Adieu

Bidding goodbye to Montreal was not the hardest of tasks. It had been a constant preoccupation since almost a week, but when the time to leave the apartment came there was a crowd of familiar faces, who made Montreal what it will forever be for me! There was no kissing the door, no turning around to catch a last glimpse of Durocher, just a peck on the cheek that lasted as long as it takes for a tear to roll down – a moment that collapsed forever into itself – a hug which didn’t want to let go but also through that clutch conveyed its conviction of a better future, a smile through twinkling blinking eyes... and silence thereafter!! No words could have expressed the magnitude of that infinitesimally small moment – and that is what goodbyes are like in the real world. The “may be” and the “of course”... the hints at future possibilities of next-time meet-ups or the knowledge of them not happening ever... Is there ever really an end to meetings and partings? If there was then hope would stand suspect to emotion and moments such as this would cease to matter so much... but this was not such an instance. It was more like the time when you read a page and bookmark it for life before turning the leaf over... moving on...!!!

Written on the British Airways flight from Montreal to London (19^th August 2008) 00:35 (IST)

A fond trip down the gluttonous lanes of Delhi University’s North Campus

• Chicken steamed momos, golden fried corn/ potato, thukpa, fried rice and fruit beer at Momos Point, Kamala Nagar (not K’Nags, you new kids on the block!!!)

• Rushing for Tomato Soup with bread crumbs before every class all winter @ Ramjas

• Mutton cutlets, cheese omelettes and dosa at D-School

• Law Fac Nescafe Iced teas and maggi

• HCF @ Nirula’s (you don’t know what HCF is??!!!...Shame on you!)

• Bhel Puri at Patel Chest

• Bun and butter, egg patties @ Hira’s outside Ramjas (R.I.P)

• Sweet Samosa's at Gwyer Hall

• Pao Bhaji across Daulat Ram

• Rajma Chawal, Chhole Bhature, Spring Rolls at Ramjas

• Banta and gyaan at Lachchu bhaiya’s thela outside Ramjas & Alan’s outside Hindu

• Maggie @ Tom Uncle’s (R.I.P)

• Tuesday Prasad at Ram Mandir, Kirori Mal

• Nimbu Paani and Juice @ the Holistic Food Centre, Arts Fac

• Coffee, chips, Pepsi and cookies (an occasional pizza too) – Room 53, Arts Fac!!!

• Aloo paranthas at the witching hour at Maurice Nagar Police Station

• Chai & bakkar – anytime, anywhere!!!!

All you fellas....add on!