The 3 M Karmic Konnections
(Mumbai, Madras and the Maldives - Jan 2014)
So, there he sat alone. Waiting patiently. As soon as he saw
us, his face lit up in a smile that combined joy and relief. He was a kid and
looked even younger. “Welcome to Bombay” was the first words he uttered.
This was way back in June 2001 at the Lobby of the Taj
President Hotel. Lata and I had just landed from Delhi into what was going to
be our city for the next five years. Waiting for us was the tall, thin, V boy!
He too like us had just got to Bombay to begin a new journey
– life at Xaviers and living away from his twin homes – Colombo and Chennai.
While I had interacted with V boy many many times before that, it was really in
Bombay that I got to spend real time with him.
So, over the next five years, it was great to see his
metamorphosis. He took to Bombay like a fish to water and was immediately at
ease with the buses, trains, traffic and the sounds that are quintessential
Bombay! It was wonderful to have him drop by home and we spent many a day and
night shooting the breeze and going out meals and movies. We lived in a ivory
tower and it was through V boy that we vicariously experienced Bombay – stories
of his landlady, experiences in college and life on the street kept us regaled!
Soon Shilpa moved to Bombay too and V boy now played the
perfect host showing her the ropes. Who can forget the night when Lata and I
came back to ‘Polly Esthers’ to find them blowing smoke bubbles. One can’t
forget the look on Shilpa’s face as V boy pointed out that her uncle and aunt
were standing by the side watching her with amusement!
He was there when Bubbles was born. His staring into her
eyes as I held her in my eyes is an image that has stuck in my head (Okay,
okay, I recall the photo if not the exact moment!).
Soon the gawky T-Nagar, (teenager, in case you did not
figure that out) grew into a young man and we heard whispers of a special lady
friend. When gently prodded (at first) and then asked outright, he denied it
with a straight face! This was clearly a young man who at one hand would wear
his emotions on his sleeve while on the other, could be very very discrete.
Years rolled by and it was wonderful to go back to Bombay a
year ago and spend a wonderful time in RV and Vboy’s apartment. They were very
warm hosts and our plans to just drop by for the evening quickly led to a sleep
over. Clearly, RV had added so much to Vboy’s life and it was great to see them
so happy.
And so, we move to the present… We found ourselves in Male,
Maldives five days ago. Lata and I had come on a trip leaving Bubbles in Madras
with various family members. V boy welcomed us with the same infectious smile
that makes him unique. Over the next five days, he pulled out all the stops and
showed us a magnificent time.
Ah, the sighting of the shark swimming below me, the sting
rays fondling my feet as I patted them, the deep blue of the ocean with
hundreds of fish as we snorkeled in Huafin Fushi, lounging on the open deck of
the boat that brought us back from Taj Coral Reef, and the feeling of blissful
calm as I snorkeled one last time in Baros were magical indeed! Not to mention V-boy’s
‘cheri’ and ‘Brahminical’ Tamil that had us in splits!
I could go on about many such wonderful sights, the great
food or the luxurious resorts, but while these moments were truly memorable,
what will truly stand the test of time are the sentiments and the opportunities
to connect – the warmth that both he and RV exuded, the passionate desire to
make sure we had a special time and finally the conversations that gave me
further peek into the minds and hearts of both these wonderful people. Indeed
relationships endure because of frequent shared experiences. This trip to the
isle of paradise indeed an example of this phenomenon. Truly, yet another
reminder to be grateful for the people and experiences that enrich our lives!
To close, Lata pointed out something – While one nephew was
hosting us so wonderfully in Maldives, Sanjana was in Madras fully engrossed with
the two kutties of the niece. The
Karma Konnections of Mumbai were indeed playing their part….
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