Nov 22nd 2018 – Day 2, Part 2
Settling in and the evening
I walk along the sunny, partially shaded path with Sheetal and Shreya – feel so warm and happy to be here with all of you! Priya and I go back to the reception to complete our registration and get our room keys. Pramad is there, still unobtrusively and quietly helping new comers register.
We are told it is “far” to the rooms so we should take one of those electric carts, like golf carts that are being run around the resort. The staff load up our luggage in one of those buggies and we get on for a short 2 min ride to our room. Suite better describes each 2-person “room”: it is a lush and cozy mini apartment with a living room and bedroom separated by curtains. There’s a sitout leading from large French windows from the living room, but we never get to explore that in the one day and one night we have there. Too much catching up to do with the rest!
Oh, the bathroom! It deserves its own paragraph. It is as large as the bedroom! Floors done in cool marble, with skylights above, making it light and spacious. I love it. There’s a corner tub-for-two – or even three ? Priya grumbles that the shower area is not separated from the rest of the bathroom so water splashes out if you turn on the shower. Another example of form over function… ah well, can’t have everything!
After putting away our stuff and gushing over the suite we go out to check out the rest – I, armed with my camera, and Priya armed with her sarcasm towards my non-stop photography. We knock on Vidhya’s room – which is a larger 4-person format suite, that she’s sharing with Pramad, Pilloo, and Chinnu. I go crazy making pics of the beautifully framed mirrors there. And get my first glimpse of the finished product – the yearbook! We spend some time leafing through it and making cooing noises.
Brain of BITS in the twilight
Meanwhile someone comes in with the message that Vidhya is needed urgently at the “QT” – she and Chinnu have made it to the Bits of Brain (BoB) Quiz final! And that since Vidhya was not around, Seema Naik has stepped up to give Chinnu company on the stage! Vidhya is in her nightgown, and grumbling a little, she changes to go to the finals stage. We continue to roost with Pramad in their room for a bit longer. Lazily we walk over to the QT because there are rumours that there will be chai. And maybe some Indian junk to go with it!
We zone in on the chai. Sweet shots of masala chai. And kachori. And biscuits. And a few more irresistible junkies! I eat like there’s no tomorrow. BoB is in the final rounds. There’s a lot of leg pulling and merriment over the questions and answers, but I am not in the loop by now, so it just passes over my head harmlessly.
Ladies in red – the photoshoot
I’ve lost track of time – when BoB is over and the prizes handed out, I realize it has turned to twilight. The next event is at 7pm, the official photo-shoot – ladies in red, men in blue or black suits. We wander back to the rooms to get ready.
The photo-shoot is a lot of fun, with many selfies, official camera shots, unofficial ones, in all combinations. They have setup a 333031 cycle rickshaw, a BITS clock tower backdrop and a few such props for the photo-shoot. Though it feels cheesy, the photos later turn out really awesome with the props, especially the rickshaw ones.
The only sad moment was the time reserved for the in-memoriams of our four batchmates who are no more… even though the video was not quite what it could have been, we all felt the spirit of our friends who will forever live in our hearts. Close friends of the four guys relived and remembered them fondly and many an eye misted over.
Talent, our very own!
After the more sober and formal part of the evening, there is a wonderful group dance choreographed entirely via whatsapp!! Three cheers to the group dancers – Sathya, Viji, Sireesha, Sri Vidya, Sudipa! What an awesome performance. The years literally fell off girls, you make us proud! Ruchi who was supposed to be part of this group in the end apologizes that she hadn’t managed the whatsapp practices… as a way of compensating, she performs a “make-up” dance – solo! How she pulls it off! Best make-up dance ever! Kisses and hugs to all the dancers.
The live music starts then. Oh wait, I suppose somewhere between the group dance and live music, dinner is served. It is an elaborate Indian buffet setup on the lawns outside the event room. I decide to only eat desserts – as a way of reducing the number of calories I am eating! (Yes, rational thinking and desserts never go together in my case.) Having decided not to take a plate of food, I pile on to naans and bhindi sabji from Priya’s plate – until she shoos me away to get my own plate.
The night is a bit chilly. We walk to our room and get some warm layers. It’s a full moon night, or nearly full moon. I try to capture the beauty on my camera – with limited success. We hurry back to the events – by this time, the live music is in full swing, and we join the dancers warming up the dance floor. Soon the dance floor is crowded. We wish for old monk – and magically old monk appears! I hear that Ruchika and PG are our gracious providers. Not sure whose, but Priya and I take occasional sips out of a couple of cups of old monk with cola doing the rounds. Aaaah that old familiar taste! Vidhya on the other hand, declares that she’s had enough alcohol the previous night (when Priya and I were not yet there!) – I see that we have to postpone our pre-agreed let’s get sloshed together moment. Ah well – there are 2 more nights, we’ll see!
The king of the dance floor is Babutta – of course! All the ladies beware! He’s gonna ask you for a dance next ? I have a couple of dances with him in his unique style – if you’ve danced with him, you know the style I mean ? We’re a happy jumble of dancers getting more and more relaxed as various bottles are opened. I’m all set to judge Babutta by his dance style, when someone who knows him well tells me about the man behind the mask, so to speak. Which once again reminds me not to arrive at quick uninformed judgements.
After a stop over at Vidhya/Pramad’s room, Priya and I pick up Sudha there and walk over to our room. We three chat well into the night… Sudha and I have never really chatted so much at BITS but we find a lot of common ground. Parenting, school stuff, BITS stuff… it’s a nice mellow night.
