2009 – the year that was

Sitting alone in my guest-house office, sipping 10 Pipers mixed with ‘Real’ Guava (even as the two fluids so totally refuse to mix – the scotch sits atop the denser juice), let me wonder how the year passed by.

I saw my best friend Tota getting married to my best friend Maina but didn’t feel too great about it when it was all happening.

I went riding a Bullet all over central India with another best-friend Tiwari for a week and felt great about it – we swam naked in rivers and bathed naked under hand-pumps, negotiated with corrupt cops, found Amitabh Bachchan’s house in Allahabad, saw one tenth of a tiger, shagged at the Taj Mahal and rowed a boat in Benaras.

I got myself a DSLR and went to Sikkim where I saw snow for the fist time; and snow-fall.

I went to Ladakh with another best-friend to see snow for the second time in my life. We rode a ravishing red coloured Bullet all over the high-altitude Ladakhi roads, over snow, sand and pebbles. We fell sick but survived. We fagged sitting at the mesmeric Pangong and clicked pictures of the adorable gulls.

I went to Bangalore and had beer with Jar, Munni, Taploo and ended up meeting a girl whom I was supposed to marry and whom I never married. I missed my train to Chennai and yet reached the good old city to meet LoLy and to see how my insti was doing.

I found Ms Short-Story in a book-shop in Bhubaneswar and became friends with her. She remained my only friend for as long as I lived in the town.

I took mummy, papa and Sweety to Meghalaya and let the moist greenery of the region take over our lives.

I saw the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri and the wheels in Konark.

I ran my first half-marathon in Hyderabad and bought my first sports-bike (bicycle).

I ran into strangers in Indore and with some of them, paid a visit to a dance-bar for the first time. And then with them and others, I drank and explored the city.

I rode 500 Kms on my bicycle from Manali to Leh (yes – Ladakh again) in eight days and found two friends from London on the eighth day with whom I drank and talked about life for as long we remained in Leh. And then I rode my bike to Khardung La and came back alive.

I quit smoking.

I ran my second half marathon in Delhi and spent the evening with the hottest girl I had ever been with, in my life.

I got transferred to Ahmedabad, went to Mount Abu and ran my third half-marathon in Vadodara. And then I took a jeep to see wild lions in the jungle of Gir.

I went to Udaipur to attend the second marriage of the year and met Tota and Maina for the first time since their marriage. And finally I felt good; and happy. And then I ruled the Udaipur Palace for few hours.

I went to Mumbai for my family re-union and swam at the Khasid Beach. I sat in Leopold wit a girl and her friend and emptied an entire pitcher all by myself and felt jealous of Shantaram when I did that. Oh of course, I read about forty books this year.

And as the year ends, I have found someone who thinks she loves me. The only problem is, I don’t know what I think. 2010 should be crazier. May God keep me sane.

PS: Happy New Year guys. I love you all because you care to read.