PVG - I had just arrived at the newly opened Pudong Airport in Shanghai after a whirlwind tour of South Asia. The plans were to hook up with my friend Vijay who had recently taken on a job as VJ at a budding music TV (very bling bling) station locally trying to push the pop scene forward.
As expected of any minor celeb, my friend fit the profile completely. I am hanging at Shanghai's newest airport and he is nowhere to be found. Not wasting too much time I decide to hop in a cab and make it to his TV station. I remembered that he had a live show in few hours time. I was ushered easily into the building and towards his makeup/get ready room. VJ Vijay was slumped over the sofa, apparently catching up with his beauty sleep. After very cursory hello and charting a quick plan of action for the day - Vijay and I decided that I will hang out till he conclude his 2 hour long live show and then we will head to his flat and off we will go exploring. Vijay slumped right back into the sofa mumbling something about his fans love his sleepy persona and not to wake him up till 30 seconds before the show. Jet lagged as I was - there was no place for me in slumber land. To kill boredom - I switched on the TV in his room. Nothing ... My primal instincts slowly geared up and took over. I started twiddling with lots of props and jewelery items in Vijay's room - undoubtedly part of his very intricate TV show. Soon enuf, I was pulling drawers open and peeking through the closets. Then they caught my eye - a very greenish bluish material encapsulated in a thin translucent material peeking through the the bottom of the closet. It was the size of small business card holder. The rays of sun hitting them at a perfect angle. There were eight piece strewn in close proximity. I leaned and picked one up. Underneath the slim sheath of clear material, it was obvious that it was some sort of stone with natural or perhaps artificial engravings in it.
The stones held my gaze. I picked on of them at a time and looked at them. They were beautiful. My imagination was in high gear. They seemed like a prop that Vijay would use in one of his shows. My resolve was clear.
Thirty seconds before the show. A very loud knock on the door obviated the need for me to wake Vijay up. The very hype Chinese lady did not wait for a response, and opened the door and screamed at Vijay in Hindi - Chalo, chalo.
Vijay was on his feet - completely lucid pointing at me to follow him. Nina had make up brushes in her hands - she brushed some foul smelling make up on Vijay face. As we walked toward the unlit sign - indicating that we were still OFF AIR - I look at Vijay and show him the stone and say - 'R these yours?' typical Vijay - 'Yeah- there should be some more of these - do u like them - do u want them - yours - sorry for not picking you up at the airport.'
HNL - Crossing the international dateline is always fun - I remind myself that I have become a day younger - have beaten the clock. Most times I will calculate down to the hour as to how young I have become ;) Honolulu Airport is a perfectly laid out. Lots of landscaping welcoming the millions of tourists from all over to the island paradise. This was an unintentional stop. The airline I was flying insisted on the HNL stop on my way back to the capital of the world. It was meant to be a about an 18 hour stop. I was hesitant to check into a hotel for such a short stay, yet wanted to venture out and check out some of the sites mentioned in the airlines magazine. The plan was simple, upon landing I sought out the local baggage storage. There was no need to retrieve my larger luggage - the airline had checked it into the connecting flight. I was carrying a small backpack and a bag with my valuable possessions - the US passport, some TC and other stuff I had gathered in my recent jaunt overseas. I decided to keep my backpack with the bare essentials on me and store the smaller handbag at the airport storage lockers.
Honolulu was not for me. It is a sun lovers paradise and very little to offer me. I hit the local night scene and met up with some New York college students who were spending their summer months in Hawaii. As the night progressed they offered that I could stay in the room they had rented at the Hojo's. Not withstanding the fact that I did not know these people for more than four hours, I decided that a few hours of shuteye will do me well. I crashed on the floor in their room.
Next morning was a scene which everyone is all too familiar with - oversleeping - not finding an early morning taxi - finally rushing to airport - barely catching the flight. In the hustle and the bustle - forgetting my backpack with my passport and other similar stuff in the airport lockers. Luckily I was already on US land and the airlines did not require me to have anything more than my US driver's license on me.
JFK - I am here - the Paki cab driver makes a lot of small talk on the way. I now know that this 41 year old has 5 children ranging in ages from 18 months to 10 years. Talk about cadence. The cleaning service has done a good job of keeping my apartment overlooking the Hudson and the big apple free of any malodors . I had taken a year off from work under the guise of a sabbatical. The semi predictable world of sleep - wake - commute - work - eat - had been enuf for me . My research period extends for another 6 months.
The time apart has given the GF chance to reevaluate where we are and the euphoric first meeting seems to indicate that we will give this another try. I am not sure but not saying that either. Getting back into the scene was effortless - despite all the complication of the life in the city. My new Blackberry is more of status thing than a necessity. I use it as a phone - nothing more - the way the salesman described it - i felt that if I used this gadget right - I will be the first one to solve the issues associated with world hunger - alas it is just a device to talk to someone thru RF.
646 - the new area code for city dwellers - flashes on my sleek new berry. It is not an iPhone - but I am not gen Qer either. The voice at the other end is very entrancing desi voice calling me Sahib et al. We would really like to see you and your significant other in our offices in the NYC diamond district - I am extrapolating and thinking that this is a very sophisticated sales call. It is not - he knows more about me than an average desi reading a call center script somewhere in Bangalore. The hook is in ...
5th Ave - a wheelchair bound white haired desi man greets us at the gem store. After pleasantries are exchanged - he asks me that he would like to make a offer for the what belongs to his family. What is he talking about. He is elusive and seems insistent on a shroud secrecy. What is that I have that belongs to him. Nothing - time to go get a slice of Pizza and head home. Seventy five. 75 what. 75 million dollars i.e. I think it is a fair offer for the diamonds you acquired in the orient. My head is spinning - is this guy for real. What diamonds - the diamonds in the storage box along with my passport and other nick knack at HNL - which left in there in my hurry to catch the flight to JFK - reasoning that I can always have another passport issued. The storage folks - 3 weeks later - do u think they have emptied the box and destroyed the contents. They have my CC number. They are probably charging me by the day - I wonder what is the max before they declare my stuff as abandoned and destroy it. Could it be that this character from the movie Sholay is looking for the string of shiny stones that Vijay so frivolously gave me as friendly gesture.
EWR - Look A - please do me this favor - I am not sure what this is all about but we have to get the diamonds back here to NYC. I know this is long trip to go pick up something which maybe a grand plan by Vijay to have another last laugh at me. I am sure the first class travel will be comfortable with your best friend Jasmine alongside with you. I am imposing - it was clear to me as we left the diamond district that till I made my decision I was not leave town. I cannot afford to have the potential destroyed by a minimum wage worker at HNL. This is going to be 72 hours waiting which is going to feel a lot longer. She knew that code - it was my birthday.
EWR - 72 hours later - A is back from her jaunt to HNL with Jasmine by her side. The get into my jet black 6 series. She has the stuff. We are going straight to meet a friend of mine who is in the business.
5th Ave. These are from the Mughal dynasty. Were stolen in the time of Aurangzeb from the royal family and have not been heard of since. I say fair price would be in the range of three hundred to three fifty. A and Jasmine are in disbelief and look at me admiringly - unbelievable.
GWB - Crossing this bridge has been done a thousand time - but never besides a Hummer waving 37 Smith and Wesson and an Uzi in plain sight.
They are waving me off to the Lemoine Ave exit. Fight or flee - no time to philosophize. Press metal. The German engineering better show its stuff. The American marvel - not the Hummer - the Smith and Wesson is a superb match. Shattered rear window. I am zipping down NJ Turnpike with gun blazing maniac in hot pursuit. I stop. The muscle grabs me - the string come from Jasmine's pocket to her hand to muscle's arm. We are home.
GCM - I have received 250MM in my bank today to my numbered account. I am still with A.
