The Birthday Party and the Gossip

The Birthday Party and the Gossip

In the due course of time and in the true spirit of XL, the birthday of one-of-my-best-friends was celebrated on 21^st June. The poor chap (or should I say the lucky birthday-boy!) was gloried with tangibles like egg and beer along with more precious intangibles like congenial birthday bumps. But the selfish individual that I am - was not much delighted on that day as I was when came to know about the birthday party on 30^th June.

(The lucky birthday-boy!)

When Ankur informed me that we are going to gossip – did not feel like! But then he clarified it was ‘Gossip’ – the bar cum restaurant at Ganga Regency – and now my expectations started building up.

After Vinay and me shaved our one week unshaven beards and Vikash and Ankur made due efforts to become fairer to impress the fairer gender, we left our hostel around 7-50 PM.

Though the meeting time was decided as 7-30 PM and meeting venue as Bodhi tree – an empty Bodhi tree greeted us when we reached there at around 8 PM. Members from the fairer gender were late as usual but still found it tough to beat Ankur on fairness. Our gossip started with fairness comparisons and thus started our journey towards ‘Gossip’.

All nine of us fitted ourselves in one auto and the gossip journey continued. We reached our destination at around 8-30 PM. The reservation was done and we were shown our 10-seater table. We took our seats and started looking at the menu card – the gossip continued! While 'koi duja' was busy posing for her next ‘facebook portfolio’ to be shot by Akshay; Vinay, Ankur and Mandar made sure that Rashi and Neetika don’t feel lonely!

(Uncle on ‘prowl’!)

The ‘three-foodies’ – Vikash, me and Vasudha devoted our full attention in deciding the liquid and solid objects of ‘gastronomical’ desires. The waiter came and the orders were placed. The photo-shoots, the practical applications of impression management, the long wait, the thinking adventures of lost souls, the gossip and the silence continued in parallel. It was not very long and suddenly the ‘waiting creatures’ realized that they are waiting for not-less-than-one-hour. The waiter was called and asked to expedite the process of bringing in the objects of ‘gastronomical’ desires. Once again the photo-shoots, the practical applications of impression management, the long wait, the thinking adventures of lost souls, the gossip and the silence continued in parallel.

(Tired of photo-shoot?)

It was not very long and again the ‘waiting creatures’ realized that they are waiting for not-less-than-half-an-hour. The waiter came and the ‘it’s coming’ cliché was uttered once again. Anyways, after three such interruptions and continuations the objects of ‘gastronomical’ desires finally landed on our table and then respective plates. The creatures engaged in not-so-different yet not-so-similar activities till now concentrated their attention to one of the most important basic instincts of human beings. The drive of hunger and thirst stimulated by the wait, incessant gossip and cues from not-so-far-tables finally culminated. And, ‘the end’ was a happy ending!

The happy ending! (or beginning?)