Namma Mumbai (Aamchi Mumbai) - Final Part

If you had expected that voice to be Ashwini’s, then I would say you are watching too many films. That too…Hindi ones. Actually, to be honest, even I wished that voice had been Ashwini’s. But, then it was a male voice; after all a male voice. Arun, it turned out to be. Hmm…who is he? Oh…yeah I met him in the auditorium this morning. He was with Mayank. “Hey…hi” I said. He had this twinkle in his eyes. “How did the interview go about?” he asked. “I don’t know” I said casually. He said that he did OK and was not sure whether he would get the admission. Typical Madras student’s modesty! They…sorry… WE won’t accept that we did well. I learnt from his eyes that he did well but then I chose not to talk about that. Right then I was busy thinking about some thing else. Where to go was the question in my mind. We were then joined by Bala, who happened to be Arun’s GD mate and also happened to be from good old Madras. We slowly walked towards the canteen to fill our empty stomachs.

There…I realized what Campus buzz was all about. In the canteen, suddenly, I was amidst some 20-25 boys and girls who were half-asleep; half-dressed and fully crazy. After some 5-10 minutes, I confirmed that they were speaking English. What would happen if four of you in your cubicle speak at a time? I mean…shout at a time! Multiply that by 5 and that is what happened at the canteen. I expected the canteen owner to be a smart malayalee and so it turned out to be. He had this cool eyes and calm composure and was handling multiple requests (IT effect…can’t help it) at a time. Bala ordered three samosas and three sandwiches for us. I pitched in my Bombay exploration idea to them. I had to raise my decibel level by 50% to listen to what I am saying. Arun had this are-you-crazy-look. Bala was not even listening. Slowly, I learnt that they were regulars to Bombay. They seemed to have visited this place many times. “Dei….ithu enaku first time-da…konjam naan solratha kelungada” (Guys…this is my first visit to Bombay…please listen to me). I was shouting this in my mind. They weren’t really excited by the idea. I did not know what to do. They started convincing me to stay in Arun’s hotel and leave for the 2030 flight. Coincidentally, we had booked the same return flight.

I was in a fix. Bala was actually right in saying that the traffic would be huge and there is a chance that we might miss the flight. The only reason I booked the flight was because I was not ready to miss office on Monday. So, I can’t afford to miss this flight. But then my mind wasn’t ready to accept my staying indoors. One thing I always wanted to do after watching “Kadhalar Dhinam” during my school days was to travel in a Bombay train. Not that I am expecting a Sonali Bendre with a red rose in her hand. Generally, I like crowds. After all, I am a part of the crowd, right? I compelled them to have a train journey. Arun was out of compulsion. He was not even ready to take a bus. He looked like he hated crowds. Bala is like your PM. He hears you out totally but he has already made up his own decision and wont budge. He listened to me patiently and in the end advised me against taking the train.

But then…I thought. Come on…Who are these Arun and Bala? I didn’t know them 3 hours before. Why should I convince them? Can’t I just go ahead and hit the Bombay roads? I was about to lie to them that I have some friend waiting somewhere. But then some thing stopped me. I didn’t feel the necessity to lie. The thought of lying made me feel bad. If I am right, I should have been able to convince them. Why am I not able to do that? Right now, my heart must feel excited. But, it wasn’t. I had the gut feeling that I should stay indoors. But then, the thought of staying indoors gave me creeps. My mind screamed at me to explore Bombay but my heart felt otherwise. In the end, I decided to give my heart the lead and accepted its decision. I suddenly felt low. “Stay in some god-damn hotel for 8 hours”. My mind was echoing this sentence continuously. All the high-voltage energy I had few minutes before, died out. I stopped looking at girls! Can I feel any lower?

The bag I was carrying suddenly felt like a ton. Arun said he had the interview with dean and it would take another 2 hours. I decided to go to my hotel and take back my shoes. I walked till the entrance and unknowingly called an auto. Just when I sat in the auto, I realized that I could have taken a bus. What is the urgency to take an auto? While on the auto, I called my mother and said that I am not doing anything till I board the flight. I had given a big build-up before I left home that I am going to do this…do that…visit this place. She was afraid that I might not be safe in Bombay. When I said I was not going anywhere, she was more than happy.

It was very hot at mid-day; equivalent to Madras. The auto-driver was constantly looking at me through the rear-window. I ignored that. Right then, I hated to be in formals. Immediately after I reached the hotel, I went to the rest room and wore my jeans. That changed my mood a little. I felt better. Of all the non-living objects, only my Levi’s and my bike can change my mood. By the way, Music has life. It can’t be counted as Non-living.

I called Bala from the hotel phone and learnt that they will be back in an hour. I thanked the hotel manager and came to the roads again. I bought a Maaza pet bottle and came to the nearby bus stop. My mind was constantly poking me to board any of the buses and go some where. But I didn’t. I spent time just sitting in one of the iron bars just like Munna and his friends did in the movie Boys. After some time, I started liking what I was doing. I started observing people. That is one of my favorite past times. One of the main reasons I preferred local trains rather than Infy buses to commute to office is because, I like observing people. Infy bus is the height of boredom! Same people… every day…

The buses were not that much crowded. I tried to note the bus numbers and the routes. But they were not in Hindi or English. Isn’t this a big problem every state government should address? At least… in Madras, we have some buses with English boards. But, I may be wrong too. I didn’t go past the Parle station and I can’t comment on the entire Bombay bus transport system.

Just then, a big family got down from a bus. An old lady of that family smiled at me as she was keeping her bag near me. More often I have heard that people in Madras are less friendly than those in other metros. I came to know its real meaning that day. In Madras, people won’t talk to strangers; they won’t even look at other people whom they don’t know. This, I realized, was exactly opposite to Bombay. In the 30 minutes I spent in the bus stop, I exchanged smiles with about five people. I mean just a plain, simple smile. It doesn’t cost anything. Does it? It made me feel-good. As I write this, I realize that it was only then I decided to spend some 3 or 4 years of my life in Bombay.

My Maaza bottle got over and I called Bala again. They seemed to have reached the hotel. Arun’s hotel happened to be exactly opposite to mine. But the per-day tariff there was 2400 rupees. At around 1.30 PM, we all went to his room. It was a good room. I explained him all the differences (which weren’t many) between my room and his and was trying to console him. He was extremely unhappy to have paid 3 times extra for the room in the same locality. We watched TV for about one or two hours. Meanwhile, I learnt that Arun was a financial analyst with CRISIL and has already attended an interview with ISB. “Oh My God…Do you mean the real ISB, Hyderabad?” asked Bala. I had the same surprise but didn’t show it. He said “Yes… but I didn’t convert it”. Bala was with an IT company, the name of which I forgot almost immediately. I didn’t ask him again because I thought he might think that I was not a good listener.

We then browsed for all the Tamil channels for comedy scenes and watched them for a few hours. You know what? Vadivelu rocks! At around five o’clock, we felt hungry and I led them to the Udipi hotel where I had my breakfast. Arun and Bala ordered some dosa but I was adamant on eating Bombay chaat. I ordered Pav Bhaji with two extra pav. Hmm…They were just delicious. We had coffee and I realized I won’t be hungry till tomorrow afternoon.

We came back to our room and took our bags. We decided to walk to the airport. It was just a 10 minute walk. The departure terminal was about a few hundred meters away from the arrival terminal. We had a calm walk. The vehicles were racing at their maximum speeds. The departure terminal was not abuzz with action as I expected it to be. I got the boarding passes for all of us. After the security checks, we realized that we had around 2 hours to spend there. I looked for a magazine shop. One was closed. Nearby, I saw a lounge with a 53 inch LCD TV. In the TV, I saw around 6 people crying simultaneously in a palace-like home. Yes…you guessed it right! It was KKKG in SET MAX. I decided to have fun. I called in Bala to watch the movie together. The next 1.30 hours which had equal proportions of movie time and AD time went off in a jiffy. Even though we laughed at every scene, we couldn’t bear the movie any longer. After around 1 hour which included a 30 minutes flight delay, we were inside the flight with me looking at a “speaking wax model”. Yes…she’s the Kingfisher Air hostess! If the rumor that Vijay Mallya himself selects the air hostess is true, then I have only one thing to tell him. “YOU HAVE A GREAT TASTE”.

The flight touched Madras at around 10.30 PM. Arun, Bala and I exchanged numbers and vowed to remain in touch. While getting down, the Infy thing worked again. I saw an Infy employee here too! I wasn’t exactly sure whether he was from B-2 or B-4. But I had seen him.

I came to the GST road. I realized that the last 24 hours was one of the best experiences I had in my life. As I called for an auto, I said one thing to Bombay in my heart. I’ll be back!

Namma Mumbai (Aamchi Mumbai) - Part 6

The interview was conducted by a two-member panel; One male - one old lady. The male interviewer was wearing a half-sleeve shirt! What on earth does he think? This is an interview for a school which asks me to pay 14 lakhs as fees and this gentleman with a French-beard is wearing a half-sleeve shirt. God knows what is he wearing below? Or is he wearing at all? The lady was wearing a saree. She looked 50 years old. Thank God, she can't wear a sleeveless top! I don't know what they thought about me, but my impression on the panel was, "Shit...this isn’t serious". After the initial pleasantries, I guessed this lady would just observe me and that French-beard would shoot all the questions.

After my introduction, he asked about the business I was working on in IT. I gave a long lecture about Logistics and stuff. He didn't seem to have any questions. So, I just went on and on and on. I no longer saw them. I was in the conference room of my office where exactly a week ago, I was talking logistics to my team members. Suddenly, a lady voice popped up. "What do you think are the 5 KPIs of a warehouse?" "Oh...this lady has a voice?” I thought. "Ma’m?” I tried returning from my office to the interview room. She asked the same question in a different way. I answered four of them and looked at the ceiling. "First mistake", I thought. Never look at any place other than the interviewer's face. You've got a lot of area to look upon.

She said "Its OK" and asked me five other questions regarding Supply Chain. Well… this time had no answer. After the second question which I didn't answer, I no longer heard the remaining questions. I guessed the interview result would be bad. So, I just spoke whatever I knew on Logistics irrespective of the questions she asked. She looked at me closely. Then she said "OK Shiv...It was nice talking to you" and extended her hands. It was cold.

I left the room and reached the corridor. I could not see that Hyderabad girl. Did I tell the name of that girl whom I met 20 minutes before? She was Ashwini Reddy (Name not changed). Actually, no one else was there in the corridor except some SPJain School students. It was empty. In the lawn opposite to the corridor, I saw one student who looked younger than me, sitting exactly below the hot sun. He had his leg on the table; pen on the side of his lips like holding a cigarette; unkempt hair, which must have been last washed a decade before; a shorts, or is there anything shorter than shorts and longer than briefs? And a management book on his stomach. And, he was looking at the sky. Some more students were walking past him. But, no one even cared to "Kalaaichify" (friendly ridicule) the chap. Well, B-school students are in fact crazy.

I sat in the corridor for about 10 minutes. I became real hungry. I walked slowly towards the canteen. I was told in the mail that the evaluation process would take place till 2 pm. The time was 9.30 am. And, everything is over for me. I may have a Dean's interview. But, even that wouldn't last more than 30 minutes. My heart beat raged suddenly. My return flight is at 2030 hours. I have got close to 9 hours to explore Bombay. Man...What a chance!!! Thank God I booked the 2030 flight. Unconsciously, I was walking fast. I realized that I walked slowly towards the canteen not because I was hungry; it was because I did not have anything to do after that. This is what real excitement meant!!!

Let the roads of Bombay be geared up to welcome me!!!

But then...a voice came from behind..."Siva...Siva"...


To be continued...

Namma Mumbai (Aamchi Mumbai) - Part 5

The building I was asked to wait turned out to be a closed auditorium. Outside, three candidates were seated. As I walked towards them, I took an important decision. Basically, I am a closed person. If I do not know the person, I won’t talk unless talked to (Exception comes in the form of good-looking girls). This character is a sin if you are planning to become a manager. Two years before, during the GD/PI in Symbiosis Management Institute, I did the same mistake. There were a group of 8 persons. I did not talk to anyone. During the GD, I was the one left out. It was depressing. I did not want to repeat the same mistake. This time, I took the initiative. I picked out who seemed to me as a friendly guy. "Hi, this is Shiva". The person indeed was friendly and introduced himself as Mayank Aggarwal from Delhi. The person seated next to him looked like "Me in Symbiosis". For half the time, he was looking at the ground. The third one asked me whether I am from Chennai. "Yes, I am", I replied. "Madras-la enga??(where in Madras?)" he asked. I displayed a big grin and asked "You know Alwar thirunagar?” "Yes, I am from Ashok Nagar. Where are you working?”?” I am with Infy", I said. Just at that instant, Mayank looked at me casually and extended his hand. "Which IBU?” he asked.

Do you guys know about the Infy thing? Let me tell you. Suppose you are from Madras or any city in which Infy has its Development Center. On a weekend, go to any place. I mean any! place. Somewhere in the crowd, you would sure find an Infy employee. Blame the hiring spree or whatever; this has been happening for me for the past 2 years. Before that, for me it was my SRM college mates. I was a regular at all the cinemas in Madras (Still I am!). Before the movie or after the movie or during the interval, I would always be expecting a big pat on the back accompanied by a loud "Dei...inga ennada panra?"(Dei...what are you doing here?).

"I am from Retail. You?” I asked him. "Oh...I was also from Retail. I left Infy a month ago. I am with IBM right now. So, finished your certifications?” he asked sarcastically. I started liking him. I said yes and asked him about the GD and PI. Oh...yeah I have started talking business. Mayank then gave a speech for about 10 minutes. I came to know that the evaluation process consisted of a case study, essay about me, one round of GD and one Personal Interview. Then, we talked about the traffic in Bangalore, Mysore DC, Jodha Akbar fiasco, Rajnikanth, A.R.Rahman and...girls in Bombay. Mayank gave out the names of a few streets and asked me to spend 30 minutes there in the evening. He said this would replace spending a month in Bangalore M.G.Road.

The time was 8.30. By that time, many candidates have come. We entered the main building. We were made to sit in a class room and given two essays. One essay was on the most influential person in your life. I was tempted to write about David Fincher (Director of Fight Club). But it’s a management institute for hell's sake. I wrote about my tuition teacher. Next was a case study. I wrote about five important values for a successful company. Then, came the GD. Totally, 35 candidates have come. That would mean 6 groups. I prayed Mayank would come in my group. Whenever you have a friend in the GD group, you both can be mutually helpful. Unfortunately, Mayank went to another one. I wished him luck. I did not realize that, that would be the last time I would be talking with him. As I write this, I sincerely regret not getting his phone number or Gmail id. I even searched orkut. There are too many Mayank Aggarwals from Delhi with Hrithik profile pictures. Those who are reading this please don't use celebrity pics in your profile.

The six of us entered the GD room. Should I explain this and all? Leave it. It’s boring for me. I am sure you would feel the same too. At the end of the GD, I had the feeling that I did well. I made two more friends there. I don't know their names but they smiled at me more often. Then, I met this girl! She was in the same group as mine. After GD, we were asked to wait in the corridor for Interview. She sat besides me. She looked too calm. I did not speak too. We were like this for about 5 minutes. And then, I turned right and casually smiled. That’s it! She started talking and did not stop for the next 15 minutes. All I spoke in the conversation are...”yes...oh...yeah...when...is it?” That’s all. By the time she went for the interview, I knew everything about her. And I doubt whether she even knows my name.

"Who is Shiv here?” "Yes Ma'm", I raised my hand. "You are the next", she told me. Till now, I have attended a lot of interviews. My first interview was done by an Indian Air Force Wing Commander!!! But, I still get dizzy whenever they call my name out for an interview. I prayed for a second, took my certificates and stood up.

To be continued...

Namma Mumbai (Aamchi Mumbai) - Part 4

The Sun has just reached Singapore. It will take another ten minutes to have its full intensity over Bombay (It’s difficult to think of an interesting first line in every part). After I came out of the hotel, I looked up to the Sky and prayed for a second. The Infy bag was loaded with shirt, pant and certificates. It was heavy. I reached the main road.

I looked left and right. I thought for a second and decided one thing in my life. In future, I will take a month off (every six months) in whatever profession I am in. I will ask my baby daughter to pick a city in the world map. I would take less than sufficient cash, map of that city and spend a month there exploring that city. I realized it would be so much fun. Just think of this; I don't know Bombay, I don't know anyone here and I have to find a place all by myself. It was too damn exciting, but equally scary!!!

The first sound came from my stomach. Oh...yeah I did not have breakfast yet. I turned right for no particular reason. After a few steps I saw Domino's Pizza and Cafe Coffee Day present side-by-side. "This must be a good area", I thought. Then I saw Udipi Hotel. I went inside. The hotel had some three customers scattered over. I asked for a plate of Idli. In Taare Zameen Par, before Ishaan gets caught by his father through the absent note, he would be eating idli. When I saw the movie, I lamented the state of idli. It was so hard. I guess the same idli came to me. The chutney was kinda OK. The Tea was very good but it burnt my tongue. I paid the bill and came to the roads.

Initially, I thought of taking an auto-rickshaw. When the buses were less-crowded, I decided to take the bus. I went back to the hotel and asked the cashier which bus to catch to reach Bhavan's. He said he doesn't know but it will take a lot of time to reach there by bus. "Auto would be fine", he told. I looked at my watch. It was 7.35. I've got just 45 minutes. "Okay, let me take Auto", I decided.

I took an auto-rickshaw. That was my first tryst with the roads of Bombay in day-light. I noticed that residential and commercial complexes were merged beautifully. You would see a commercial complex and then immediately a beautiful residential apartment would come up. After twenty minutes I reached Bhavan's. I took the address I got in the mail and verified with the name board. "Kitna?” I asked with a casual look. I masked a what-would-happen-if-driver-picks-a-fight face. The old man gave me a smile as if he knows I am not a Mumbaikar and said "Painthees". I immediately rewound the conversation we had with a driver in Goa 3 months before. "Painthees is 35 rupees". I gave a 50 rupee note and got 20 back. He said "teeke saab...morning time na....traffic nahi hai...5 rupaya nahi chaahiye"(It’s Okay…No traffic…I don’t need that five rupees). "Gandhi wasn't born in Bombay right?" I rechecked myself. Why is everyone here I met so far, so right? I thanked my luck and entered the campus of S.P.Jain Management center.

I have heard a lot about S.P.Jain. It is one of the top 10 B-Schools in India. But, when I entered the campus, it didn't reflect. It was so ordinary. I just casually looked around... Boom!!!! I got the first hit in my heart. One beauty was walking around in shorts and T-Shirt. Shorts should cover at least the knee right? This one didn't. There was a park and an empty ground. The buildings were present past them. I walked through the roads and reached the building.

Very few candidates have come. The time was just 8 am. I went to the gate keeper. He told me to wait in a building near by. Boom!!! Second hit. Are the girls born to be beautiful in Bombay?

To be continued…

Namma Mumbai (Aamchi Mumbai) - Part 3

3.25 AM. I woke up in horror to find whether I am.... One Sec. Did I tell you why I have come to Bombay? Actually, I have to attend an evaluation process in a management institute. Well...It is not really the exact reason I embarked on this trip. It was more of an interest in Bombay. This process just became a reason to come over to Bombay. I had paid a good amount for this evaluation process and guess how will it be to miss it by oversleeping? So, I woke up in horror to check whether I am late for the process. Thankfully, it was a good 2.35 hours before I planned to wake up. Wow...how good it feels to wake up and realize that you still have a good 2 hours to sleep. I drifted to sleep and in the next second, my mobile started ringing. Who is this at 3.25 am? It was my mother on the other side. I had asked her to call me at 5.30 am in case I just slept over. "Siva...ezhunthirichiko...time aayiduchu paaru (Siva…wake up…it’s time)". I said OK and cut the phone. I looked at the time. It was 6 am.

I decided not to spend those "extra-minutes" in the bed. I sprinted from the bed; switched on the TV, lights and looked outside. The weather was the same as we expect at 6 am in Madras. It had a greenish-gray sky. I went to the bathroom and checked if heater was working. To my surprise, it was. This room for 780 rupees is really a deal. "I am going to recommend this one to all", I thought. I opened my bag. "There had to be some goof-up". Not surprisingly, I didn't bring my toothpaste. I brushed use my Tooth-brush alone and felt really good. Who says we need toothpaste? Then, I bathed (hey come on…I brought soap and a deodorant) and put on my shirt and pant. Just a week before, I attended a session in my Office on Dress etiquettes. It was said in the session that, wearing a pink shirt means you are a gay. Mine was a white shirt, but it had pink stripes. What if they thought that I am...? But then, it struck me. That was in US. I am still in India. A flight made me feel I have left far away. Ooof...I heaved a sigh of relief. I sat on the bed and browsed through the channels. I stopped on NDTV. The time was 6.20 am. I put on my shoes and I realized that I still have a good 1 hour before I leave this place.

Many times in your life, you will feel too damn bad when a moment comes by. It may be seeing the photo of your School sweetheart posing with her husband and her child in Orkut. It may be in the conference room with your PM and all the senior folks and they target you on why the project went down to CMM level 3. It may be in a seminar in front of all your team-mates, you will be made to look like "Shit" when you do not answer their questions. For me, at that moment was tying a tie. Technically, I know how to tie a tie. It is just that at the important moment, I would not get it right. The length would be short; the knot would shift to the right. It just won’t come for me at the right time. I spent all my 1 hour just to get the Tie knot perfectly. Would you believe that? By the time I finished, you must see my face. Napoleon's victory over the world wasn't that big.

I took all my belongings in a hurry, locked the room and checked out. I asked the Manager whether I could leave my Woodland Shoes alone and get it back by 3 pm. He said OK and I left the hotel.

Bombay awaits me!!!

To be continued…

Namma Mumbai ( Aamchi Mumbai) - Part 2

I walked past the car as if I didn’t notice those 5 girls. By the time I reached the car’s end, they don’t know that I know each one’s dress, color and how much percentage they revealed. I walked till the road’s end. I never expected this much traffic at midnight. The traffic was huge. I mean real big. Not just cars/lorries/buses, but, bikes, cycles… I mean people walking here and there. It looked like Saturday afternoon near Spencer’s Plaza. The buses were full; people were talking in loud voices. In Madras, People’s voice decibel level is inversely proportional to the elapsed time since they got up. “No, that rule is not for us”, says the Mumbaikar. This is sure the financial capital of India.

The signal was in Green. Vehicles were screaming past me. It looked like that the person I met before in the parking lot asked me to cross this signal. This signal doesn’t seem to end. I decided to walk till the next signal which was a 2 minute walk from here and cross the road there. “Let me walk for some more time”, I told myself. I sure liked Bombay. Just when I took my right leg, unconsciously, I looked down. I could see a pot hole in the size of earth. I swallowed a pint of saliva. What If I had stepped on? I decided to switch off my mp3 player coz I might hear some one’s warning if I step on some thing next time. But, I didn’t switch it off. I just removed the headphones and kept it in my pocket. I walked. I consciously avoided eye contact with anyone. By the time I reached that signal after a minute (It wasn’t 2 minutes after all), the signal came to Red. I crossed the road. It looked like flyover construction is happening there. Ditto as in Madras. I saw a person wearing a tie. May be he could reply in English/Hindi. He didn’t talk. He just showed the road to take. Is he drunk? No idea. I saw a police jeep there. I went there and asked the police man where Hotel Shangri-la is? He replied in Hindi. For the n^th time, I thanked my mother. She was the one who made me attend Hindi classes when I was in 6^th standard. After that, Doordarshan and Sarfarosh (Aamir’s movie) happened. And then, I saw every hit Hindi film possible and now I am in Bombay at 12.30 am hearing to what a Bombay policeman has to say. He said that I can take a walk or else take an auto for 9 rupees. “9?” I thought. Okay, I’ll take it. One young lad was standing near me all through my conversation with the police. “Sir chalega?” he asked. I said “Teeke. Nau rupees-naa?”. “Haan saab”. I sat in the auto and after a right turn-left turn-right turn, the auto stopped. I could see Hotel Shangri-la name board near by. The auto seemed to have broken down. “Teeke, mein yahan utharoonga”. He said “Nahin saab…teek hojayega”. Point Noted. He tried again and the auto started. The auto stopped in front of the hotel. I took a 20 rupee note and gave it to him. “Enjoy” I said. He thanked and left.

Have you guys seen the movie “Kadhal Kondein”? The room I got was similar to what Dhanush stayed. Except, this one had a bed, A/C, TV and a bathroom. All in twice the arm-length!!! But you can’t get a better room in Bombay for 780 rupees. I called home and informed that I was safe. I switched on the TV to find FA cup running in Star Sports. I removed my shirt and trousers. The room was sweaty. I opened the only bag I brought. To my horror, there weren’t any shorts. I took a towel and roped it around me. Kept all my valuables near me, locked the door, switched off the lights, muted the TV and slept. Usually, when I start to sleep I want something running in my room. It could be a radio, TV. Only then I will get sleep. Pretty weird isn’t it? But it works for me. Next thing I remember is the dream of watching Basic Instinct with that attractive driver of the car whom I saw 20 minutes before in the roads of Bombay. I slept well.

To be continued…