Old chums, numbing routines

Yesterday went to The Conclave to attend Harsh Neotia’s party and met many common friends. The Who’s Who of Kolkata had turned up. Before that, I made a detour to The Oberoi Grand to attend Aparajita – an award function jointly hosted by the Ficci Ladies’ Organisation and Kolkata’s leading Hindi daily Sanmarg. I met many of the city’s prominent ladies including Beth Payne, the US Consul General in Kolkata (file picture). Ms Payne had earlier attended the Ranjana Gauhar program at the Raj Bhavan last week and we discussed about her. Ms Payne told me she wished the American ambassador should see the classical dance performance in Kolkata when he visits the city next time. I assured her that I would try to organise something when he comes to Kolkata.

Today was another hectic day for me at the office doing deskwork. Late evening I was at the bar in Hotel Kenilworth in the company of some of my college friends whom I met after seven years. When I meet my old buddies and other acquaintances after a long time I get the feeling that life has indeed come a long way and changed so much that the people you used to meet seven times a week you now meet them once in seven years despite being in the same city. The fact is that one has limited control over one’s routine as business meetings get precedence over meetings that the heart desires.