Bangalore Times -2 (Confessions of a Reluctant Misogynist)

I am eager to write about many other things but i guess i should first finish these Bangalore Chronicles.So...

...continued from previous post

I have been to Brigade Road before...few years ago. That time, i didnt browse the street much, except for the two most-important avenues(important for me), Music world and Planet-M. This time, with Govind, it was different. He lead us througha narrow-unassuming bylane, across Brigade Road. "Select Book House"-Where like-minds meet... was our destination. the tagline was quite eye-catching. The shoppe was a very small 2 room warehouse of Old books. The very look of the books reminded of Library-1930 editions-brown pages-scent of old paper-few crumbling pages and some dust...the shoppe housed some thousands of books and what dropped my jaws on to the floor(rolling my tongue out till brigade Road) was that , the entire collection was a personal collection. The old-man, to whom the collection belongs was not in the shoppe, although Govind had some unforgettable childhood experiences with the man and his shoppe. we (partially)browsed the collection for about 1-2 hours, zeroed in on few books (although there were many more to buy...to browse the entire collection needs one full-day) and half-heartedly decided to get back to the room.

Bangalore infamous traffic did delay us a bit, but not much. Back in the room, no one was there and 3 of us killed time with the killers we bought in the book shoppe. everyone dropped in slowly and within just few hours(girls...sarees...now! you know the time required in order to put everything in place...and self-hypnotize with "Oh my God! i am wearing Saree for a Party..and i must look good....good enough to turn few heads") everyone was ready. All of us were very bothered about the usual formality...giving some bouquet to the blessed-couple but then, we couldnt find any enroute. So, there was only one thing which each of us could give...A Shake-Hand and we did that.

Sanjay dressed as impeccably as ever...i was not surprised seeing him, because there was nothing new about it. Sanjay's Mom, exuding what is called as "Grace". She is indeed one of the most beautiful women i have seen in my life, age-no-bar.Everyone was in formals and so were we. They have arranged for a music-programme too and the artists were doing some good job infact. barring a couple of kannada-folk songs, which didnt run down well with me, they were very keeping up the mood with some fantastic Old Hindi songs and classical Krithis. One unforgettable one was a hindi number in Raag Desh. if only i could record that one, it was superb. Songs from "Pallavi Anupallavi" were equally rocking.

We headed for Dinner(the most important event of the day) and the food tasted good too. Quite a variety cuisine. It was in the dining hall that i came across a lady who was carrying herself elegantly in a pink saree. the first thought which occurred to me was-"She is Beautiful". well! yes,she was as beautiful as the sentence means...i must have seen many beautiful ladies in my life but very few faces stick in the mind for long and she had something like that. i do not like to use thesaurus here to describe here because she couldnt be described by many adjectives. only one - Beauty. the harder i tried to pull my gaze away from her face( let me be frank with my own self..did i really try??? hmm!!! no comments), the more i was looking at her, past the shoulders and curtains.

Well! without any embrassment, i told about the same to Sanjay, when he told me that she was his cousin. after some "chaudhvin ka chaand ho" kind of imaginary excursions, i was introduced to her by Sanjay...or should i say WE were introduced to her by Sanjay. Yet, a curtain of silence over-rode on those meaningless exchange of glances. Perhaps that imaginary excursion & the song didnt end yet...and the moment slipped.

My dear Keats, i dont know if she is/was a joy forever...But she was indeed a Thing of Beauty...

to be continued...