Celebration - Koch@60

                                                    Celebration - Koch@60

It was Independence Day 2014 and that usually meant it was a holiday. And in those years when it happens on a Friday, it meant a three day long weekend. Having returned recently from our long family holiday abroad, one was still a little groggy,  getting few hours of sleep due to jet lag. I suddenly recollected that Venky, a batch mate from IIM was staying in the house as he had informed me that he was visiting Delhi for work. I had discouraged him mildly as most Delhi – ites had fled the city for the weekend and that his meetings may not be as productive. Well, he had insisted and having arrived in the early morning hours was sleeping in a guest bedroom.

I was lazing around with my morning cuppa tea when a received a message from Mala, another batch mate that she was in town and staying at a hotel. Being a holiday she wanted to drop by in the morning. I said come over for breakfast. I casually told my wife that due to a strange coincidence we would be having two batch mates in the morning and she barely shrugged her shoulders as if to say “these things happen.”

An hour later the doorbell rang and I expected to see Mala walk in. Instead, to my utter amazement, I see Menon and Bard walk in. Menon casually mentioned that they were enroute to ISB Mohali and being a holiday, they had dropped by to watch the cricket match between India and England (only Menon wanted to see the thrashing!). My antenna still did not tingle, knowing the probability of four batch mates arriving on a holiday by coincidence were close to zero. Either my jet lag or the fact I had crossed 60 had dulled my senses.

A few minutes later Mala did turn up and Venky arose from his slumber to join the fast swelling crowd. We were enjoying the bonhomie when the doorbell rang again and this time Satish walked in (poor guy he had had a close encounter with one of Delhi’s notoriously uncouth breed of taxi drivers). A dim bulb went off somewhere and I started feeling like a CHUMP, having had my leg pulled (as if it was not long enough!). I was asking the crowd as to how many guys were hiding in the bushes! As if on cue Nagi walked in, bag in tow singing “happy Birthday” lustily. He was followed by the smiling Buddha, Shrieks who was grinning from ear to ear.   The cat was finally out of the bag!!!

Looking for the next Arrival

Nagi makes a pont

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I looked at Manju and she still had an innocent expression on her face, casually bringing in heaps of tea. I raised the imaginary white flag and said that I was bamboozled and was eager to know who planned this affair and who all were coming? Most of those assembled pretended innocence and said maybe others may arrive. Satish also preposterously said that maybe Ouch was hiding outside. Dilip also arrived to add to the party. Breakfast was conjured with heaps of Spanish omelet’s, poha, etc with mango milkshake and disappeared as fast as it was being brought in.

Soon things began to settle down and afternoon arrived when the beer drinking started. It now struck me that Manju bought a case of beer last week saying that my daughters may be having a party at home. Slowly all the pointers struck home and I realized that I had been HAD! My feelings vacillated between the enthusiasm of seeing my batch mates for a party and that of being a complete Sucker! After the second case of beer was pulled out, the decibels went higher and the camaraderie level increased, and small details of the massive stealth operation emerged.  I was told that one of the prime architects of Operation Koch 60 – Vasant could not come as he was not well and undergoing several medical tests. Fortunately it turned out that there was nothing serious. We missed him in the merry mayhem.

Mala donned Santa’s hat and presented a gift to me and separate ones to Manju and my daughters on behalf of the batch. This moved me, to know that they had planned operation airlift and topped it with a thoughtful gift.

Santa's Gift

The Kochhar Family

 

Manju served food with a Punjabi flavor – Chole bhature/Baked Gobi/  Baigan/Chicken curry/etc and of course rice and curd and large quantities of beer and wine washed it down. Menon in the meantime watched the debacle of the Indian team and gave up after a few minutes claiming it was my fault as each time I came close to the TV, an Indian batsmen got out.  On being asked what touristy things everyone would like to do after lunch, the loud unanimous decision was – Nothing, only Chill!

I now tried to assume the role of the host and rooms were being allotted for everyone, mattresses and linen being distributed and roommates planned. Manju aided by my daughters Ankita & Roshni had meticulously planned everything and things went smoothly. It was fun accommodating all friends under one roof and seemed that the hostel life was being relived. The Buddha was laughing all the way to bed and everyone retired for a nap.

Chai commenced in the evening and each member drifted in slowly after slumber. Soon Mama Sridhar and Laxmi joined in and I was informed to my amazement that Ouch was arriving at night. That really was the icing on the cake!

To mark the distinction of tea time from drinking time we all had a walk around the colony. Soon we adjourned to the basement lounge and serious drinking began with an array of malts, vodka, wines, beer and non alcoholic beverages.  Sadly people like Nagi and Sridhar have become wine drinkers causing liquor companies going into the red. The next few hours were spent binging and having a full dress rehearsal for next day’s session with Ouch – Music, drinking, eating kebabs and of course the lighthearted camaraderie of old friends having a reunion and sharing the changes in our lives. It just seemed that Hostel life of A, C & D were being reenacted at a fast forward era.  

Sridhar's Got the Inclination

Binge Time

 

2 (ex) bewdas from Bangalore

 

 

 

 

 

Bar, Bar, Lagatar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Manju had conjured a meal of chicken roast/mutton /etc served with Punjabi parathas and curd with rice. A few glitches did happen with a few AC’s  not working but people cheerfully rode these minor blips. A few hours later Shrieks accompanied me to receive Ouch at the airport and bring him home. The night was uneventful except for Nagi who complained that Shrieks after bringing Ouch back spent the rest of the night reciting his life history again to Ouch!

The next day dawned and all familiar faces trooped in staggered batches for chai followed by breakfast. People were excited to see Ouch, the lynchpin of our get togethers. And whose energy is palpable. Later, on popular demand Manju conducted a meditation session which seemed to centre the diversity of individual activities. A calm descended over the group with many recounting the first brush we had had with the meditation  at IIM. We had a few group photo sessions and 12 of us are seen below ( Ouch called it the dirty dozen?).

Meditation with Manju

Group Photo 1

 

 

 

 

The pre lunch beer/wine session started. Manju declared lunch and besides the usual fare there was Khao Suey, a Thai specialty which was looked at hesitantly, being unknown fare but  later devoured enthusiastically. By mid afternoon everyone drifted to their rooms for siesta.

Kun Khao Suey?

At the Bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonhomie

Chilling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In the evening the beer and travel took its toll such that proceedings started late. A few people went with Manju for a local meditation programme while others chose to sleep it out. By late evening the separate groups collected in the basement lounge again where the sound system had also been set up. Two more batch mates, Vipin and Fromm also joined the party and it was one big rowdy batch now. More malts were opened, more wines were sampled and Ouch started the music with his guitar with Satish accompanying him on the Kanjira.

 

Ouch with Satish

Others were hearing the music while gladeye - well!

 

Decision, decisions, decisions

 

 

 

 

A Pat on the Back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thereafter it was vintage Ouch all the way. His music evoked images of yesteryears growing up at IIM and the reunions thereafter. From rock music like Doors, Tull, Bob Seeger, CCR, Dire Straits  and the like to popular music like CSNY,ELP, Beatles to mellifluous music like Seals & Crofts,  Moody Blues; his  repertoire has only increased. His energy was  palpable and the evening rocked. People joined in singing all the songs we enjoyed Ouch playing  over the years.

Vintage Ouch

One singer too many

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Time out was taken for dinner. Manju had made ‘Raan’ a specialty mutton dish of NW Frontier along with Missi roti from old Delhi  along with the usual fare of chicken etc with curd & rice. After dinner Manju brought out  a cake which had as its icing “Batch of 82 Rocks” - a better  truism hath not said. Nagi with his never ending enthusiasm decided to rub cake all over my face accompanied by high decibel and daroo infused voices of the participants.

Celebration

The Icing on the cake

 

 

 

 

 

Exuberant Juvenile Nagi

Jai Ho

A Sight to See

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this sojourn the music sessions with Ouch were reverted to. The mood became a little subtler and now there were more listeners than singers. Gradually the postures were elongated to lying positions while the supplies from the bar continued unabated. Suddenly my daughter Ankita’s friends Nikhil & Arsh who are an Indian rock group musicians dropped by. After listening to Ouch with awe, they brought their guitars and a great jamming session happened.  Ouch also got a break while they played and later Ouch was singing with them playing as accompaniment. This carried on till late hours of the morning until  one by one people retired, while Ouch the indefatiguable kept playing to the requests those left.

Worlds Okayest Guitar Player



Night in Brown Satin

 

 

 

 

 







Music Meditation

Jamming

 

 

 

The next morning there was a steady stream of departures and with a sense of regret a memorable weekend was coming to an end.  For the first time my house had been filled with animated voices of excitable (grown up) kids and as the frenetic movements started receding, I realized that such an event may not happen again in my life.

Looking back at a few vignettes of the event ( maybe others can add to these) –

Menon – propounded Menon-isms like “ the key to getting something you want is letting go; then it will come to you. “ He tried to convert Venky as a disciple to Menonism

Venky – was all over the place. Tried to rope in Mala to become a Menonist

Shrieks – was as only Shrieks – the patented laughing Buddha, while being a foodie. In the middle of lunch he suggested to Manju that Mozzarella cheese would be nice to line the gastric tract for dinner. You have to hand it to Shrieks planning!

Mala – our mother hen. She was apologizing to Manju for the behavior of her juvenile delinquent batch mates. She also told Venky that Menonisms were a load of BS.

Dilip (ananda) – the original mother lode of enlightenment. Was stoically quiet and gave gyan only when the rowdies asked him

Bard – the gentleman who was the first to come down for every event and waited patiently for the slackers to follow

Nagi – the most exuberant man we have. He had not lost his charm, energetically talking to any girl present. At the bar was seen arguing with Sridhar that sex was better than golf

Sridhar – our elder statesman. Was arguing with Nagi that golf is the highest calling. One doesn’t know who won, but the whisky consumption lost

Laxmi – our youthful Bahurani was eternally smiling. Her daughter who also came reminded one of what she was 34 years ago

Satish – Having retired from corporate life he came alive while playing the Kanjira

Fromm – a late entrant but was a constant fixture at the bar

Vipin – our youngest batch mate, whose hearty laugh gave feeble competition to the smiling Buddha

Ouch – the man with the magical (T)ouch. An incredible bundle of energy whose music binds the batch together

In 60 years I have not been as pleasantly surprised as this birthday celebration was. Hats off to Manju and those batch mates who planned and executed it seamlessly.  I look back and realize how lucky I am to have such friends who I have known for 34 years. A man’s wealth is known by the number of well wishers he has. I realized how wealthy I am to have such friends who conspired to pull off Operation Koch 60.

Thank you, my friends. The batch of 82 Rocks!