stall was right below our balcony, and the target of our countless pebbles, water balloons, paper bits and other things we thought was amusing enough to dump on him. Fortunately, our aims were pretty bad, so most of the stuff missed the guy. Except for one Holi, when the water balloon did land on his chuna pot... 

Pav bhaajii!! Ahhh!! I can never forget the Tiffany's one... at Santacruz. It was Sandy, Shilps and I.. and I'm quite sure nobody has finished 2 plates of Pav Bhaaji in this speed before!! We were sooo hungry.. !! We also ended up taking a rupee "udhaar" for a candy (was to be given to Vidya, who did not come along then..). 

I still go there, but the Pav Bhaaji doesn't taste the same anymore... for that matter, neither do Orange stick ice-creams.....