Goa - Part 2

Continuing from where we left off last time......Goa , Goa and more Goa!!!

A person I forgot to mention in my last entry (how could I?) is and extremely close and dear friend...Alwin Anthony!!

Our association with Alwin started in 2007, when he was a complete drunk working for ICICI Bank and Aby and I were on the family way. The common ground of interest were 'sleepless nights'. I could not sleep because of the uneasiness of being 5 months pregnant, Aby could not sleep becos he had to hear to my unending woes....and Alwin could not sleep becos he was in Collections!! So we used to have unhourly visits from Alwin and used to look forward to these.....as Aby got a drinking partner and I now had four ears listening to my laments, instead of two (he! he!).

The greatest thing about these midnight visits was that Alwin used to enter our house past midnight, completely inebriated and used to leave in the wee hours of the morning more drunk (if that was even possible!!).....with a glass of rum in his hand (for the road). We used to talk, share , laugh and completely bond. It was a wholesome foursome!! Oh! I didnt tell u about the 4th member of the group....it was Pheona! Our white labrador ....who was completely besotted by Alwin and used to sit right next to him, with her head on his lap and fully participate in our conversations with her soulful eyes!!

When Aby and I went to Pune last year we stayed at Alwin's house and he granted us the grand privilege of driving his Honda City (he is more possessive about her than he is about his wife!!)....

And then Goa came....and Alwin came. I am a very private person (except ofcourse when I am drunk)....and seeing Alwin made my heart glow. I rushed to him and hugged him...and he was sweetly embarrassed. The first day of our Reunion, my poor friend broke his nose.....as all the other hooligans decided to jump on each other and sadly he was at the bottom. But my spirited friend was there for all three days....participated in all events and found time to compliment me and lecture me and guide me too.

YOU ROCK, DUDE!!

Reunion at Goa!

I dont know how or when the seed for the '10th Reunion ' was sowed. There were murmurs in the air but I didnt heed them becos I had seen such big scale planning die its own death.....becos noone takes the initiative nor the onus. But things turned out to be different this time.....the initiative was taken by Amrit and he was vociferously supported by Manmeet and Sunny. I still kept a low profile. Then one day, on chat, Amrit asked me to be a part of the Coordinatine Core Group. I was touched by his confidence and happily said ' Sure'. Things started from there for me.....planning the events, the themes, the games, the fun! I had ideas galore...but only 3 days in hand. Still I wanted to build in as fun as possible. But little did I realise then that coursemates meeting after 10 years is more fun than u can handle! Its Mind Blowing.

I can never forget the welcome we got when we landed at the 'O' Hotel. Sunny was standing there.....totally sloshed with a wide grin on his face, and there were cameras everywhere...clicking us and recording us. Two musicians were playing the guitar and singing Goan number.....and then down the hallway......coursemates came running and started hugging the ones who had just arrived. It was nostalgic. We sat at the bar...chatted and drank the 'welcome cocktails' (mandatory for all!!). 'O' was beautiful.....open....airy and had a fresh feel to it. Our rooms were right next to the pool and the pool was right next to the beach....total bliss!! Bus uske baad kya tha....one event after another....one party after another....one crazy evening followed by another.

Everyone was smiling and happy, but the people who left certain impressions on me were :

Amrit: The unofficial photographer. Captured every moment and uploaded it on FB instantly. All our coursemates, who could not attend the Reunion would wait eagerlyfor his next update.

Sunny : On a constant high (except when the doc told him that he has stop drinking completely.) Well, he listened to her and didnt drink for full 24 hrs!! Quite an achievement for him :). But I noticed how this person had matured over the years.....for instance, there was one instance when I completely lost it on one of the coursemates (reason and name confidential), but he calmly told me that such episodes need to be overlooked as it takes all kinds of fish to make a pond, and we shud not mar the memory of this successful event by any confrontations. Sunny, my dear friend, I was very proud of you at that moment.

Smitha : Totally sporting and spirited. Her black tees were a rage. I think Amit Bansal wore it for 3 continuous days!!

Bhavna : As smiling and as WOW as ever. Even in the Academy, she was someone I was in total awe of....becos of her contained beh under the most adverse circumstances. While all of us would be losing it and resorting to unbecoming beh....she would be the only one who would be composed and smiling and still be full of positive energy. Awesome girl!!

Divi : My dearest friend Divi. The flashes I have of her are of trying to steal some precious moments with Pankaj inspite of the constant demands of a 4 year old Yudi.....and some times 3 year old Kavin too!! When Yudi was around, one of them would be taking care of him but the moment he slept....the two rushed to enjoy some moments of togetherness (as there was no gaurantee when Yudi would wake up!!)

DiDi : Met him for the first time.....but liked him instantly. Totally fun loving and spirited guy. I will always remember the wee hours of 02 Sept (after the party had finished) and we were still sitting there singing songs till o400 hrs. DiDi then did his 'Dev Anand' act followed by 'Sunil Shetty', 'Amitabh Bachhan' .....and 'Dharmender'. It was hilarious.....we kept screaming 'once more', but then Superstars never do a repeat performance. He said he would do it again at the next Reunion! So waiting with baited breath.....:)

Words cannot describe these last four days. My vocab is limited and it cannot do justice to what the experiences of these last four days were. Joyous ..... exhilirating..... nostalgic..... emotional...... fun....... beautiful......and HISTORIC!! Each one of us created an album full of memories.....each one of us went back with a heavy heart.....each one of us vowed to be a part of it again next year!!