Holidays in the hills
An absolute must for anyone living a roller coaster schedule of work and play, is short breaks in the mountains or hills.
And if it’s with like-minded friends and some .mals thrown in for good measure, you will never need therapy! Life develops a different me.ng when there is nearly no network and you have treks, real conversations with eye to eye contact and bonds with nature. Rare things in an attention deficit age. Try it?
For me a few days in the Coonoor forests and hills was magical. One of our friends, Bimal, even brought bone china crockery to the mountain cottage and served up two exemplary four course meals that would give a Michelin star chef a run! He donned traditional chef’s double-breasted whites which only enhanced the experience.
All this in the middle of the forest where even the roads weren’t pucca and the ride to Fairfeild Manor was rough and rustic. The Pictionary games at night with crickets chirping in the background might have turned violent if it weren’t for our genuine bonds of love and warmth. I’ve come back to Bombay floating in the fragrance of these memories and will carry them with me until my next getaway.
An mesmerising wedding
Back to the bay, the glistening lights on the horizon never wane. This city is know as the city that never sleeps. When the entire swish set of the city attends a wedding and the hosts still make you feel warm, welcome and cared for, it has to be the most special wedding of the year. Or at least for me it was. Nikhil and Shital Chaturvedi have that special warmth I thought, as they walked me to the bar to try a very special vintage of Lagavulin. The wedding of their daughter Akanksha to Vedang was no doubt as grand as expected, but for me it stood apart for the sheer warmth and affection imbued not only in the invitation and personal reminders but more so the endearing personal care throughout. So often hosts behave self important and mentally preoccupied, but Shital and Nikhil danced, mingled, laughed, posed for pictures happily, celebrated and made it memorable for all.
A lot of friends at the wedding asked me about the recent divorces in Bollywood, and were most keen to know the status quo between Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan.
I’m still not sure why I should be knowing the inner machinations of their conjugal situation, but I’m hoping the rumours are false? Who doesn’t like a fairy tale happily-ever-after for a beautiful couple?
Birthdays and more
Bluebelle or Shashi Bansal is not only my mom but quite a popular lady in her own right – and her many birthday celebrations hosted by her friends proved this. So many of our friends celebrated her irreverent wit, joie de vivre and her ability to live it up. Growing up, mothers – especially Tiger Moms – can be a pain. But when you grow up and become buddies, it’s a game changer and you don’t need to look outside for great company?
When it is a friend who calls you to an event “event” – then it is no longer a work like thing. Kadambari Lakh.’s sit down luxury lunch for cutting-edge skincare brand Dr Irena Eris at Jollies was a jolly thing indeed. More so because Irena Eris was there in person and shared her inspired journey as a woman achiever with the very select audience of the top influencers of Mumbai. I enjoyed the interaction over lunch with her entire team and learnt more about skincare. Here’s to a younger me!
I hear the newly revamped Eros Cinema has opened up and I’m dying to see a film there. I’ll tell you more about it next week right here! So watch this space…
(Write to Nisha at nishjamwal@gmail.com)
