The effects of a late flight

Feb 20, Maurya Sheraton, Delhi: The Indian Airlines Jaipur-Delhi flight, which normally takes 30 to 40 minutes, took over two hours yesterday. I had no option and went straight from the airport to Taj Mansingh Chambers for a scheduled meeting at 2:30 pm.

In the hotel’s lobby I met Satyajeet Krishnan who has recently taken over as the General Manager of Taj at Mansing Road known as Taj Mahal Hotel, Satyajeet was in Jaipur taking care of Rambagh Palace and is known for his interest in culture and literature. Jaipur will miss him.

Today morning I came to know from the newspapers that I wasn’t the only one who did not get time to freshen up prior to our meetings. Amir Khan, who was also on the same Jaipur-Delhi flight, faced a similar situation. I saw his picture with David Cameron visiting the Janki Devi Memorial College for girls. I noticed that Amir too was in the same dress that he was wearing on flight. I have a feeling it must be due to the flight being late.

Late flights can not only disrupt your appointments but also can put one in a peculiar situation leaving you with a hard choice of either making it to a meeting unshaven, dressed up casually, or to cancel the appointment altogether, which again is very rude. I chose to keep my appointments.

In the evening, while entering the iconic restaurant at Maurya’s – Bukhara – I realized British Prime Minister David Cameron was also there at the same venue with a posse of security guards all around. After a busy day of meetings at the Taj and India International Centre (IIC), I was in no mood to be in the amid of the buzz and crowd at the Bukhara. So I went to my room ordered food from Bukhara.

Today also I had a series of meetings. I had made it an annual practice of spending a month in Delhi during winters. But this time I spent most of my time in Jaipur during winters. Things piled up and I had these back to back meetings and appointments in Delhi to conclude.

In the evening, before having dinner with friends at the SET’Z restaurant’s open terrace, I dropped in at Kimaya, which also at the DLF Emporio, to attend Jyotee Khaitan’s exclusive preview of festive collection of this year.

In fact, Jyotee’s events also was in my missing list. For the past two years, somehow or the other whenever she invited me, I happened to be out of Kolkata.

As far as SET’Z and its seven interactive kitchen goes, it is a restaurant not be missed out if you are in the capital and have time to spare.
ess bee