Trip to Pune and Goa

 I visited Pune for two reasons - to do some work and also to catch up with Milind before they moved out of their house. Staying alone at the Happy Colony bungalow is always challenging because we had such fun times with aunty's warm presence always around us. Now seeing it desolate and quiet is rather eerie. But I spent a few nights there, a couple at Milind's.

Off to Pune

Shatabdi was not running which was a bummer because I hoped to do some work in the eight hour journey - that would have been fun. I chose not to fly and instead took a bus - Orange - a seater which made it well in time. I headed straight home and Milind and I met up for breakfast at Prithvi restaurant round the corner and ate some fine idli vada sambar. Spent most of the day with Milind and doing some work in between, a walk, etc. I think I crashed out early and woke up early as well.

Tea with Milind - every morning, afternoon and whenever

Got some work done in the morning before catching up with Milind for breakfast on Tuesday. Then Hari, who was in Pune, and staying with friends who he had met at Thiruvanmalai,came over. We had some fine conversation and went out to eat biryani at a new place in Dahanukar which was not so much to my liking. The conversation was good as usual and we split at 4 - he took the bus to his friend's place and I headed to meet Milind. Milind and I tried a coffee at Anna's and cold coffee at Durga's both extremely good.

Hari and I at Konkan Express

The next day was hectic - a long walk in the morning that ended at Manik maushi's house. From there we headed home and got some work done and then went to Pirangut to meet Shashi maushi, Meera and Medha - I had n't met her after Babu Rao passed away. I have such fond memories of them in Happy Colony. It was a long ride and we were joined by Maria and Parth. Out there we had a lovely meal and spent some nice time with them before heading back. 

Milind, Shashi maushi, Parth and me (front)
Meera, Maria and Medha (back)

And if that was not all - Parth and Maria invited us over for dinner that evening. So Milind and I got s breather and then headed back to Parth's house. Now Parth, Milind, me and Maria had a raucous evening in end March 1995 before my marriage - a pre wedding party - where we all got fully sloshed and sang our hearts out over some vodka. Little did we know that this evening would turn out like that as well and we sang songs loudly and regaled Maria. It was a  super fun evening.

Milind enjoying his harmonium

Come Thursday and I had this talk to give to the Vellore Engineering students on Entrepreneurship and Innovation and after struggling a bit with my internet connection I could get going after 15 minutes. The talk went fairly well but it was disconcerting to see all the videos off so I stared into the more interesting landscape outside the window as I spoke. Talk done Shambhavi dropped in that evening to discuss the property papers etc and we went to Fish Curry and Rice for a nice dinner followed by some lassi etc. I dropped in at Milind's after dinner and we planned the next day. Milind had an upset stomach so he skipped all meals.

Friday, Hari said he would drop in and we went for lunch at Konkan Express. It was a nice meal and we headed out to Durga for some cold coffee and then some chat about this and that at home. Milind had planned to fry some surmai he had got from someone he knew and when Parth and Maria dropped in for dinner, we went out and brought some rum and coke, and ordered some fish and stuff from Vernekar's a Goan food place. That made three fish meals for me.

Meanwhile Choudary called and said he was flying in from Agartala and could we drive down to Goa. I was game - he said he would come to Sholapur and i could catch him there and we would drive to Goa from there. The idea was to meet Sagarika, his 23 year old lawyer daughter, who is stationed in Goa for  a few weeks now and had asked him to drop in. But knowing Choudary, everything would hang till the last minute.

Come Saturday and nothing much happened - no call. Milind and I moved some stuff over to his new place. Lunch, no call from Choudary. Then Sagarika called - what's happening? I have no clue. And then at 3 he calls and says he is good to go and could I get a can and come to Sholapur. I got a cab which would start at 5 - which means 10 pm at Sholapur. I quickly packed, bid my byes to Milind for a good time and took the cab to Sholapur. Choudary reached Sholapur at 9 and wanted to check into a hotel but I asked him to wait so we could cover some distance that night. We obviously would not be sleeping right away. At 10 pm we met on the Sholapur Bijapur road and headed off on a beautiful highway to Bijapur. Should we top at Bijapur? No, let's drive on he says. Bhagalkot? No let's drive on. It's 2 in the morning. Let's go straight to Goa he says - he feels good enough to drive. I was not up to it really but I shrugged. 

At 2 pm somewhere between Bhagalkot and Hubli

Hubli, ghats, Karwar and then we entered Goa at 7 am. We headed to the Panem beach where Sagarika stays and looked aorund for a hotel, found one on the net called Martin's Crest a little distance away near the Rajbag beach and checked in there. 

Patnem beach

Patnem beach at 7 am

Some breakfast and we freshened up. Sagarika came but by then Choudary was asleep so she drove me to her beach and ate breakfast while I drank coffee. We headed back to the hotel and by now I was feeling sleep hitting me and slept - till about 4 in the evening. Choudary and I walked to the Rajbag beach and ate some pineapple, came back and went with Sagarika to the Pallolem beach. It was crowded but was fun. Two friends of Sagarika's Anuj and Krishna joined us and it was great fun talking to them and getting their perspectives. I love what they are all doing - they are all solo, living in studio apartments - working and then doing things like trekking and kayaking and stuff like that. We ate some beef momos, chicken sandwiches, pasta and ended the night at 1030 pm. I was out like a light that evening.

Fresh lime juice at Pallolem

A 22 year reunion of sorts - me,Choudary and Sagarika (we had gone to Goa when Sagarika was 2)

Next morning I had a column to write so I tried to put together something while Choudary wandered about and came back. Around lunch time Sagarika called and asked us to join hr at Mollu's which has this fine Goan thali. We shopped a bit and then joined her. 

Goan Fish thali at Mollu's Classic

A fine Goan thali and we were off towards Hyderabad. I drove half the distance - a brilliant road and Choudary drove the other half. We reached home at 230 am.

Trip well done.