Sanjay Nikalje|Blog: Love...across the Fence!!

Chapter-1

Mumbai, 31 December 2015, 1:30 am: After astonishing New Year party with Ashu and Pankaj, it was time to upload party pics with other friends on Facebook. ‘Wow, That’s nice’, ‘Cool Man’, ‘Nice pictures’, ‘Picture says all bro, Happy New Year!!’ etc etc. Got numerous messages like this from many of my friends. I started searching my friends New Year celebration pictures, all were cool. Their pictures stated their unique way of celebration and added more joy and colours to my happiness.

I scrolled and scrolled for another 30 minutes, my eyes iced on a profile... ‘Ruh Quershi’!! Wow, she looks so good. Entered her profile, Super.... just amazing. Closed Facebook after a while and went to sleep.

At 3:30 am, I again got up and logged-in Facebook, to check her profile again. No new updates, but her picture seemed to get updated in my eyes, everytime I was looking at it. Now I checked everything that the profile had, down there I found that she is from Pak****n. Freezed and I moved behind.

Next full day I didn’t visit FB, but was feeling something throughout the day. At night I again checked her profile, but with every visit, I was feeling as if same photo was getting better and better. On 06 January I called up Anshu[Anand Shuke] and asked him to meet urgently at 5:00 pm at Sukandi Saloon[our free waiting and chatting area, where we discussed everything from Sarita to Babita, from Mava to Goa]. Anshu asked me ‘What happened Glen? Is everything fine?’ I told him, ‘Will talk once we meet’ and kept the phone. Probably citing the seriousness in voice he informed Pankaj as well.

‘So GD, what’s the matter? Who is the girl this time Mr. Majnu?’ Anshu broke the ice with these lines and started the conversation. ‘Hey,I am not kidding’ and they both started laughing, ‘Girl, I guessed it properly’ Anshu said and here they laugh again. Sukandi, said, ‘Gilen baba is lucky, everytime new girl and we are lucky everytime we hear a new story, and they all started laughing...’. ‘Today’s chai on whose diary?’ Sukandi asked. Anshu said ‘Of course Glen today.’ I got up for leaving the place and this made the atmosphere bit serious.

‘Ok, tell what is the issue?’ Pankaj asked. Guys, I want to discuss something very much serious. I iterated the whole Pak****n story in next few minutes. Pankaj said, ‘Just this much only right? Forget it, no crossing the fence bro. It would add more problems.’ ‘No, actually three days back I sent her a friends request and yesterday she accepted it, she pinged me on chat that, 'Mumbai is beautiful and she would like to visit Mumbai once’ I replied. Anshu said, ‘Sir, stop your boat here only, the water will become more deeper further, block her, forget her.’ As if I spoiled everybody’s mood, I cracked a Santa-Banta joke to get the choked mood back again to normal. While leaving, Pankaj kept hand on my shoulder and said ‘Stop it’ and went.

Chapter-2

9th May, Saturday and my birthday too. Once of the most surprising birthday, my father gifted me a brand-new ‘iPhone 5s’, my dream gadget. Can’t expect more happiness than this. Every year with my birthday starts our yearly challenge week also. We friends challenge each other a task, one who loses pays party bill and winner is given a ‘Mr. Unbeatable’ title and given a chance whether he wants to accept or reject a challenge next year, man with options. Last year I won a challenge of gulping down 21 Jhama gulab-jamun in just 7 minutes. But this year I opted to accept a challenge.

Anshu brought a Bajaj Chetak scooter and put it on middle stand and said this is your challenge. I thought I have to lift it, fear of losing, melted my masculine power. I went near it and started lifting it....’Wait boss..... What are you doing’ Anshu said. I asked him ‘I have to lift it for how much time?’ ‘No that would be too easy, the challenge is to drive this darling from here to M.G. Road and get it back and put on main stand back without stopping.’ Anshu knew I know how to drive a scooter, still he is giving me this challenge, Stupid nut...I smiled and felt good about accepting the challenge.

First I respected the scooter, by tilting it to 30 degrees when on main stand. This invention of starting any type of scooter in this unique manner goes to Indians only. I have even seen Suri uncle doing this to his scooter, who works for Bajaj Automobiles. Respect ceremony is over, I sat on the scooter and gave it a faadu-kick. ‘Ghur-ghur.....ghur-ghur...ghrrrr’ here it starts, and I am all set to complete my challenge. I asked Anshu to be pillion-rider, he said ‘No Thanks....Best of Luck’. I put first gear, little accelerator, and here I go. After taking a small right turn in few meters I put the second gear and after putting it, I realized the clutch wire is broken, hand-brakes are not working properly, Which means, if apply leg break without clutch the scooter will stop, I might lose challenge and I don’t know whether it will start again, or is there enough petrol in it or not. Now without brake can’t accelerate also on this busy street, so tried honking, the horn sound was so low, as if a dying person is asking for water. Ohh God, I understood Anshu’s challenge now, he gave me an about to die beast in my hand. Somehow as my destination arrived, I kept a huge winners smile on my face, somehow stopped the vehicle in front Pankaj and Anshu. Anshu seemed surprised seeing me back alive with all my bones intact. As soon as I parked the vehicle on center stand, the spring of the stand came off, but ‘Bajaj bharose ki gaadi’ kept my pride intact and remained on center stand without it.

Now it was my turn to challenge. ‘Eating 2 eggs in 5 minutes’ I said. Pankaj gave a thudding smile and said, ‘Learn how to challenge Sir... I accept it’. I said ok, today afternoon 1:00 pm we are going to Pune. ‘Pankaj and Anshu seemed baffled, ‘Pune? Why Mumbai hens are on strike, they are not giving eggs’ Pankaj said and they both started laughing. ‘No, but I will give my birthday party also over there and one who loses pays the party bill as well’ I replied.

Pankaj got his father’s antique Yezdi, I got my 350cc Bullet Machismo, Anshul gave company to me as a pillion-rider. At 5:30 pm we reached ‘Toni-Daa-Dhaba’ situated on old Mumbai-Pune Road, near Talegaon Pune. They both were still in confusion why they came so long just to eat eggs. Anshul said, ‘No doubt place is fantastic, but you could have given party in Mumbai as well, we need to return back also’ anguish Anshul replied, who’s back was still aching being a pillion-rider for 3 hours.

The waiter came for the order, the first thing to have in ‘Toni-Daa-Dhaba’ is the mouth-watering Lassi. I ordered 3 Lassi for three of us, the taste I tell you. And then was the time for challenge, ‘So ready juvenile?’ I asked Pankaj. The word juvenile probably hit him badly and loudly he said ‘Yes, get it’. I took the waiter to a distance and gave the order. It’s been 45 minutes, the eggs have not arrived yet, Pankaj said, ‘Pune people read mantra’s in hens ear then the hen gives egg I guess, that’s why it is taking time..’ and they both smiled. Pankaj’s happiness couldn’t survive for long as the order came, ‘What is this? Are these elephant’s egg’s? This is cheating... these are not eggs’, Pankaj started crying looking at the eggs size. ‘Emu, these are Emu eggs’, I replied. Both myself and Anshu started laughing at Pankaj facial reaction. Out of the five minutes Pankaj spent 2 minutes in looking at the eggs and where to start journey query. Well he couldn’t finish it, so we two joined him in finishing the eggs with salt, pepper, some green and red chutney. Delicious!!

It was 7:00 pm now, we paid the bill and got up to return to Mumbai and it started raining. Seasons first rain, smell of the soil, wow. But soon we realized we could not return that day, as due to first rain, vehicles skid on road and it is dangerous travelling. We enquired for some staying place, the waiter suggested ‘White House Hotel’, well it wasn’t that costly for a night’s stay, we updated our parents about our current scenario and went to the hotel, which was near-by.

I was unable to sleep, and also there was free wifi[due to free wifi, I was unable to sleep], so thought of using it via my new iPhone and checking who all wished me on my birthday. I logged-in to FB and found that out of many wishes there was one from ‘Ruh’. ‘Happy birthday Glen!!’ She still remembers me, I was happy to receive birthday wishes from her and fearful too because it came from Pak****n. Somehow I couldn’t control myself, found her online, ‘How are you?’ I asked Ruh.

Continued in next release....

~Sanjay Nikalje

For earlier articles click below link:

Part-1:Want to quickly become an Selenium Automation Engineer and build framework right from scratch?

Part-2:Want to quickly become an Selenium Automation Engineer and build framework right from scratch?

Part-3:Want to quickly become an Selenium Automation Engineer and build framework right from scratch?

Part-4: Want to quickly become an Selenium Automation Engineer and build framework right from scratch?

Part-5: Want to quickly become an Selenium Automation Engineer and build framework right from scratch?