He and I met at the NIIT education center in Dehra Doon. This was 1991-2. It was in SEM II we started talking and discovered we two were the only quiet ones in a batch of 18 odd guys. We both had a crush on our faculty and also on Susan – this is what we revealed when were comfortable enough to call each other pals. We wondered how she got into those black tights – you see, neither were we aware of too many western outfits [except for jeans and t-shirts] nor we had seen anyone more hip-hop than Susan!
He visited my home and I also met his parents. His father and he were watching cricket and during the breaks his father inquired everything about who his son called his new friend. His mother reminds me of Bharti Achrekar – the TV serial artist.
In SEM III he moved out of NIIT and joined HMT Bhopal. We wrote letters to each other and shared the good and bad in life. I do not recall what was so specific that we discussed, but waited for each other’s snail mails. He wrote to me about his ragging – how all guys were asked to strip and run like a railway compartments, one after the other, holding, ahem – I mean the bogies had to have a connecting link.
There’s so little of what I know about his professional life. I mean except that he works in the hotel, has worked in Delhi, Chandigarh, maybe Baroda, Bangalore, and now in Pune.
I showed him the mystical sites in Dehra Doon: Robber’s cave, Bijapur canal, and others. He used to be fascinated and listened intently to whatever little I told him about Vinita and my other female friends. He once requested me if I could befriend him with one of them.
Being from a small town, and born in a non-aggressive environment, he has always been a man of patience. Quite reserved, his USP is his smile and gentleman charm – I should have guessed he was destined for the hospitality line.
He is married to an equally charming and composed person. They lived in Baroda for some time and now they decided to retire there once they say adieu to working life.
We did not meet in Delhi even when he was there on six month training. Than on 13th Feb 1997 we met. That day I picked him from Noida and we did not sleep until 5 in the morning. He proposed we start a restaurant business together, in Dehra Doon. We discussed each and every detail of how it would be, how we would expand, what would be the USP, and other details. Our outlet would be above the Vegetarian restaurant in Ashley Hall. My mother would help us with legal matters, and finances would be arranged somehow – these were included in the discussion.
At around 1-2 am, when we had decided on our partnership, we thought of celebrating. I pulled out my sister’s car from the parking in Lajpat Nagar, and we headed to the Oberoi’s near Golf Course.
The coffee shop was empty – and there wasn’t even a waiter to take order. We sat near a large window overlooking the empty swimming pool. It had a blue yellow hue—blue because of the tiles, and yellow was the sodium lamp’s effect. It was Delhi winter and the glass pane had mist. Everything seemed just so perfect. The tables had maroon and white linen with patterns of small checks. The tables with the cutlery and other items were ready for people to occupy in the morning. I don’t exactly remember, but either the lights in the coffee shop were dim, or we had just a single lamp glowing on top of our table.
The waiter took our order of two coffees. While we were waiting for our coffee to arrive, he explained me how tables are placed in coffee shops – what are covers; who are captains; how chefs or people in the kitchen and the waiters share the tips they receive from the customers. There was a small cup which had sachets of sugar – white and brown, and he explained me what brown sugar was – I don’t remember the difference now.
Coffee arrived, and he had a brief conversation with the waiter [I use the word waiter but this person may be a captain or any other high/low ranking server]. In our enthusiasm, he told the waiter about our new deal and that we were there to celebrate. When we asked for the bill, the waiter simply replied, “on the house sir.” We tried giving him a tip, he did not accept. We felt he was with us in our celebration.
While we were leaving we saw the crew of Air France having their breakfast. There were some 8-9 tall guys and ladies who were up for their early morning flight. That’s when I observed a bun which looked like a crab – which he told me was a croissant. I still cannot pronounce it.
Back home, we slept and then I dropped him back to his sister’s house in Noida. While getting down he told me he would soon resign from his job, and that I should just think about this new venture.
I think within two months time I received his letter informing me that he had resigned from his job and was on notice period. In return I informed him about my inability to go ahead with the partnership. After that I received a couple of his mails, but there was no mention of our dream. This made me a little uncomfortable.
I left for Middle East, he got married, and our communication dwindled. We called each other to wish on birthdays – just two days in a year.
I was back in Delhi in Oct 2005 and met him and his wife. She addressed me as bhaiya, and there’s so much genuineness and originality in whatever they say or talk about. They are, after all, from a small town! I wanted to tell him why I had dropped my plan, and also to apologize, but I could not talk. He was so warm and as always friendly that I could not mention the topic. I kept quite.
He met Dimpy in Bangalore, and she too found him a down to earth person. She told me she thought she was talking to me when interacting with him. “Just as sober and straight forward person like you.” Poor girl, she has not had a chance to observe the changes of professional life on her brother!
Vinay is and will remain etched in my memory as one of the best person in my life.
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