Today would be the BIG day. I woke up really early and dressed up. The aim was to travel to Tungarli by bus and reach the place where the entire Savliwala family was gathered for an annual get-together. There, I would surprise everyone by presenting myself. Buses to Pune leave from near Dadar. The first Shivneri A/C bus would start at a quarter past five a.m. Accordingly, I left my house at half past four, reaching the Dadar bus stand at five a.m. The bus was loading already. I purchased my seat, then visited a local stall to get a cup of tea. The journey started on time, and I got off at the Khandala bypass at a little after half past seven. From here, I got a rickshaw to take me to the bungalow where the family had got together the previous morning.
Imagine the shock those on the verandah got when they saw me alighting outside the gate of the bungalow! They almost shouted my name, and within the next thirty seconds, all the family, including my own sweet wife and daughters had come out running to greet me. Disbelief was writ large on their faces, but they all were smiling and cheering me when they realised that it was indeed me and not someone else who had come calling on them as they lazily woke up to a cheerful Sunday morning. One of the major talking points was their awe at how much I had reduced, and how much more fit I looked. My friend (and cousin) Salim Dadla was joyous at meeting me, and my uncle Abbas Dadla came over to get a photo with me, saying that he wanted to be in a photo with me because I was his favourite nephew ;-)!
The rest of the day passed meeting with everyone, playing games on the outside ground, joining the family for a delicious lunch, taking pictures, and fraternising with the elders of the family. Here are a few of those memories:
It was at about noon that Nishrin had to leave us as she had some customers booked at her salon in Mumbai in the evening. The rest of us left at about 5 in the evening. My own family and that of Murtuza with our mum travelled in a hired car driven by a professional driver. We stopped at a food mall on the way, but arrived without any incident by ten in the evening. We first dropped mum at her place, and then, drove to Mazgaon where Murtuza and his wife and kids alighted first, followed by a drive to my own place where we relinquished the car and reached our home safely at about half past ten. It had indeed been a landmark day!
Imagine the shock those on the verandah got when they saw me alighting outside the gate of the bungalow! They almost shouted my name, and within the next thirty seconds, all the family, including my own sweet wife and daughters had come out running to greet me. Disbelief was writ large on their faces, but they all were smiling and cheering me when they realised that it was indeed me and not someone else who had come calling on them as they lazily woke up to a cheerful Sunday morning. One of the major talking points was their awe at how much I had reduced, and how much more fit I looked. My friend (and cousin) Salim Dadla was joyous at meeting me, and my uncle Abbas Dadla came over to get a photo with me, saying that he wanted to be in a photo with me because I was his favourite nephew ;-)!
The rest of the day passed meeting with everyone, playing games on the outside ground, joining the family for a delicious lunch, taking pictures, and fraternising with the elders of the family. Here are a few of those memories:
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| With my beloved wife, Nishrin (Guddi Kamaljeet) |
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| Add caption |
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| With Shenaz Dadla |
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| Abbasuncle Dadla |
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| My mother |
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| With Inas |
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| All the young and pretty women |
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| The scenic environment |
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| Creative climb |
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| My younger brothers Murtuza (above) and Kaizar (middle) |
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