A trip to Bangaluru

Girija got down at Bangaluru bus station and joined the long queue outside the pre-paid auto counter; she gave a rupee in the counter and asked for a ticket to‘Jayanagar’. She double checked the amount which she has to pay and calculated that the amount showed Rs. 7 more than what she had paid the last time she visited. She got into the auto only to hear the driver say ‘one and a half aagatte madam’. Before she could reply, the auto started.

Meena, her daughter’s friend welcomed her and introduced her to 2 more friends. Girija was served with snacks and a cup of coffee. After the casual talk with the youngsters, Girija was all set to take in charge of the kitchen for the next few days of her stay. While the aroma of ‘Saaru’ (rasam) was spreading all over the room, Neha entered. Later, every thing under the sun was the topic of discussion between mother and daughter for the next 2 hours.

Meena and Neha had a long list of ‘to do’ and ‘go to' with Girija as it was a week end. ‘Go to’ list for the next 2 days included Indira Gandhi musical fountain, Nalli silks, food at MTR and last but not the least a movie in PVR.

After the movie, the 2 girls took Girija to every other shop in the Forum mall, though the purchase was limited only to a T-shirt in west side. Later, as expected Café-coffee day had an open invitation to the gals. Neha ordered a ‘Coffee day special with extra cream’ and Meena ‘Tropical ice berg’. As Girija glanced the menu card, she had no choice but to decide on a coffee which ranged between Rs.45 and Rs.175. (plus taxes). Girija settled for a ‘cappuccino’ (off course, thinking that the same amount would buy them Idly, Vada and Dosa along with the coffee)

On the way back home, Neha was exited to see Shilpa (her collogue) along with her boy friend, Brijesh. Neha introduced them to Girija and Meena.

Night, on the dinning table, Neha spoke more about Shilpa and Brijesh. She said, the couple will be out for a movie, for a mall, for shopping every week end; they will talk to each other almost every 10 mins and Shilpa will update Brijesh about all the happenings around her; Shilpa remembers him 24/7; Happily, she even added, Shilpa will never do anything (even of her liking) without Brijesh’s approval because he does not like her going against his wishes. At last, Neha ended the conversation by saying ‘Wow! What a couple, lucky they are….”

After 2 days, Girija said, time to go. Neha and Meena dropped her in the railway station and wished her a happy and safe journey.

One fine day, in the midst of her work, Neha realized that it was long time speaking to her mother. She called Girija. After half an hour on the call, Neha updated her mother about Shilpa. She said ‘they broke up’!!.... Girija after few seconds replied ‘All that matters in life is trust, love and understanding and not movie, mall and shopping…. All that matters in life is a few minutes of talk which show cases care and concern and not hours of talk….. All that matters in life is remembering a person as soon as you wake up and before going to sleep and not 24/7…. Girija added ‘Shilpa should have done things with Brijesh’s approval only if she liked not going against his wishes” and not because he did not like her going against his wishes!!!!....

After the call, Neha turned on the FM radio and the song ‘Humhe tumse pyaar kitna, yeh hum nahin jaanthe…. Magar jee nahin sakte tumhare bina’ was played.