Desi Train

It’s raining again in Southern California (SoCal). Lunch time. “Wanna go out for Thai?” asks my boss over the phone. I look out, its raining…once upon a time I would call it the perfect weather for romance, clean white sheets over you, hot coffee by your bedside and passionately holding your love in your arms. Bite me – she would say….pulling myself back to the present, “I have some stuff to finish, you guys go ahead” I reply, and put the phone down.

It’s raining, it’s raining cats and dogs, and that’s how people objectify the rains here. For any Bombayite, it’s a pathetic shadow over what they have experienced in our dear old Bombay rains. I’m hungry. I take out my car and start driving towards Little India, a mile long street with Indian stores on either side. Pull up my car in front of Annapurna, which is not that bad a restaurant but could be much better if they tried. They have a buffet and serve dosas along with it. Sambar, veggies, rasam, imli rice and vadas land on my plate. I’m the only one so far in the whole restaurant. The guys here have flat screen tvs pinned on the wall, but have those long hanging lamps which fall right in front of the tv screen. Another example of an interior design gone crazy, I smile thinking.

They are playing Hindi songs. “Hum dil de chuke sanaam…” is what’s going on with Aishwarya and Ajay on screen. I begin to hum it while eating. Somehow you always tend to like songs or scenes being played over the video at a restaurant, songs which you wouldn’t really bother about while at home. The guys working in the restaurant are hovering all over me. “Would you like to try this…that?”, “More water sir?”, “Seeing you after a long time sir? Please eat here more often”, perhaps they are talking to the suit I’m wearing. Would they give me the same attention if I wasn’t in the suit? I wonder. I keep smiling and nodding to them. Just go guys, leave me alone. The next song playing is from Hritik’s “Kaho na pyaar hain”…the song goes like “Ek pal ka jeena…” – wow, I knew Hritik was famous for his dancing, but this is the first time I’m watching the song so attentively. He’s damn good at it.

“Give me the towel back, or you are in trouble” I warn her, and she’s standing on my bed and laughing hard, One more Mithun’s Disco Dancer dance and you get it back…I can’t help myself but break into a laughter…”No, that you get only one a day”…and with just my briefs on I’m chasing her all over the house….

I get her in the kitchen and we roll on the floor in my attempts to grab the towel from her…I get it eventually, kiss her while she holds me tight close to her on the floor. I break the kiss, wrap the towel, look in her eyes…somehow the sound of the pouring rains in the background makes those eyes look so much more beautiful. “What’s for lunch sweet angel?”…she looks at me and twists a few strands dropping on my forehead, Would you like some dosa?

“Your check sir”…the train of thoughts grinds to a sudden halt. I look up and see this young guy smiling with the check in hand. Thanks, I mutter. I put in the cash and look around. The restaurant is point blank empty. Hritik’s still dancing on the screen. I walk out and look up at the sky. It’s beginning to pour heavy. Perfect I think. Perfect for a romantic rendezvous with your love in your arms, white sheets covering you and some hot coffee by the bedside…

This entry was posted on Friday, February 11th, 2005 at 10:16 am
Filed under Friday Masala
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