*Chapter2*
I groaned when the alarm buzzed again in the morning. I mechanically took a shower after doing my calming exercises.
I then realized I overslept and came down an hour before lunch. I sat in the lounge with a cup of tea. I prefer my tea to be piping hot with no milk and tea spoon sugar, it always energizes me. The ginger and lemon in the tea, packed a punch enough to wake me up fully. The hotel has a tea exhibition in the main area. I went there to look at the assortment. I tasted few samples and bagged four of them and came back to the lounge.
I had to wait for 45 minutes to see one more familiar face. Heer came first with a big cup of coffee and not to seem to be fully awake yet. She downed another cup of coffee and slowly came back to senses.
"Welcome back to land of living," I said.
She got startled as if she just realized that she is sitting beside me.
I smiled when she muttered 'gosh it's you'. She then asked, "Nobody is up yet?"
I sighed, "Not that I know of except my producer." I muttered the last part.
"Then you are just sitting here by yourself?"
"Yeah and I'm watching that gang," I signaled, "They are entertaining to say at least."
She turned to see who I am taking about, "What about them? And she is Pari Anand right? The famous TV actress?"
I nodded and mused aloud, "Is it weird our trip is filled with prominent people? We have a documentary making team, a CEO, a researcher, a geologist, a private detective and two indie band leaders. And before you ask, the girls who sat beside the actress are those band leaders."
She frowned, "Now that you are saying, that is weird. And what is your producer doing there?"
I winkled my nose, "Don't talk about him, he said he can't spend any more on our documentary, so we bought his tickets, spent on his expenses and accommodation. Now, suddenly he got money for bouquets and costly perfume bottles. See, how he is flirting with that actress?"
Heer patted on my back consolingly.
And suddenly from nowhere, Kiaan came and sat beside me drinking orange juice.
"Don't you have sponsors? I heard your documentaries are quite popular", Kiaan asked.
I raised my eyebrow.
He sighed, "That geologist fellow yapped all night."
Aaah..that sounds like Mehul. I smiled at that and said, "The advertisements revenue should have been enough but this time it is a big project." He nodded at that.
"Mehul is spreading his knowledge you know, 'Not sharing is like hiding an apple in your pocket, first it will rot and then it will smell'". Heer said solemnly nodding to herself, "He did your pocket a big favor."
Heh? That's an odd metaphor. I gave her a bewildered look. Does she even realize he can just eat the apple?
Kiaan sighed beside me, "What are you even talking about?"
Heer smirked, "That's 'smart speak', the commoners and plebeians like you won't understand."
Kiaan nodded, "I'm sorry, I wish I spoke idiot too, so that I can tell you off in your own language".
Oooof. The burn.
"YOU…"
"Calm down guys!" I said to both of them. They both glared at each other but thankfully not at each other's heads anymore. I then asked him, "Am I tripping again? Why is your hair color lighte-"
"I colored it this morning," He said it so suddenly.
Oh okay.
I was about to open my mouth when the tour guide asked us to gather for lunch.
I sat in the middle of Heer and Kiaan, Ira and Mehul joined us.
Heer, Ira, Kiaan and Mehul asked for full platter called Gujarathi thali (full platter). I asked for a vegetable stew called Undhiyu, a stir fry dish and rice. After the lunch the tour guy came to us and announced the tour plan.
"We will move from here at 7 PM tonight sharp. Do whatever you want until then. We will first go to Dolavira, a 4 hour journey from here. It is one of the earliest excavation sites in the world. It is a Harrapan city. There Ms. Ira Deol and her assistant will do some researching work. The next day we will go to Narayan Sarovar, one of the ancient powerful lakes described in scriptures more than 5000 years ago. I would expect you to wear traditional attire when we go there. The next day we will go to Mandvi beach, where we will spend the night, we will have tents and campfire there. The next day morning kalo Dungar, a beautiful black mountain with rare flowers around the area, we will stay there until evening and go to Rann of Kutch at night. It will be a full moon day, there we will stay two days and take the ferry from there to Dwaraka, from there Ms. Keya Dara team will take over their documentary shooting, they will also cover bits and pieces every day. I expect you to wear traditional dress there too. From Dwaraka to Bet-Dwaraka. We will stay there for 10 days. Any doubts?"
Everybody said no. Then he asked us to do whatever we want to until 7 PM.
I turned to Heer and said, "You need to buy your clothes and toiletries right?"
Heer nodded to that and said she will go to the nearby shopping mall. She asked me to accompany her and I said okay. Kiaan said he will also come because he doesn't have anything traditional. I asked Mehul to come too since he didn't have anything to do here.
"Thanks for inviting me, I don't want to stay with Shrey and see his bad flirting with that actress."
Heer and I giggled.
We first went to the supermarket to get all the toiletries for her. I bought a big box with a neatly arranged assortment of 40 natural candies like lin seed balls, candied ginger, licorice, caramel twists, sour candy, lemon rocks, tamarind candy, dehydrated fruits, amla chews, salty licorice rocks, pepper chocolate, various colored candies etc.
"That's a lot of candy," Kiaan said.
I shrugged, "These are natural, a great snack and good for health too."
We then went to buy clothes for Heer in the mall.
"Let's not go to those designer shops. You need clothes to wear daily and then few traditional outfits mixed in the bunch." I said. Heer nodded.
We went inside a shop where Heer went and picked various items in ten minutes and said, "I'm done."
That's fast. Even Kiaan and Mehul are shocked.
To my surprise, Mehul asked, "What did you pick?" Heer showed him few t-shirts and kurti tops, leggings and scarfs all in browns and blacks.
Mehul sighed, "Try some color. Come with me, let me pick you some colored tops."
Kiaan raised his eyebrow, I shrugged and followed them. Mehul is taking her on a whirlwind shopping spree. We followed them for a while, but got bored.
I turned to look at Kiaan, "Why don't you pick your traditional clothing too? We will save time."
Kiaan shook his head, "I looked at them but the fabric is not good. The cuts are not flattering and the designs themselves are atrocious."
I frowned. The outfits on the mannequins look fine to me. I sighed, Rich people and their quirks.
I nodded and said, "Alright, we will go to that costly designer shop in the front. Though, I don't know why, they all look mighty fine to me. I have not heard any guy in my office talk about fabric, cut and designs."
Kiaan scoffed, "Let me be the first to introduce you to men's fashion."
I gave him a look, "Why would I need to know about that?"
"You will know my taste for future reference."
"huh? Your taste?"
He sighed, "Okay, your future boyfriend's taste then."
I nodded 'that's better'. I then frowned.
What?
Heer and Mehul finished their shopping and made their appearance.
Heer then proceeded to gush about Mehul's selection and taste. I looked at Mehul and bit my lip, he looked like a puffed up peacock again.
"Really? I wouldn't know about that. Since, he didn't select anything for me." I taunted.
I laughed when Mehul blushed and said, "I will buy something for your birthday."
"Okay, let's go to that designer shop in the front." Kiaan said suddenly.
"Why?" Both Mehul and Heer asked.
I looked at Kiaan and mimicked, "The design, color, the cut, the fabric, atrocious."
"Ha ha, very funny."
"I know right?"
He gave me a look and I smiled widely. We all went to that designer shop. An attender who came to us is dressed in all-nines; he gave us all fruit juices. Kiaan had a glass of champagne though. Another guy came and gave a catalogue in which everything from fabric to cut to size are listed, when Kiaan filled it and gave back, another guy came and took him to the room.
"Boujee"
"Posh"
"Ridiculous"
We three looked at each other and laughed.
Kiaan came back and said, "I picked seven outfits. I will try them now. Tell me which two should I pick."
We said okay.
The juices kept coming.
Each time he came out of trial room we would all nod vigorously. Never before we have ever seen such 'almost out of runway' outfits in the real life.
Kiaan came outside and said to the attender "I will take all of them."
"You said you will take only two of them right?" I asked.
"Yea, but you guys liked all of them, do you not?"
We all nodded again.
"Rich people live in different ionosphere," Mehul said. Heer looked confused.
"Ionosphere is a layer that is above the earth. It is Mehul's way of joking, that rich people are out of this world." I said.
Heer looked mighty impressed at the science joke and started gushing again. The attender bought the bill to sign. We all peaked at it. The number of zeroes in the bill should be illegal, if it is not for a duplex house with a pool.
"I think I'm hallucinating," Heer said hollowly.
I took a deep breath and nodded in agreement, "Yea we all are."
Sometimes people need to be in denial to cope with their normal lives. So unfair.
After the shopping, we roamed here and there. Ate Pani puri and shaved ice much to grumblings of kiaan about 'unhealthy' food and went back to the hotel to board the bus.
We went inside the bus and the cacophony of voices are aimed at us, grumbling about 'being late'.
Kiaan looked bored and said, "What? There is still one minute to seven."
Heer, Mehul and I exchanged our glances in amusement.
We went back to our previous places where we kept our luggage this morning, quickly shoved our newly bought things in our bags and settled back again.
Uff. Finally.
I looked around and saw the tour guide whispering to Ira, Shrey there is talking with the actress and laughing at something he said himself. I shook my head.
Desperate.
Kiaan was about to put his ear phones when I opened my candy box and gestured him to take something. He took tamarind candy and popped in his mouth. He made a weird face and I laughed.
"What is that?"
"Tamarind candy."
"Weird."
"That's just sour. Pick another one."
He then picked an amla chew and popped in his mouth before I stop it. He is winking uncontrollably now. I laughed and said, "I was about to say that will be even more sour."
He picked a salted licorice next and made another face, "I don't understand this flavor." I sighed when he picked up another and thus started a game of making faces and laughter.
The tour guide announced that we approached the stop.
Kiaan by then, tested all forty types of candy and settled with 'candied ginger' as his favorite.
We all got down the bus to settle for night in the hotel and to check out in the morning.
"How do they make ginger candy, I wonder," Kiaan mused aloud.
I huffed, "I'm surprised your tongue didn't go numb, with you being taste tester to all 40 candies."
"I'm awesome like that."
I shook my head and bid goodnight to him.
Heer and I shared a room tonight as it is a small room. As soon as we took shower, we hit the bed. The last thought I had before I drift into sleep is 'How does one make candied ginger.'