Linen anniversary

It’s been four years since we got married :D and according to tradition, it’s our Linen Anniversary. We still have a long way to go before we hit any precious or strong material milestones.

This day is special for another reason: it’s the birthday of my cousin Prateek. We now live just one floor above him. Since our wedding, this is the first time that the three of us are together. However, this week Prateek is the man of his house as my uncle and aunt are out of town. Planning a dinner outing became complicated as we don’t own a car yet, and I can’t drive my uncle’s car. Without a car, getting around Navi Mumbai is not convenient, especially in the late evening or early night. We settled for a scaled-down version of our plan and agreed to meet up at Vashi, the most crowded, hip-hop township in Navi Mumbai.

The day started in the usual way. After work, I took the train back and got down at Vashi. I was a bit early for the meeting with Pamela and Prateek. They told me they would call me as soon as they started in the car and asked me to hang out at the only big mall in Navi Mumbai, called “CENTER ONE.”

I was lucky to find a bench to sit in the mall and watch people to pass the time. Those 30 minutes felt very long and boring, to put it simply. I never fancied waiting, but watching people was all I could do. This mall is circular with escalators in the middle, and my bench was on the 2nd floor, overlooking the escalators.

Soon, I noticed something unusual: there was a dedicated person next to the escalator to assist people. Yes, there are people who need assistance in getting onto a moving staircase, and thanks to the mall management and the abundant manpower of India, this service was provided. It was funny watching the nervous faces as they stepped onto the escalator.

This reminded me of my mother, who insisted on taking the stairs instead of the escalators in Paris last year. At the time, I found it very silly and wondered what the big deal was about escalators. Now, seeing so many people needing assistance, I realized I was wrong to make fun of my mom.

After waiting for half an hour, the plan changed as the driver who was supposed to drive Pamela and Prateek didn’t show up. I had to catch the train back to Kharghar. We ended up settling for a vegetarian restaurant within walking distance from our home, which was a VERY BIG disappointment for the evening.

P.S. As I try to complete this post after almost a month, we still haven’t had the evening out at a good restaurant.