mirchi – it’s hot!

since the past couple of weeks i am at my uncle’s place, enjoying the winter in PUNE. it’s always a pleasure to spend DECEMBER in pune. this is the month i have rendezvous with MISS CHILIING COLD. and i just love her company. it is during this time of the year we together celebrate my BIRTHDAY and none the less welcome the coming YEAR.

me and amol (my cousin) were standing outside HORN OK PLEASE, a restaurant on FC road (FERGUSSON COLLEGE ROAD for non puneites), when the clock struck 00.00, waiting for our food parcel to arrive. there was quite a crowd massed up on the road, all geared up to welcome 2007. i did welcome it in my own way by blowing whistles without a care! the sky was lit with fire crackers soon, and the whole crowd was lit with a buzz. later we drove to the DAGDUSHET HALWAI temple, a “shree ganesha” to the new year with lord GANESHA’S grace. we had a movie for dessert that morning - THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY - I. everyone including me laughed till death (nobody woke up till 11.00 am).

it was during my last visit to pune in OCTOBER last year when i had heard a very special interview on the radio. i was traveling after work from HINJEWADI back home, sitting in the back seat lost in my own thoughts, and the radio was switched on in the car.

RJ: aaj hamare saath hai ek bahut he special guest. haan bhai wo pune ke hi hai! shayad hi koi pune main itna kismatwala hoga. unse hum der sari baate karenge, soonte rahiyega….

airtel and pan parag promotions!

RJ: shaam mirchidaar banane ke liye aaj hamare saath hai ek special guest. in mahashay ne ANGELINA JOLIE aur BRADD PITT ko pune ki sair karwayi or wo bhi apne autorickshaw main. baat karenge apne hi BABANRAO LONKAR ke saath.

RJ: babanrao sahab, aapne to kamal hi kardiya. saari duniya jin sitaro ki ek jhalak ko taraste hai unko aapne pune ki sair karayi. wah bhai! kafi kismatwale ho, kaash hamere bhi aise naseeb hote. to batayiye…..

RJ: apne kabhi angelina ya brad ke bare main suna tha?
Babanrao Lonkar: nahi pehle to nahi suna tha. phir pata chala ke kafi famous log hai.
RJ: aree kamal hai. chalo aage kya hua sunte hai is chote se break ke baad..

promotions again!

RJ: kaisa lag raha hia aap ko?
Babanrao Lonkar: kaisa matlab? achha lag raha hai. aisa baar baar nahi hota.

RJ: angelina ne aap se kya kya baatein ki?
Babanrao Lonkar: madame aisa hai ki, jab tak koi customer hamse baat nahi karta hum unse bat nahi karte. anjaylina ne mere se kuch baat nahi ki. wo aap pas main baat kar rahe the.

RJ: kya baat kar rahe the?
Babanrao Lonkar: wo aapas main hi english main baat kar rahe the.

more promotions!

RJ: maddox kya kar raha tha? ro nahi raha tha? apne mummy daddy ko pareshan nahi kar raha tha?
Babanrao Lonkar: nahi wo chup chap un dono ke beech main baita tha.

RJ: ye baatayiye, kya aap is plot main shaamil the? matlab kya aap ko pehle se hi pata tha unke is adventurous program ke baare main?
Babanrao Lonkar: nahi main to bas rickshaw leke hotel ke samne se ja raha tha. hotel ke aadmi ne roka aur kahan “andar customer hai pune city ke leyi”. maine “haan” bola, aur rickshaw hotel ke gate se andar le li. aur wo teeno meri rickshaw main bait gaye.

the interview went on. it was since a month all pune was in a fever called "BRANGELINA". go everywhere, read anything and you would only hear those two names. they were here for shooting "A MIGHTY HEART", a movie based on DANIEL PEARL. even me and amol had once gone hunting for angelina (just for a glimpse) at SINDH COLONY the place where the scenes were shot. the sad part, we couldnt get through the tightly secured place. that guy, babanrao lonkar, must be really lucky i thought. he had a brush with no ordinary stars. just the pictures of them could easily sell in million dollars, he had seen them in flesh & blood. when the whole world was searching for "just a glimpse" of those stars, they were enjoying a ride with our mr. babanrao lonkar. lucky chap!

the next morning i was about to leave for office when i picked up the news paper for the headlines. i saw an article just below it. the article was on a guy who had taken angelina & co for a ride in pune in his autorikshaw. his name was SHEIKH!!