My ‘Imperial’ experience.

‘Sir, so where exactly is your gym?’ I asked after parking my scooty on the left lane.

‘It’s in the Imperial palace’ answered the man on the other side of the phone.

‘Look, I am asking whether it’s right to the Imperial palace or left ‘I said with a this-man-is-such-a-divvy expression.

‘Ma’am I said our Fitnezz gym is neither left to Imperial nor right to it, it’s inside the Imperial palace.’

‘I see. I see…’ with it I disconnected the phone.

‘Mangi, the gym is INSIDE the Imperial palace.’ I exclaimed with a broad eyes.

                                                                                     *

Being a freelance writer at ‘RajkotNOW! ‘ and ‘RajkotPlus’  newspaper , I need to visit so many people at so many places to take the their opinions. No matter, I personally believe

I was writing an article on the mushrooming of gyms in Rajkot and for the same purpose I was visiting a couple of gyms, to have the exact exposure to their notion. I had to visit ‘Fitnezz gym’ which was luckily in ‘Imperial palace’. ‘Imperial Palace’ is a true brand hotel where visiting celebrities, foreigners and other richy-rich’s stay. I had once gone there to have snacks at its restaurant named ‘Senso’  but I had never got a chance to see what it lay’s further.

that opinions are very much like moustache. They are interesting and considered very important to the owner but are in fact unnecessary.

                                                                                 *

‘Xuse…Me, where is fitness gym?’ I asked at the reception.

‘Go straight, catch the lift and press ‘L’ in it.’ Said the receptionist.

‘Impressive ‘I said to myself.

I and my friend premangi were in very usual-casual dress.   I felt The waiters of that place were looking better than me as I had put on a regular pink colored cotton kurti with light green colored leggings. I had a oily bun at my back to add to my messiness! I had ‘Jhola’ type bag with me which gave me feeling of being a Journalist.

My eyes were stunned by seeing that balmy place. Everything was so big. So Big.

When we were going up in the lift we saw a man in shorts and a casual –T. His features made me guess that he might be Chinese or Japanese. And I was recalling the lines I used to speak in my childhood…Chinese,Japanese…Batammiz …Sorry please. I wanted to talk to that man but as soon I approached him his phone rang, he took out an Apple –iphone from his pocket and started speaking something…ching cha chi…which I couldn’t understand. 

When we saw the gym, it was quite normal like any other gym, with no ‘Wow’ element in it. Our work was over so technically we had to leave then but our senses tickled and we wished to take a ride of that place. We went into the lift and knowingly instead of pressing ‘G’ for ground floor; we placed a digit which will take us to one of the floors of that Hotel. Grand hotel.

As soon as the lift opened, I felt as if I am watching a movie. There was a brief stillness in my mind. I could see several waiters standing at the lobby to guard the rooms and the pin drop silence that the Hotel carried. The carpet, The etiquettes of waiters, The interior of the room, The sweet silence spurring in the lobby , the royal lift with transparent glass on one side….all was so enthrall.

 ‘Ma’am, do you need anything?’ asked a waiter looking at my curious eyes.

‘ Aaa…No..’  I said somehow and with it hid myself near a lift.

‘Janvi, let’s try to convince him, to help us in getting a ride of the hotel’ Premangi voiced like a spy directing to his accompany.

I nodded. Mission Convince.

                                                          *

Somehow our ‘Please’, ‘Just Once’ and ‘trust us’ dialogues helped us to convince a humble waiter.

He took us to the 6^th floor as he was incharge only of that floor.

He opened a room and we all went inside it. 

It was like a mini house, a dining room, a bedroom, a dining table, a mini refrigerator, rich sofa-set, LED television, air conditioner, heavy carpet on the floor, artistic paintings on the wall, a bathroom as big as my room, a  kind of bath tub we only see in movies and so…many other accolade things.

‘Dhoni lived in this room while his visit to Rajkot.’ He said proudly and added ‘while other cricketer’s also lived on this floor only.’

My mind refused to acknowledge the obvious. M.S. Dhoni in this room. Dhoni lived in this room and I am standing in this room, so I have indirectly met Dhoni. And Dhoni is a celebrity so he might have met Shahrukh Khan so I have indirectly met SHAHRUKH KHANNN….

I was lost in my jungle of thoughts when I heard the waiter answering the question of Premangi by saying ‘This room costs 15,000, a day’

‘15,000’ the figure rolled in my mind. Small things for some people are big things for other people. I felt.

15,000 Rupees, means if I buy my clothes from Dharmendra Road, Rs. 300/Top and Rs. 600/Jeans then how many clothes will I be able to buy with those 15,000 Rupees?! I started calculating.

‘God, Even I want the money to live in such an expensive hotel. ‘

‘God, why didn’t you give me birth in such a rich family, huh?’

‘God, Do something, I don’t want to leave this room. Please!’

 I tried to conceal my frugality.

                                                           *

‘Janvi, Let’s go.’ Said Premangi , looking at my flat face.

 Janvi, it’s time to go.

When it was time to go I felt as if looking for your pulse and finding that your heart had already stopped.

                                                                *

I kept looking at the room and the waiter as I was leaving, as if I was silently telling them ‘I am leaving but my heart is still resting in this room, do take care of it.’

                                                             *

 We were then moving down with slow steps. As slow as possible.                                                         

‘Mangi, why aren’t we so rich?’

‘When will we be able to afford such costly things, huh?’ asked another question before she could give any sort of reply.

My claptrap continued until we reached the exit, while mangi kept silent, as always.

 ‘Ma’am, please lend us something. My child is hungry from so long. Please ma’am’ it was the sudden voice I heard as we reached out of that place.

I then realized that it was the voice of a virago like lady with a baby hung on her waist side. 

Everything around me melted into nothingness. My heart started thinking for sometime.

I opened my jhola like bag and surfed into it with my right  hand, I crossed all the mess in my bag…Capless pen, pocket diary, pen drive, light green colored duppatta and I finally got that 10 rupees note lying like a orphan child in my messy bag.

I looked again to that woman. I handed over that 10 rupee note to her.

And I started walking. Wisely.

                                                          *

Somewhere in my heart I was thanking God for whatever he had given me. I felt Rich but basically I felt wealthy and that mattered.

                                                              *

As I started my scooty , I took a last glance at the Imperial palace and said sayonara to it. Feeling  Hum bhi kuch kum nahi.

My eyes then glared at the sky above the hotel and I said Thank you. Thank you.