it happened in Pune

I went to pune on a whim.

A friend was going for a night, and i decided to tag along. She had some work, which revolved around swigging neat scotch whiskey for free. Ya, more on that later.


Anyway, the point of this post is pune always reminds me of romance. Here's why.


The rogue grew up in pune. His parents lived in far flung assam (then it must have been really far flung, considering now it takes 40 hours by train.)


And the rogue, being the eldest child landed up living with his grandfather in pune cantt. His grandfather was a very social general in the army. And the rogue was a handful.


Who soon got expelled from his strict boy's school when he was discovered in the girl's hostel of the neighbouring sister school.


And that's how he landed up in a co-ed boarding school, in Pune!


He soon made friends with a girl in his class who would cover for him and pass him her notes. She had a shy little sister, who also studied in the same school.


Anyway so the rogue's studious friend was soon found out. Some notes she had copied for him were found, and in the assembly she, the model student, was made an example off. The rogue everyone knew had no future, but she seemed hell-bent on ruining hers as well.


She cried, and her shy sister consoled her. The whole school was talking about the rogue and the studious one. Boyfriend girlfriend, haw-haw.


They passed out of tenth, the studious one never looking or talking to the rogue. In fact, the shy baby sister, used to run away every time she saw him.


Then one day, a couple of years later, the rogue came to bombay. he was handsome, could charm the whiskers off a cat and more importantly, he had found his calling. He was a pilot.


He had two days in Bombay before going off to godforsaken Assam (yes, Assam keeps featuring in this story). Two days of transit, before he reported to his first base.


What better time to try and make it to first base (sorry, could not resist that bad pun) ?


So he remembers a studious girl in his class who lived in Bombay. He looks through his trunk with his name stencilled on the side, and he finds her number in an old address book. He dials.


A girl picks up the phone. She tells him studious is now in the UK. She got married you see.


He knows that shy voice. He asks if it's her. She's surprised. And says yes.


They meet. She takes him around Bombay. She's beautiful. Tall, slim, young, a little unsure, a little shy.


And like they say in all romatic novels, the two days just flew by.


The rogue went to make his career. The shy girl went back to her job. He flew aircrafts and wrote long letters to her. She rode the bus to her office, and thought about him.


Finally six months later, he got a week off. He spent six days travelling, so they could spend one day together.


So this how they fell in love. My parents. Who got married one evening, because they couldn't stand the thought of being separated again.


Who lived apart for six months after two days of being married, because my father 'forgot' to inform his bosses. And the rules said he could not get married.


Who finally when they were together, managed a honeymoon in goa, after my dad took a car loan.


Two totally different people from two totally different worlds. And it all started in Pune.


Maybe that's why I like going there once in a while.