Mornings After

… Yup, there’s nothing like one.

Especially when you’ve spent the previous night at a Hindi Play. Wha-huh??

Yes I did. I was lured into Pritvi on Saturday night with the promise of seeing “The Vagina Monologues”

But then was called just a little while before the play to say that we were instead going to see “Hadh Kar Di Aapne“. If you don’t understand that that means “You Are the Limit”, join the club.

I was in no way inclined to see a Hindi play (especially since I couldn’t even understand the title) but Madame Celebrity Guilt Tripper - who is SO brilliant at her non-paying guilt tripping job - wouldn’t let me get the ‘N’ for ‘NO WAY, JOSE!’ in edgewise.

One of the brilliant (yeah, right) arguments she used went like this; “Yaar, you can learn Hindi for Rahul Gandhi but you cannot come out for a Hindi Play with your friends?”. This is problem with having friends who read your blog. They use it against you.

Being already all dressed up (of course, being ever the narcissist, I took pics!) I decided I might as well have a new experience, so went ahead to the play.

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Since I was joining the lot for dinner later, I decided to go via Rickshaw, something which I never do when I’m dressed up. Note to self: If there is a next time, carry a jacket / stole. Some Indian men are disgusting pigs who can’t stop staring.

So I’m in this rickshaw & we stop at a signal & suddenly there is this child next to me. I make it a habit to never give money to beggars - I do not believe in supporting the begging industry (& it is an industry) - but instead support NGOs working to help street children. I also keep sweets with me which is only for these children.

I didn’t give him any money, but I reached into my bag and gave him a sweet. To my surprise he took it gracefully, smiled at me and said “Thank You!”.

He really was so adorable, I couldn’t help taking his picture:

I asked him what his name was & he said “Somnath”. Then he surprised me by asking me what mine was. I say “Surprised” because there was still so much innocence about him, so many other children on the street seem hardened at a ridiculously young age.

Somnath on the other hand looked at me as if I were his equal in every way. His innocence totally disarmed me. He held out his dirty looking little hand as if he was a big CEO and asked me if he could shake my hand. I willing gave him mine and he almost wouldn’t leave it.

Until on the other side of the rick appeared another girl. Her name was Gopa. She didn’t want money. She also wanted to shake my hand. And then there was another one. And another one. None of them asked for money. They all just wanted to shake my hand.

So there I was, in this rick, shaking hands with all these kids (& one adult lady with baby too for good measure) right until the time we got our signal & started off.

The whole thing kinda shook me up a little. I kept thinking about it on the way after - Why would these people want to hold my hand?? - and then I got it.

Respect.

Or like (the Queen!) Aretha would say R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Seriously. I really believe that we can make street children’s lives better - in a minuscule way at least - if we treat them with respect. In about the same way we’d treat Bill Gates’ kids if we knew them.

The play turned out to be rather inane. Not that I expected intelligence from a Hindi Slapstick Comedy. Ignore the next part if you’d rather not bother. I wouldn’t blame you.

It was about a man in his fifties who refuses to keep a maid and he’s ok since his sati-savitri wife behaves like she’s a maid and loving it. Until of course madam finds out she is pregnant & man then decides to make her do no work at all & instead make his spoilt married daughter (who lives in their house with her husband ~ Babloo!) become the new maid instead. In the middle of all this are extreme performances - wife goes from boring & sati-savitrified to all dolled up & wearing mini kurtis. Apparently the first thing some in her fifties does when she finds out she is pregnant is go to the parlour. But of course.

I could go on & on. Tell you about the pervy (cute imo) neighbour or the well-meaning (totally overbearing imo) friend or the cranky (annoying like hell imo) daughter. But instead I’ll tell you about Babloo. His character was OTT and just the sort of thing I hate in Hindi Comedies - overacting to the hilt. You know, the type of guy who’d shake his hips & shoulders while moving his finger to make a point.

But he was great! As annoying hip-and-shoulder-shaking-finger-movers go, this actor nailed it. I only hope he’s not this annoying in real life. Not that the chances of me ever meeting him in my life are great. Mercifully.

Had dinner with the 7 girls after (we were going to see Vagina Monologues remember? So no men were allowed to tag along). Ate at the ‘Temple Flower’, which is right next to ‘Alfredo’s’, which in turn is just outside Pritvi (we were hungry, sue us). The two restaurants have a common management - and as these places go, we sat at the Temple Flower but ordered off Alfredo’s menus.

Had a fun and long dinner - excellent conversation though - thank you, all 7 of you! Incidentally, I’m not sure about what this says about us - all of us were what I think the average man would term pretty - and none of us finished our food. Hmmm??

Sunday morning was rather groggy - got up late (mainly because I never slept at all the previous night, whaddya expect with chatty women?).

I found myself alone at home and rather grumpily realized there was nothing to eat. Good Samaritans however come in all shapes and sizes - and Sunday morning saw mine in the form of a Ghost of a couple Christmasses ago. And he bought me breakfast!

Seeing me overjoyed, he doubled the act by getting me lunch too - and actually an array from which I could choose. Yes, I am a princess indeed. And he - he’s a WOAH! guy. Here’s a pic of his completely pimped up car!

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Spent the evening - which progressed quickly into late late night going to Church & then visiting Mum and Grand-mums to wish them a very Happy Mother’s Day!.

Monday morning? THAT was the real morning after.

Tags: Beggars, Bombay-Restaurants, Guilt-Trippers, Hadh-Kar-Di-Aapne, Hindi-Play, Hindi-Slapstick-Comedy, Hindi-Theatre, Mornings-After, Mumbai-Restaurants, Narcissist, Photos, Pics, Pimped-Cars, Pritvi, Public-Transportation, Respect, Rickshaw, The-Vagina-Monologues