Nostalgia...

When: Today
Still..When: The hot afternoon of around 1ish
Where: Naturals’, In Orbit, Malad.
What: Malai Vanilla with yummm Mango Pieces!

Yeah, this is what I call bliss. After Cricket that is! Costs 70 bucks, but each penny spent is worth it. One and a half scoops of Malai Vanilla, which a lot of us do not enjoy, but add some pieces of Alphonso Mangoes, and believe you me, it’s a different ball game altogether. The taste is unmatchable, unless, of course you have had been on a staple diet of Strawberry and Cream at Wimbledon. It comes close. Really close to the same.

Got addicted to this, some years back, if I remember correctly, at the Shivaji Park Branch of Naturals’. The evenings spent at Shivaji Park, with a “Tibbs’ Chicken Frankie” in my hand followed by the above variety of bliss, was all too much to handle. Even discounting the real reason for going to Shivaji Park, which was something very different (Not the right forum to be discussing that!). Wanted to fall in love with someone else then, fell in love with this instead!

In fact even as I type this, I remember that I almost had this very combo. at In Orbit Mall with NP and Deepshikha. Chicken Frankie followed by a visit to Naturals’. The only thing that was missing was the “Mango Pieces” which the Naturals’ guy did not have. The mangoes it seems had not been available that day!

Life has come a big circle since. Visits to Shivaji Park and consequently to it’s Naturals’ Branch have reduced significantly. So have the people I went there for. Unfortunately. Wouldn’t mind getting there again though. To sit there with the Frankie in my hand. Watch the guys jog it out. Some exercising in the open air gym. Some strolling arm-in-arm with their better halves. To watch the kids cycle. To watch the changes that the place has undergone. And how nothing has changed. To experience the surreal atmosphere. To pray that I bump into someone I know.

To relive those days.

The Summer of ’99. Certainly the best days of my life.