First published by
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2022
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Copyright Gundappa Vishwanath 2022
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ISBN: 978-93-5520-314-4
Second impression 2022
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AN EVENING LIKE NO OTHER
M y eyes fluttered open a little before 9.00 a.m., to the fuzzy memory of Kavita and Daivik wishing me at midnight. It brought an immediate smile to my face, enveloping me in a blanket of warmth and gratitude. I knew today would be a good day.
As is my wont, I lolled around in bed for a few more minutes, then picked up my phone. Id be lying if I said I didnt expect a few messages. To my amazement, there were already dozens and dozens of them. I lay back again and closed my eyes. Now I was sure today would be a very good day.
It was a Tuesday morning like any other, yet this wasnt just another Tuesday morning. It was 12 February 2019. I had turned 70. Not a great achievement as such, I agree, but it was a milestone moment. Seventy has a nice, full ring to it.
I padded out of the bedroom and got my day going, catching up with my wife and son a few minutes later at breakfast. Another round of birthday wishes followed, accompanied by broad grins and plenty of hugs. All the while, the phone kept pinging or ringing. Hey, whats going on? This isnt my first birthday, right? Oh wait, you only turn 70 once!
I tried to reply to as many messages as I could in between fielding calls from family and close friends. I also received calls from people I had never met. I was so grateful to the Almighty for facilitating this. What can be better than to receive the good wishes of so many people? I was blessed.
Busy as I was on my phone, it didnt escape my attention that Kavi was in hush-hush conversations on her phone. Every time I put my device down, she would clam up with a you-wont-catch-me look on her face. I knew she was up to something; she usually is on such occasions and while I was curious what plans she had for the day, she was generically vague. Hmm, I thought. Lets go with the flow.
I am not a big fan of celebrating my birthdays in a grand manner. Its not that I dont like going out or socializing, but on such occasions, Id rather spend a quiet evening at home, with Kavita and Daivik and a very few, very close friends. I am not particularly fascinated by the prospect of blowing on candles and having people sing Happy Birthday to me. But I am also not fussy. If Kavita and Daivik want to go out in the evening, I am happy to play ball.
As the afternoon wore on and the frequency of phone usagemine and hersincreased, my curiosity mounted. What are you up to? I thought to myself, looking at Kavita. As if reading my mind, she shrugged, grinned and then left the room. Ok, I told myself, time to brace for whats ahead.
Post lunch, she and Daivik announced that we would be going to a restaurant adjacent to the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) for a celebratory dinner.
Why not KGA itself? I countered. Its a lovely setting, very cool and green, pleasant breeze And we can have our privacy, too.
Nah, they chimed in unison. We have been there so many times, lets go to a different place. No scope for a discussion there.
I got ready for the evening, coming down the steps sporting a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt, as I normally do. The conspiring duo took one look at me and sent me scurrying upstairs to wear something nice. So I did, diving into the formals freshly procured for my Star Sports Kannada commentary stints. As mother and son finally cluck-clucked their approval, the doorbell rang and a close family friend sauntered in.
Pradeep is an old pal, our families go back a long time. We are part of three-four very closely knit families who meet quite regularly in each others houses. He had left Bengaluru for Australia in pursuance of his career but returned to settle down in the city of his birth, and I was so happy to see him.
Lets go, he told us, then looked at me and said, Ive got my car, so you dont have to drive. He knew that driving during peak-hour traffic in our bustling city was an exercise that drove me up the wall. You just sit back and relax.
I rode shotgun, with Kavita and Daivik at the back. By then, it was past seven in the evening and the traffic was unyielding, like on most weekdays.
We are getting late, arent we? Pradeep looked at Kavita in the rear-view mirror. Late for what? I wondered. We are only going to dinner, a few minutes this way or that shouldnt really matter. I half-turned to see Kavita shushing Pradeep. I allowed myself a quiet smile, the suspense would end soon in any case.
After braving multiple traffic jams, we eventually wended our way to Royal Orchid, next to KGA, as promised, around 8.30 p.m. By now, I must confess, I was a little caught up in the excitement. The furtive glances and Kavitas texting from the back seat had piqued my interest, and I had an inkling this was no ordinary celebratory dinner.
We took the elevator and I was admiring myself in the full-length mirror when the doors opened with a whoosh at the rooftop open-air restaurant. I thought I had caught a glimpse of him in the mirror, but I told myself my eyes were playing tricks. As I turned around, I realized I hadnt been imagining things.
The first person I saw amidst a small group waiting on the other side of the elevator was my brother-in-law, Sunil Gavaskar. Finally, the penny dropped!
