Half the globe away

After sitting on the lakefront for about an hour, I started
walking, Queens’s quay, Yonge street and finally the Carlton avenue, back to my
hotel.  All through the time thinking
about the distance between me and her, whom I wished to be beside me, sitting
and walking.  Its been the first phase
of another journey, half the globe across that began couple of days back, and
the start couldn’t have been worse. Lost my lenses, found the standby glasses
half broken, and Bangalore offering one of those nightmarish traffic snarls
that took two and a half hours for a journey which usually takes about an hour.

 

However the journey from Delhi started with the rain, and
after a quick stopover at Zurich, landing at the first stop in the northern
most country of Americas with the rain. She refuses to desert me. Is it just a
coincidence? The communication form Zurich was a surprise, but the one from
this place was as cold as possible; still she is with me.

 

Met “Khushi” at Zurich, the daughter of an aspiring
scientist from Orissa leaving Ranbaxy for an even better opportunity in the
foreign soil. Khushi supposedly brought him most of his success, I knew she
must have. It was a name that was close to heart, so pondered for a while.

 

Just before leaving I was discussing the look of a Red dress
on males, and how beautiful it might look, when not worn by a movie star or on
page three. But saw it live on the IGI airport, as they walked with their
female counterparts – and don’t ask the name of the airline for which they were
working. The vehicle of Air Canada must habe been much much older than the one
from Jet we took in the last trip. And the service of the white skins couldn’t
come even close to the one given by us. After the stopover, we were lucky to
find some Indian faces serving and as expected the quality improved a few
notches.

 

Met my friend Aqiq after two and a half years. Last meeting
was at Delhi, when he was coming here for the first time; and now we met again
when it is the first time for me. Lots of old memories, some fill in the blanks
form both ends and a promise to have a dinner together.

 

Today we also had a trip to the most famous falling water
show; and that too nearly free, gave 30 bucks for the journey and got back 25
bucks from the Casino where it stopped. The senior partner with all his wife
like apprehensions was at his childish best spending 10 bucks inside the
Casino. I was lucky to hold myself at 5. It was all because of Joanne, the lady
from Golden Girdle where we had our lunch and B’fast, ,  who suggested us to take this route instead
of the 150 Buks ride the hotel was offering.

 

The work starts on Monday, the relatives and acquaintances
are all away; not having her beside – its gonna be tough. Four more cities in
the US of A to go and its going to be over in nearly three weeks. To survive I
need my stocks; I was adequately stocked in my last trip – this one is colder –
much much colder. I know she is with me – yet the irge increasing to look and
talk and feel and relive that experience that’s beyond comparison. Got to meet
the mushrooming growth of expectations – at the same time keep my head sane –
hope I get the help.