Celebrating Excesses

One of the reasons I love Mumbai City so much, is because the people who live here never cease to amaze me!

Backing the truck a little though, yesterday I received this call:

Tomorrow is Avantika’s birthday and we’re having a surprise party for her, can you come?

Now Avantika is one of the sweetest people I’ve had the privilege to call ‘friend’ recently. She’s bubby, pretty and most attractive of all - she has a huge heart. I came to this conclusion when I found out that she dumped her career as a lawyer to work as a teacher to underprivileged kids at the NGO Akanksha.

A celebration for Avantika, naturally I said yes.

But apparently the surprise was for me! For the party was not today (as I made out from the above line) but last evening! Imagine my surprise then when I received a call saying Avantika had already arrived and where was I?! Lol.

By the time I arrived, most people present were in varied states of happy inebriation, mostly due to a (completely groggy himself) host cum bartender who apparently was busy mixing French, Greek & Turkish drinks for the group! For my part, I was happy there was a nice apple juice for me to nurse.

Had a long conversation with Avantika’s other half Kanishk on how India seems to being going the Western way, with so many people in our age group were switching careers completely - certainly there were many people at the party who had done so!

Also met with a pretty American girl, of Sri Lankan origin and with thick Californian accent - who also has left America and come to India to work with the poor kids at Akanksha. I was so impressed with her - imagine, she’s been year almost a year, her first time ever in India and though she’s been to many a slum, she still hasn’t seen any of the sites in Mumbai! Talk about selfless giving!

In this city where excess of almost every vice seem to rule, it’s nice to see excess of virtue too.

Tags: Akanksha, Party, Partying, Photos