Hi!! Please note that the heading doesn't read "A Small Tale"! :D
In the 10 months since my parents, and hence me, moved to the global village called BengaLooru ( It was called thus the last time I checked with Karnataka Rakshana Vedike ), I've grown to understand what 'traffic' meant. When I was a kid, I used to think that traffic meant movement of vehicles on roads, but Moodithaya's Concise Indish Dictionary now defines it as:
n.\ˈtra-fik\ Unintentional, inevitable and permanent public display of vehicles, which work extra-time to put out gases that blind eagles, and swimming on lakes with small islands of asphalt here and there. Occassionally, the exhibition moves but at a pace not exceeding that of a snail's.
It was this idea of traffic, coupled with my cosy bed back home propped with a new laptop, that prevented me from exploring Bangalore. But all that changed with a short visit by a few of my cousins, a couple of weeks back. I hopped into the Toyota Innova and thought of going wherever they went, their parents included. Someone came with the idea of leaving my cousin and me somewhere and the next moment, I was staring at the a sign that read THE FORUM.
I spent around 4-5 hours or even more in The Forum, though more out of compulsion than anything else. I failed to understand what other people do there other than ogling at other people. I even tried doing that, albeit in a more scientific approach, and I must say that I failed miserably in doing justice to it more than a couple of minutes as it was plain what they were looking for there : nothing. They just came there to do what I stated above (primarily boys) and a few others to come to PVR and chill out with their pals. Well, even after all I have said, I must say it was entertaining as I had Shrinidhi by my side and he was willing enough to be an accomplice for window-shopping. I visited most shops overflowing with Luxury and even had the courage to gleam info from the people in there even though it was plain that I was there with money enough to get just bankrupt if I dare spend on a single Pizza. Which I did in any case along with a can of Sprite and 2 halves of different cookies. Coz I forgot to take my wallet in my haste and recklessness, and Chikappa had given me 200 bucks, for which I am grateful. Without that I would have been a total bum instead of just looking like one.
First we went to the 2 bookstores there : I forgot the first one but the second was Landmark. Tell me the name if you happen to remember. There was even a manicure and pedicure session organised there but was of no usefulness to guys like us, definitely not me as I have feet more tender than yours. ;P
Then after we were scared that we would have to spend all our time as captives within the confines of the wonderful prison ( the bookstores ), we went exploring other shops and showrooms of interest. Most of them were centered around art and technology, with a touch of vintage beauty too. We ogled at cuff links, quills, mighty and fat pens, time-pieces, exquisite watches that became more attractive as the cost lessened ( Shrinidhi guessed the price of a 87k watch as 2k. Not his fault. Going by the duplicates I have seen, I wouldn't have priced it above 300 bucks. Even the original might have elicited Rs. 1099.99/- from my mouth which I consider a princely sum ) and then some chains, clips, brooches et al for my mom. There were a few that caught my eye which I thought were fairly-priced too ( though my idea of fair was probably skewed by then with all the Oomphs I had the pleasure to savour ). Alas! My misfortune came to haunt me there. I was forced to just fill my eyes with its sight, and not my pocket with it, by the state of poverty prevalent at the time.
Then we searched high and dry for edible food and fluids and found none. Even places like McDonalds, KFC, Subway etc were teeming with people inside and outside. So we were forced to make ourselves content with 2 different pizzas, which we shared, from the Pizza Corner outside the mall. I then walked down the memory lane of me eating Pizza about an year back with Pa there after my BITS exam.
Then we returned back to our pavilion and resumed our nomadic life within the four walls of the mall. We even sat outside but doing so made us very uncomfortable with all the public glare. So we shied away from it and again I strove to find the evading truth by elevating myself to the higher levels inside and attempting to find the answer there. Still no progress : people still wanted nothing and did nothing. Then we went to MORE and found ourselves 2 cans of Sprite : Clear hai, No Bakwaaz, etc you know. Then again the same revelation, the same answer: Nothing. ( Remember the old Sprite ad of a student trying to 'bhuja' his 'pyaas', supposedly of knowledge? )
All these were inter-spaced with several anxious calls from Pa and a few calls from my other cousins informing us of the sudden change of the place of our lunch from MTR to The Forum and a few to get us back into the car. Lots left but they should wait until our paths cross, which won't be long I guess. They can't be published here.
PS: I just returned today from my short trip to Thiruvananthapuram, Nagarcoil and Kanyakumari. A select few tidbits will be posted here shortly :D.
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