The longest ride of my life: A demise in the family

April 22nd . After a terribly long day in the sun with an office outing, I was all set to watch the big IPL Semi Finals at home. CSK taking on Deccan Chargers, it promised to be a great match, as it turned out to also be.

My mom was finally on her way back from UK after being held up for more than four days on account of the volcanic activities in Ice Land. It was a relief to know that things had worked out in such a way that she would be back before I left for New York on May 1st.

My dad was going to pick her up at the airport, and we decided to have an early dinner. I wanted no interruptions so agreed to get an early dinner. Rashmi had also plans to watch the game at resto-pub in the city with some of her mates. We were half way through our dinner when I received a call from the retirement home where my grand parents live. My dad answered the call and said that he would have a look in on the way to the airport as Nana (granma) wasn't quite well.

Two overs into the game I had an urge to check up on my granma and I called dad, only to find out that she had just passed away. I heard it but it hadn't yet struck me. I called Rashmi to find out that she was on her way back. I rushed down and informed the cook telling her that I was leaving for the home (its about 2km from my house.. She was shocked as she had just visited my grandparents at 5 pm that evening and had seen her walking around and chatting with her friends.

I mindlessly rushed into my room changed into a pair of jeans, did my hair, collected my wallet; feeling nothing but adrenalin all the way to the gate. Just as I was locking up I got a call from a close friend who had missed the starting of the match and wanted an update on the scores, I wanted to just give him the answer he wanted, but the words that came out were, "hey Bajj, my granma just passed away...". My friend went on to speak for a few minutes, but I just could not follow up and reply, Nana's passing away had just sunk in. And it hit me hard, I excused my self from the conversation and continued to the road barely crossing it ,unable to see through the tears that had welled up. I caught a rick, and headed on the longest ride of my life.

A walk down Besant Nagar

Yesterday was Tamil New Year’s Day and more significantly a holiday.

A holiday that began and ended with trips to and from Besant Nagar.
A hot morning Frisbee game at the Besant Nagar beach.Rode back home. I go spend some time with the grandparents, cut my hair, and then I spent the rest of the day, catching up on sleep.


Arun texts me at around 5.30pm says he is getting out of work early, we plan to meet up at the beach for a drink.


Bessie is a great locality. A place that I have grown up in and I must say a place I am most comfortable with. It's 7.30 and I am early. I walk the stretch from the Spencer’s daily up to the Vinayaga temple. I walk across the road. Walk left to the bus depot and past Besant’s [a fast food joint.. one of my haunts since turtle walk days back in school]. The Liquor outlet here is horrible; hardly get any thing you want. The booze I was carrying [left over from Saturday night] wasn’t going to be enough. I pick up another quarter [Chef]. I turn around and walk it back down the stretch to Spencer's Daily a bit more conscious this time that I wouldn't be seeing it again for a long time to come.

I stop at Maharaja's Store,walk in and out. Give a smile to the owner, who's probably seen me walk in as a kid many times, and probably recognized me from then. I walk past Vishranti and the little Book cart that used to thrive during the harry potter craze. The pirated books sold faster and than the hot stuff from Vishranti. I look heaven words to Eden's the most overrated place I have ever eaten at. I have a lot of friends who swear by this place but there is nothing like Besant's. I make an quick note to head back to Besant's after the drinking session. I see Varun backing his car into a parking spot at Spencer's to pick up some Groceries. Lekha his wife is around the corner and he is supposed to be efficiently using his time to jump in and out of Spencer’s. I stop him for quick chat. I get distracted. As he talks I see another familiar face, a girl from one of Abhay’s parties. I get back to the conversation just in time to findout that he was winding up. Arun mean while is walking it down from Adyar Bus Depot. I wander around outside till he reaches Spencer’s. We get ourselves two half litre Pepsi pets and spike one bottle on the way to the beach. After some walking we find a half empty spot. Yes we totaly forgot it was Tamil New Year’s Day, large crowds at the beach are expected.

One bottle downed talking about fun stuff. Arun’s girl problems and my lack of as many, my hair and his lack of as many. After struggling to open the second for some time we open it with Arun’s keys [later find out that Arun dropped his keys and lost them that night]. We walk up to the fish stall, and select one and ask the owner to fry it for us. Also order a plate of Kalamari. We wash down the fish with the rest of the drinks. And take a long walk towards Cozy corner. Then we head down towards the Fruit Shop and walk back to Besant’s for dinner. Besant’s has come a long way from being a road side stall. Its got an A/C joint now. We walk in order a chicken noodle and a beef fry and down it.

Having dinner at Besant’s I realized that I had had an amazing round up of Bessie that night. I walk out and send Arun packing in a rick. I walk down to Adyar depot on the way, try calling Shilpa [hard to get at best of times] and send out a bunch of drunken texts to Divya about Besant’s food and not getting a bus. I get a share rick and whiz back home.

Moving On: A three week agenda

The facts are plain - Reporting date at new office in Long Island city, May 03. Decisions are made. It takes three weeks to get from right now to New York. Week one is a shortened work week, April 14th is a holiday. Plan to head out with the team at work, one last time.

New Office location:


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Also need to break the news about my travel to the Frisbee folks. Have to send out an email to the groups.
The Frisbee folks have been my life line for the past three years. Week after week, through tough tournaments you see their best and their worst, their early morning sleep depreciated faces, their cheering at the tournament. It’s really tough not to get to know people really well there.
 
Work weeks two is on the late evening shift, transitioning into the new project speaking to clients, getting familiar with the applications. Will try and spend lazy mid mornings with the dogs, and visit the grandparents. Work week three will be unpredictable right unto the time I depart. Which reminds me I need to plan a get together with the friends before workweek two? The extended shift will leave me with no bye-bye time at all.
I hope tonight counts as something. I will be watching CSK take on DC with Arun and meeting up with old friends from school after that, not all of them though. On the spot decision made. I am wearing the DC tee tonight to freak Arun out.