JUHU CHOWPATTY BLUES!!!

Coming from ‘jazz’ ..i dropped her home .. somehow I had decided that i would always drop her home first ..specially after the ‘make over ‘ it was more apt to make this decision …. C on I was getting more time to spend with her ( actually more time to gaze may be)… “ so when next?” I asked pleadingly … “hmm… pata nahi yaar ..may be on Friday before you go to pune”…. “ hmm…. pukka nothing before this” I sounded terrible..i really had started believing that she wasn’t interested in me any more … I spent the rest of the week trying to console myself …may be she was actually tied up in the preparations ..but aisi bhi kya preparations hoti hai yaar …these may be were may be possible genuine reasons one cannot question… anyways come Friday and my last evening in Mumbai for this leave …. “ so where to day” I asked uninterested ( thought she ll avoid meeting today also) … “ lets meet at juhu chowpatty” … now though I have stayed half my life in Mumbai i still don’t have any distinct memories of this supposingly landmark of Mumbai … it’s the place lovers used to romance in the early 90’s movies and the villian apparently ends up at this place chasing himself away from the police or the hero whatever!!! It wasn’t a hassel reaching this tourist attraction ( it actually features as a tourist spot in most of the travel magazines) …. As usual I had had gone to meet the same old course mate of mine and had to return home preferably before 1100 pm … It was around sunset time when I reached the beach ( if I can call it) and it seemed to be a funfair ground or something .. it was swarming with people …. People were sitting with their shoes off on the sand and seemed to be at peace as if it was the loneliest corner of the earth and so silent that they closed their eyes attaining nirvana… or maybe they were closing their eyes to prevent the dust thrown around by those around three thousand people there …and were sitting because they were actually now tired looking for a lonely part on the beach and finally given up !!!! it had typically everything present there one can imagine of an Indian outback ..it had cows ... horses …camels … number of rides used to entertain kids and huge horde of junk food vendors .. they seem to have occupied every possible place of that beach where one can sit with his girlfriend …there were also some mobile junk food vendors who hung their paraphernalia in their strong necks and walked the short beach looking for only couples I guess !! as they stopped in front of a lonely couple in variably ruining their love life!!! … the beach seemed to have sand in patches it was all covered with all sorts of paper … newspapers … paper plates … paper spoons ..( they are used to eat the famous ‘bhel’ ) … there were topless boys playing in the sea actually making it a unpleasant site….what was I expecting anyways … one of the interesting thing about this beach is that it is just on the takeoff path of the domestic airport of Mumbai and all aircraft pass really low over this part when they turn over the sea … giving a rather unusual view of the aircraft from underneath … anyways I scanned the entire beach to find a place where we could sit and I realized unless you want to eat something there was no place where you could find a decent place to sit… I went straight towards the sea cutting through the layer of people before it … and just short of the water placed myself on the sand waiting for her…
“where are you” she called and asked me … “wait don’t bother finding me ,,you ll not be able to .. wait on the road before those bhel stalls im coming out of this mela”… she was as usual looking all dressed up to be gazed at … wearing a pink some kind of layered top with white pants was not at all dressed to take a plunge in that funfair ( I wonder where so many people came from on a Friday evening ) .. “ is it so crowed because its Friday or generally so much crowded?” I asked … “aare its generally crowded .. but its only till sunset ..after its dark it generally gets empty” she replied looking at the beach … empty? I believe she was talking about the water in the sea maybe … cause the beach was far from getting empty for the next week or something… “I suggest we go to ‘mocha’ café there” I said pointing at the coffee cum restobar bang opposite the chowpatty.. she agreed and we headed towards mocha .. and guess what the crowd I was talking about … mocha seemed to be their coffee shop i guess....as the same amount of people seemed to be inside that not so big café .. “do people in Mumbai have nothing to do?”I said irritated with the people around me … “ well you are one of them .. actually you are the one from outside.. get used it” she replied smiling.. .. we placed ourselves in the middle of something like a long connected sofa or something which had many tables in front of them which made the people sitting next you different from you .. seeing from a distance it appeared like a long table ..as if all the people sitting were together … the tables were placed so close to each other ..that anything you order else than a coffee or a drink you had share the table with your neighbor … people seemed to be attached to each other and closeness prevailed in the true sense of the word!!!… sitting in that place one could do nothing but have coffee and gaze at each other ..in case you need to speak you had to shout leaning towards the ear of the other person .. as not withstanding the crowd there was also some kind of music which was not at all discernible … anyways sitting in that local train kind of atmosphere … she ordered a wine and me a coffee (as beer was over!!! ) and was in no mood to drink in that place which was lacking of oxygen in the first place!!! It was also a target rich environment with all kind of girls all over the place wearing from barely nothing to barely something … and since I preferred keeping quiet instead shouting in her ear I kept my eyes viewing those clothes deprived chicks scattered all over the place … we barely had any conversation there … she took her own sweet time finishing her wine ..( she somehow seemed to enjoy and felt comfortable there) … I gulped the whole coffee in one go I guess … ( somehow the hot coffee served at these outlets is just about warm ) … she realized and nothing could have been more obvious what I wanted to do after that .. I wanted to get the hell out of that local train … lack of oxygen place!!!! Well it was barely 0800 pm when we stepped out … the beach was visible across the road and yes she was right .. it had actually emptied up now a lot …. “see I told you .. people will not be there once its dark” she said looking at the beach across the road and having that sheepish smile… “haan … kyun is it not safe there at night”I asked in a serious tone ( I really don’t know what I had mind when I said ‘safe’) …. “ahaa safe ?? u mean you are scared that you ll get raped there haan” she joked and started laughing … she started heading towards the beach “lets see how safe is it” she almost shouted crossing the road … I was still on the other side gazing at the beach ..( was I really scared that ill be raped ) … we walked over the sand towards the sea and sat down short of the water .. sometime time back this place was buzzing with all kinds of activities… and same place seemed pretty peaceful now .. I was out the ‘mocha’ mood now and was gazing at the dark sea.. “ so when next?”I asked picking up the sand in one hand… “well you tell me ..when are going to that jungle of yours waise” she asked amused.. “ a aim leaving on end this Saturday ya … and really don’t know when next ill get leave .. waise bhi I have availed most of it … maybe in the year end ... you still think we don’t have any future haan” (now why was that asked… hopeless ..real loser!!!!) “ don’t start it again yaar” she said looking at me with that tired expression that she didn’t want to discuss it any more…. “ yaar its not that what you thinking … I mean I hope we ll still be touch and you know have same chemistry … cause I really don’t wanna lose out on you yaar… cause I don’t really know where am I heading ..what my routine is gonna be like … don’t know will I give you the same amount of time … I really don’t know anything yaar now….cause In case we cannot do justice to our relationship we should stop meeting yaar cause I really am getting attached to you but I know there s nothing we can do about it ..” ( what the heck was I speaking) I was getting all senti again..( really why do I get all philosophical yaar) … “aare what happened to you why suddenly .. you so senti or is it the beach… don’t worry dude.. why do keep thinking so much about us .. in case we are supposed to be together we will be .. in case we don’t we will not .. don’t waste time thinking about … chalo in case we break up when you are there in your jungle .. I have something for you that will make you remember me” she said looking up for something in her handbag… she took out something like a small box that was all wrapped up … “ here take this this will remind you of me” ... she said handing it over …. I opened it slowly looking at her … our first of the gifts… and she was one giving it to me .. another loser act of mine!!!! Anyways it was a watch ….the types which I had only seen in magazines maybe… its look was expensive .. it was leather bound .big dial head watch which was as broad as a tennis wrist band … “wow..its awesome ..but I cannot have this yaar” ..i said returning it her … “now stop your nautanki …I bloody well know you want it …keep it …ok..please keep it sir ..as a token of my love …so that before breaking up you see this and change your mind ..”she joked smiling … .. I removed my old watch ..(which also was a gift ) and wore my latest possession .. well I had to remove it before I reach home anyways .. “there you go ..not bad haan” she said looking at the watch on my hand… “ absolutely no” I replied gazing at the most expensive thing on my hand ever .. it was already 1030 … “listen yaar I have to go re” she said( c on dude ..its the last time you seeing her this year maybe) … “what ?? so early ..” ( well it was more applicable for me to head home ) I really didn’t wanna go … I kept looking at her as she sat in the taxi and headed into infinity .. I had no idea when would I meet her next .. what was I heading for … what turn my life was gonna take after this .. I was about to step into the working regime of the airforce .. my training days were over .. the real thing was starting up …I know I was going to the place and do things I was waiting for ..but there was something I was leaving behind and taking only memories I had live with for the rest of the year ….
MOHANBARI LEGENDS!!!!!!