The GLORIOUS month of April!

....which has three LONG weekends (Read - holidays on 3 Fridays out of 4) with the coming Friday and Tuesday off. What did I do? Went on a weekend trip of course! (Don't cha know me by now?!)

Destination of choice: Manori. Quaint little island just 5 minutes off Malad, best accessed by Ferry. You can also drive down if you wish, via Bhayander which would leave you twiddling your thumbs in a car ride well over 2 hours with the knowledge that you could've ferried it across in 4 minutes FLAT.

We were 18 of us all geared up with our camera's, cards, alcohol and chakna supplies! For me, this qualifies of another weekend of firsts. Away from the aegis of my all-too-protective mother, I partook of the delights of my first ever Gola. Kala Khatta flavored. There is photographic evidence too, with a strategically placed police van in the background. I also bought Keri (Raw Mango) off a guy with a rickety handcart, who cut and sliced the delightful fruit with a knife that looked like it had never felt the coolth of water, and masala which imbibed in it the combination of salt, red chilli powder and some unidentifiable other powder, which I suspect, is sand.

Needless to say, my mother expressed her disdain at aforesaid activities. HAH. So much for that. =) Next stop, roadside Pani Puri. If I muster up the courage i.e. Not eating off the streets and hygienic surroundings have marred my childhood i tell'ya. I discovered many other unfamiliar terms and apparently extremely commonly devoured items like Tadi - Coconut resembling fruit (?) of which alcoholic derivatives can be extracted. My ignorance of such names was appropriately by ALL 18 of the gang.

Assuming I spend the next 5 lines going into various narratives about how hot it was and how Im a shad darker (again), ill pretend that you know, get my drift et all, and move on with my weekend. Another first was the spending the night in a Dormitory. Its anyone's guess how many good nights were exchanged and how long it took before everyone agreed on how many ac's should be left on, and finally hushed up.

The poor DJ, hired for the night on account of the presence of 3 other large groups of people occupying the resort, began his revelry a good hour and a half before anyone joined in. We all indulged in the coolth of the ac and stepped out only when some breeze was bestowed upon us.
Dance was danced, alcohol was had, dinner was very nearly forgotten, and much making merry happened.

The best part of the entire trip was indisputably the midnight walk on the beach. Secluded, dimly lit with only the outlines of ourselves discernible... we all sat, silently for some time. Being one with the winds and the moonlight, hearing ourselves breathe the pleasure of which the undercurrents of fast pace and vehicular buzz doesn't allow us. A was there. We sat, in a circle I made with my finger in an imaginary impermeable world, where for that moment, there existed just two people. 'I can just fall asleep here' He said, when he just scooted over and placed his head on my lap. I obviously, replied to that oh-so-cute moment by running my sand filled hand through his hair. Someday we will be, Together you and me...

Apparently it was TOO COLD :D Thanks Gautam and AB for being such sports on seeing this picture the next day!

Also, the picture of the sea above clicked by Dhwani.