Goa, Dosti etc...

Ma’am, take this please- just 50 rupees. You take it and I will be happy and I will go away.” This kid was probably 10 years old. She carried with her a whole lot of women’s accessories- the arbit things women wear around their neck and their ankles, I guess.

My friend, with the gentlest smile on her face told her that she was not interested.

The kid persisted- “only 50 rupees, you take it and I go away”- the most innocent of tones, but still persistent and determined.

The innocence of childhood and the street-smartness of a childhood lost.

“Do you go to a school?”- My friend asked. The kid nodded in the negative and almost appeared indifferent to the question.

My friend took one accessory, put it on and gave her a 50 rupee note.

“No ma’am, I can’t give you this for Rs. 50. This is much bigger than the others”.

“I don’t want this- I was taking it just for you”, my friend said to the kid.

No impact.

Some negotiations later, the kid and my friend settled at a price, the kid walked away and my friend had this “thing” around the neck.

This scene on the shores of the Baga beach would remain one of my most cherished memories from my visit to Goa.

Goa- the land of those beaches and bikini clad women sun bathing on the sea shores, of those immensely stylish looking locals, of bikes and gypsies, of sea food and feni, of discs, alcohol and chillum, and most importantly of lethargy and relaxation. I have never felt a more relaxed air in a long time.

So we arrived on Thursday for this offsite of the company. For a 50 day old baby in the company that I was, on Thursday, this was almost a slightly deferred induction. I have heard somewhere that people may or may not remember the content of an experience, but never ever forget how they felt during an experience.

Never is it truer than during the banter and the chatter that one does during such times. One may or not remember the jokes that one cracked, but one shall not forget the way one laughed at such times. The butt of jokes would change, the laughter was consistent though.

There is something about such sessions. People you have hardly known for a day or sometimes, an hour, appear as though you have known them forever.

Conversations… there is something about them- especially by the seaside. On a starry night (sadly, minus the moon), when you sing around with friends, it is a very nice feeling- especially when you have at least one sureeli singer amidst us besure. The icing on the cake is the pulling of legs- attributing songs to people, mimicking people and their styles…

Driving around in Goa… visiting a desolate fort late in the night… sitting in the shacks by the sea, watching the tides, uninhibited conversations… shaking legs at a shady disc…lazing around at a mast Café by the creek… super experiences…

As I sign off… this entry is dedicated to some new friends…

This person with a deadly combo-an amazing sense of humour and super high maturity and clarity... This classic character who reminds me of my college days in Delhi University- fulltoo fun and masti… This “wall” of a friend who so reminds me of myself- confused, clear and unadulterated fun- all at the same time (yeah peoples, I know- I know you don’t associate unadulterated fun with me)… And yes, I instinctively like it when somebody is from Trivandrum and if I actually connect with the person- that’s sone pe suhaaga- never enjoyed ES’ing and IS’ing more with anybody in quite some time now…

Cheers to friendship!!! 

Closing this with these immortal lines- Kaheen toh ye dil kabhi mil nahi paate, kaheen se nikal aaye janmon ke naate...