Summer of 1983 and the city of Garden much before it claimed the title of the IT city or the Silicon Valley of India. It was a great evening that a silly human oversight would soon ruin. The ambience at Hotel Princess’s multicuisine restaurant, owned by Bollywood superstar Sanjeev Kumar, was apt for the encounter- the date. It was dimly lit, had a fresh smell and nice crookery, and served great Indian food.
At the ripe age of twenty-one, two shy third-year engineering students were out for what was their first real outing with a lady. They were from middle-income families from a fledging small town. Their college had yet to see a female student, so they often talked, thought, and fantasised about it.
The two from Jabalpur had studied together since childhood and had been on many adventures together, it was not surprising that they were together. And neither of them thought it was odd. They were more like partners in crime.
It was not a classic date. One was only one girl. Two, they were not interested in taking it further. The whole charm of the cat was a dinner with a stranger- a girl. They were practical that though their new female friend was from the city, there was no opportunity for adventure beyond the dinner together.
Their centre of attraction was Sunitha Mangalam. A Christian lady of around 28 years of age who worked as a receptionist at the Head office of the manufacturing company, the two students were interning for their summer training. For some unknown reason, they had opened a strong bond with her from day one- when they first met her to report for the training.
Sunil was the charmer of the two. Full of pure innocence, he had woven magic around her. Rahul was mischievously naughty and more experienced in worldly things—not that it would have mattered, and not in the things you think I am hinting at.
Last Sunday, they were at Sunitha’s home, where they were served some lovely South Indian food. Today, almost a week after that, she was having dinner with them.
The dinner went very well. They allowed Sunitha to order the food. However, they were smart and were able to manoeuvre the meal-ordering process so that the dishes ordered were all those they had tasted earlier—nothing fancy. Butter chicken, Paneer Tikka Masala, Dal Makani and Butter Naan.
The three were seated on the round dinner table as if they were the vertices of an equilateral triangle. Rahul had to stop himself from caressing Sunitha’s feet under the table as Sunil kept looking at her lovely face and well-manicured hands. Y3s, they had complimented her fingernails, big eyelashes and hair because complimenting any other part of the anatomy would not have been the right move.
They smiled and laughed, and Rahul even dared to have a beer.
Everything was perfect until it came to paying the bill.
The duo suddenly discovered that the evening was way above their aukaat.
Sunil was not carrying enough money, and Rahul had forgotten to bring his wallet.
Instead of friends fighting for the right to pay, it was a situation in which both wished the other could understand the silent gestures. The message was simple: Pay the bill; I am not carrying enough.
When nothing happened, and the bill remained on the table, they boldly ordered another round of Cassata Ice Cream. You can only be hanged once.
Sunil was the first to leave for the restroom, signalling Rahul to follow.
It was in the restroom that they finally understood their predicament. Rahul held to his story that his wallet had been picked up, but it did not change the situation. They were well short of money, and their self-respect was at stake. They knew Sunitha could pay, but that was not even the last resort they considered.
So, Rahul stayed with Sunitha, continuing the conversations that had concluded sometime back. Meanwhile, Sunil went back to their place to arrange for additional money, which could have relieved them from the unbearable post-dinner episode.
In some 20-30 minutes, Sunil re-emerged from the restroom side of the restaurant, claiming that, for some reason, he had an upset tummy. His confidence signalled he had the required currency to pay the bill, and Rahul could now relax.
To date, Sunil and Rahul laugh at the situation they encountered some 40 years ago. They don’t know if Sunitha ever realised they were collectively short of money. After the fiasco that night, they never met Sunitha. They did not even venture to say bye-bye when they finished their summer training and were leaving the town. However, they never forgot the date when they learnt a lesson for life. They developed a silly habit of rechecking their wallets and cards when they entered any Bar, pub, or restaurant.
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