After satisfying the hunger within us, we got onto our bikes and returned to the hotel. The ride back to Pondy was not very eventful, except that we got separated on the way back. We met up a little while later, in a place unknown. But we managed to find our way back without much asking around! Felt like we had lived there for years!
What caught my attention the most about traveling in Pondy was that no matter where you went, or how you went, you always end up on Anna Salai( Anna Street). It was unnerving, for this was the very manifestation of the saying "All roads lead to Rome"!
Once we reached the hotel, we put our stuff away, took baths, got all cleaned up and left. It was our last night in Pondy, and we did not want it to go waste. It went without saying that there would be a small *farewell drinking*, but that wasn't enough to get us there. We wanted something to remember Pondy with. Something that would make the whole trip perfect. Give it the storybook ending.
So we decided that there would be no sleeping that night. The night would be ours to spend. And come morning, we would be waiting at the beach for the sun to rise. Thus began preparations for the morning.
Anna Salai had all that we could ever need for the night. The *farewell drinks* were bought. The cards to play bluff were ready. But the time was not right to return to the rooms. The night was young and Pondy's Promenade beach was calling to the gang that would be leaving her in a few hours. We heeded.
The gang of 7 reached the Promenade. Bikes were parked. The boulevard of the beach was shut off to all motor vehicles every evening. That made the experience even better. I don't know when we got onto the beach. I don't know how long we were there. All I know was that the beach was amazing to watch.
Sid had an uncle in Pondy, and had been invited for dinner that night. So he was picked up by his uncle("chitappa" as I would like to call him). We promised to wait at promenade till he got back. We walked around the boulevard, visited a few of the shop along the road, bought souvenirs for the guys who couldn't make it to the trip, watch the crowd thin out, found a comfortable spot on the rocky beach to sit and watch the beach play. It was a serene evening, nice and calm. All of us had the regret that it was the last day, yet, we were excited to get back home. It wasn't that any of us were homesick. But I have to admit, there's no place like home. No matter how much we may like a place, we belong back home.
Sid was returned to us in a couple of hours. By that time, the crowd on the beach had almost completely dispersed, save a few like ourselves, and a fair young girl with a little Pug. After spending time on the beach, just watching her, and talking about random things, we decided to take a walk. It was getting too cold, and none of us had brought a sweater along. But we weren't ready to leave yet. So we walked.
After some time, Ankit who'd been eyeing the girl with the pug, walked back to us and said, "Dooood... I wanna talk to that girl ra". How very much like him. Out of the blue he wants to talk to a girl we had never seen before. More importyantly, a girl who had never seen US before!
I said, "Okay. So go talk to her". But things can never be that simple. So Ankit said, "Goo ra. Just like that?". Well duh! Of course just like that! We would be leaving in a few hours. Probably never see the chick again! So I offered, "Okay, I'll come with you and talk to her. But you have to begin." How very like me. Ankit wants to step in dung, so I'll do it with him! Sushanth offered to come along too. Yeah. 3 unknown guys. 1 cute chick with a dog that probably can't... correction, won't bark. We were asking for it.
So we walk in the direction of the girl, and she was walking towards us. And like one of those comedies you see on TV, the whole thing flopped. We lamely walked past her. Ankit totally chickened out! But, Sushanth and me wanted to do something crazy. And we couldn't let the opportunity go. So we took an about turn, and walked back to the girl. When we caught up to her, I started the conversation with her and Sushanth with the Pug. From the word go I knew it was a bad idea. The girl must have thought we were drunk or that we were gonna kidnap her. I could see FEAR written on her face. But I just couldn't just stop. So I made pointless conversation, and finally let her go when I knew she would start screaming if I continued.
The three of us walked off in the other direction. But the others were standing a distance away and watching the whole thing. Turns out the girl ran for her life once we left! I really must look like one of the terrorists!
What caught my attention the most about traveling in Pondy was that no matter where you went, or how you went, you always end up on Anna Salai( Anna Street). It was unnerving, for this was the very manifestation of the saying "All roads lead to Rome"!
Once we reached the hotel, we put our stuff away, took baths, got all cleaned up and left. It was our last night in Pondy, and we did not want it to go waste. It went without saying that there would be a small *farewell drinking*, but that wasn't enough to get us there. We wanted something to remember Pondy with. Something that would make the whole trip perfect. Give it the storybook ending.
So we decided that there would be no sleeping that night. The night would be ours to spend. And come morning, we would be waiting at the beach for the sun to rise. Thus began preparations for the morning.
Anna Salai had all that we could ever need for the night. The *farewell drinks* were bought. The cards to play bluff were ready. But the time was not right to return to the rooms. The night was young and Pondy's Promenade beach was calling to the gang that would be leaving her in a few hours. We heeded.
The gang of 7 reached the Promenade. Bikes were parked. The boulevard of the beach was shut off to all motor vehicles every evening. That made the experience even better. I don't know when we got onto the beach. I don't know how long we were there. All I know was that the beach was amazing to watch.
Sid had an uncle in Pondy, and had been invited for dinner that night. So he was picked up by his uncle("chitappa" as I would like to call him). We promised to wait at promenade till he got back. We walked around the boulevard, visited a few of the shop along the road, bought souvenirs for the guys who couldn't make it to the trip, watch the crowd thin out, found a comfortable spot on the rocky beach to sit and watch the beach play. It was a serene evening, nice and calm. All of us had the regret that it was the last day, yet, we were excited to get back home. It wasn't that any of us were homesick. But I have to admit, there's no place like home. No matter how much we may like a place, we belong back home.
Sid was returned to us in a couple of hours. By that time, the crowd on the beach had almost completely dispersed, save a few like ourselves, and a fair young girl with a little Pug. After spending time on the beach, just watching her, and talking about random things, we decided to take a walk. It was getting too cold, and none of us had brought a sweater along. But we weren't ready to leave yet. So we walked.
After some time, Ankit who'd been eyeing the girl with the pug, walked back to us and said, "Dooood... I wanna talk to that girl ra". How very much like him. Out of the blue he wants to talk to a girl we had never seen before. More importyantly, a girl who had never seen US before!
I said, "Okay. So go talk to her". But things can never be that simple. So Ankit said, "Goo ra. Just like that?". Well duh! Of course just like that! We would be leaving in a few hours. Probably never see the chick again! So I offered, "Okay, I'll come with you and talk to her. But you have to begin." How very like me. Ankit wants to step in dung, so I'll do it with him! Sushanth offered to come along too. Yeah. 3 unknown guys. 1 cute chick with a dog that probably can't... correction, won't bark. We were asking for it.
So we walk in the direction of the girl, and she was walking towards us. And like one of those comedies you see on TV, the whole thing flopped. We lamely walked past her. Ankit totally chickened out! But, Sushanth and me wanted to do something crazy. And we couldn't let the opportunity go. So we took an about turn, and walked back to the girl. When we caught up to her, I started the conversation with her and Sushanth with the Pug. From the word go I knew it was a bad idea. The girl must have thought we were drunk or that we were gonna kidnap her. I could see FEAR written on her face. But I just couldn't just stop. So I made pointless conversation, and finally let her go when I knew she would start screaming if I continued.
The three of us walked off in the other direction. But the others were standing a distance away and watching the whole thing. Turns out the girl ran for her life once we left! I really must look like one of the terrorists!
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