vimsandfancies: Bombay Calling

Some weeks back, I was in Bombay for a shoot. The shoot was wrapped up before the schedule and I had plenty of time left to myself including a weekend thrown in. I was anyway planning to go to Bombay to meet Anshumani. We owed each other a big bear hug for our Cannes thing. So this shoot couldn’t have been better timed. But this sudden timing also had its pitfall, that is, I couldn’t meet Mihir, Vanita, Jaideep or Megha, as either my phone failed me or they were busy with their prior commitments. Unlike most Delhiwallas, I like Bombay (But then I am not a Delhiwala anyway). I like Bombay as it reminds me of Calcutta. Crowded roads, a sea of people anywhere you look, old Victorian-style buildings (built mostly by Parsis) and its proximity to water. I had a really tiring day at the shoot which got over by 8 in the evening. Ritabrata dropped me at Bandra from where I took an auto to Khar for Rs.12 flat, (if you travel in Delhi autos, you almost feel like hugging the Bombay auto and cab guys for their professionalism). Anshumani and Timsy, her current art partner, both looked great and we went to Zenzi. Needless to say I was quite awkward at a page 3 place like that, and that too wearing the same clothes I was shooting the whole day in. So we settled down, gulped a couple of beers, and then when they shooed us out at 1, we picked up some more beer, headed home and continued our yakking and catching up on anything and everything till 4 in the morning. I was scheduled to be picked up by Ritabrata at 6.30 in the morning for a day long trek. I had no clue how I’d manage it. But anyway, he called me at 6 and at 6.30, four of us (Meenaz, Sneha, Ritabrata and me) were in his car, on our way to Tikona. Initially I couldn’t keep my eyes open in the car and was cursing myself for coming along. I was sure I was going to embarrass them, as they are all certified advance climbers from HMI or NIM. This trek was like a walk in the backyard for them, and I haven’t walked that much of late so I was tense whether I’ll embarrass them. But I guess, I didn’t. Okay I slipped like a thousand times on our way down, but in my defence, I was wearing a shoe with a flat sole and the mud was slippery due to rain :)

After our stopover in Navi Mumbai for breakfast, I slept in the car for some time. And then when I opened my eyes, the view of the Bombay-Pune Expressway was so good that I couldn’t sleep anymore. But the best was yet to come. Tikona Fort (3633ft, also known as Vitangagad) is the dominant hill fort in Maval in Shaihadris. It is located near Kamshet around 125 kms from Mumbai. The 3500 ft high hill is pyramidal in shape and hence it's called Tikona. There is a lake at the summit. It’s a small weekend trekking destination for seasoned trekkers like my friends, and for Pune Symbiosis and such college types who hoot and make weird noises and whoop at the summit, “its amaaaaaaaaazing!! BEAUTIFUL!!! I feel close to HIM from up here!!(yeah dude, wonder what will you say when you are at Mount Everest…woohooo, I feel so close I can smell HIS ass from here). Hahahaha. Priti, not criticising, just joking! ;). Sneha took most of the pictures and they look good. Meenaz was guiding me throughout.