Gosh, it was just July when I wrote about our driver woes. I had put a comment about a chubby, affable driver who had just joined us. He turned out to be a good find. Drove properly. Often bunked but not to the point of desperation. Polite. Round. We used to refer to him as 'The Great Salami'. Simon Majumdar's moniker for his brother.
Cut to the first morning of this year. We woke up bleary eyed when the bell rang at ten. It seemed as if we had just gone to bed after bringing in the new year. My hair looked like a balding porcupine's as I dragged myself to the door.
I opened it and saw that there was a thin, lanky guy waiting outside. His words finally registered through the haze of the previous night's good cheer. The Great Salami, who took his salary a day in advance, had apparently quit! The thin, lanky guy worked for a neighbour and came to apply for the job. TGS had apparently sent him.
I couldn't think of a worse morning after scenario. I slowly realised that we had been dumped on the first day of the year. The first day of the decade. And what hurt was that he didn't even say goodbye. That I had to hear it from someone else. Hungover. Jilted. Baulking at the prospect of meeting the family to make merry in a few hours.I closed the door on the thin guy's face.
A nice lunch at Kamling with the in laws. A cab ride back to Bandra in the sweltering heat. An afternoon nap late in the evening and better sense prevailed. I called the thin guy and took a test drive.
Me: What cars have you driven before?
Thin guy: Sir I drove for your neighbours (sister and bro in law of a Bollywood starlet who owns the house). Before that I drove for Sameera Reddy (a smaller starlet, in terms of career credits)
Me: What routes have you driven in?
Thin guy: "I drove for Sameera Reddy. Before that I drove Kaizad Gustad (a controversial Bollywood director who went Boom)"
Well I did recently ask a female lead in a recent avant garde film whether the seats beside her were taken in Gloria Jean's. I don't know if that redeemed us enough in the eyes of our filmi driver. Thankfully the thin guy joined us despite our lack of any obvious tinsel town affiliations.
So there you are. New year. New driver.
Would you call this a clean break up? I don't know. I still wish that The Great Salami has at least given me some sign when he took his salary in advance. Or had at least returned my calls.
Let's see how long the rebound works.
Cut to the first morning of this year. We woke up bleary eyed when the bell rang at ten. It seemed as if we had just gone to bed after bringing in the new year. My hair looked like a balding porcupine's as I dragged myself to the door.
I opened it and saw that there was a thin, lanky guy waiting outside. His words finally registered through the haze of the previous night's good cheer. The Great Salami, who took his salary a day in advance, had apparently quit! The thin, lanky guy worked for a neighbour and came to apply for the job. TGS had apparently sent him.
I couldn't think of a worse morning after scenario. I slowly realised that we had been dumped on the first day of the year. The first day of the decade. And what hurt was that he didn't even say goodbye. That I had to hear it from someone else. Hungover. Jilted. Baulking at the prospect of meeting the family to make merry in a few hours.I closed the door on the thin guy's face.
A nice lunch at Kamling with the in laws. A cab ride back to Bandra in the sweltering heat. An afternoon nap late in the evening and better sense prevailed. I called the thin guy and took a test drive.
Me: What cars have you driven before?
Thin guy: Sir I drove for your neighbours (sister and bro in law of a Bollywood starlet who owns the house). Before that I drove for Sameera Reddy (a smaller starlet, in terms of career credits)
Me: What routes have you driven in?
Thin guy: "I drove for Sameera Reddy. Before that I drove Kaizad Gustad (a controversial Bollywood director who went Boom)"
Well I did recently ask a female lead in a recent avant garde film whether the seats beside her were taken in Gloria Jean's. I don't know if that redeemed us enough in the eyes of our filmi driver. Thankfully the thin guy joined us despite our lack of any obvious tinsel town affiliations.
So there you are. New year. New driver.
Would you call this a clean break up? I don't know. I still wish that The Great Salami has at least given me some sign when he took his salary in advance. Or had at least returned my calls.
Let's see how long the rebound works.
Comments
And for future reference, people asking for their salary in advance = BIG BIG SIGN!!
Scarlett... have you ben shown a million P G digs where Mithun supposedly stayed?
I knew it was a sign but I thought it would be for a three day fling. I didn't know that it was over