New
year's eve - 31st December, it's that time of the year, when people are meeting
up with friends, going places, engaging in revelry whilst bringing in the New
Year.
I
personally am not a big fan of the festivities. I had liked to stay indoors
through most of my schooling and college years unlike the enthu-types
partying-shartying.
But
since the last 3 odd years, I along with a couple of friends would make it a
point to meet up for dinner or maybe afterwards for dessert and bring in the
new year at some peaceful place watching the fireworks.
The
agenda-less meet would usually be us recalling how the previous year past and
what each one of us planned to do in the upcoming year ... (making those
resolutions which we revisit only at the end of the year)
It
was 2009, Hemal, Ashish and me met up for
dinner. It was pizzas. At that time cheese bursts being the rage, we over
ambitious lot order two of those and ate till the point we ended up like
stuffed Thanksgiving turkeys. We roamed around Borivali for a bit and in search
for solace found our very own tanki*. Our tanki was the abandon concrete stage
at the edge of the MHB ground. It has good place to sit and being an open
ground we would get good cool breeze.
{Here
tanki refers to the tank in the film "3 Idiots (2009)" which was the
hangout zone of the three protagonists in the movie.}
The
clock strikes 12 and the fireworks in the vicinity seem like they have been lit
up only for us. Magic in Manic Mumbai.
In
2010, it was a similar story, though we
skipped dinner and met directly for desserts. This year Kalpit accompanied us
to as he was in India during the winter break. The hours flew by as like the
previous year. Though this year we did plan our very first road trip to be
executed in the coming 3 days. Nothing fancy - drive down to Shirdi for darshan
and back.
Fireworks,
the chill in the air and the warmth of friends … nice way to welcome the year
ahead.
Come
2011, and I
had plans different from the previous years. We had dinner and met up at
Borivali railway station. The plan was to bring in the new year at Marine Drive
with Mumbaikars. We alighted at around 11 PM on Charni road, and then started
walking on the Marine drive in search for a decent place to sit and chill. We
did find a very good place between Marine Lines and Churchgate, settled down
and enjoyed the mood of the place. It was a different experience compared to
previous years. There were people, loud music and lots of fireworks. It must
have been a zillion people with whom we brought in 2012, had fun and then took
the last local back home.
Our
friend Verus though was always away during this time and is always given a earful
on the phone minutes before midnight.
This
year though, my friends are all away, busy with work and studies. We are all
going to be missing our annual tradition and therein lies the greatest lesson
in life … FRIENDS have a special place in your life … and nothing can be
substituted for them ….
I
wish all of you a Happy New Year … may the new year bring you lots of good luck
… and as Inzi (Inzamam ul Haq) would say "Insha allah - agar khuda ne
chaha toh 2013 ka last din saath mein celebrate karenge … "
