Riding a pony..

"Hey, Pratima is calling", Karan told us.

"Ask them to come here. I know a good place around here, let's all just sit and have a good dinner here itself", I told Karan.

Me and Sushmita(Sushi) couldn't see a point going back home and coming back to same place again. Karan, surprisingly came across as a killjoy maybe because of the exhaustion due to the last couple of sleepless nights that overplayed its role with the burden of a heavy bag on his back. Hence, whatever he said, wasn't in sync with my rational mind. "Why can't we go back?", Karan said and we started off, right there, on the street buzzing with people with Sush waving at us to hush. Anyways, like always, I won. Karan called Pratima to let her know about the plan and she agreed upon coming to Tapeo, a Spanish restaurant with the beautiful outdoor sitting arrangement by the side of the Newburry street.

Pratima and Vikas came quite late, just 15 minutes before the kitchen would be closed. We all ordered different cuisines so as to learn what is savoured the best by our taste buds and just to tick off few more things from our checklists. I had just started enjoying my Mojito and food when Sushi questioned, " So, how is CA different from CPA?"... 'There goes my lovely dinner dream', I thought and kept sipping quietly. Karan, our very own walking and talking encyclopedia, is someone who waits for the world to question, any question or for that matter act, act any different so that he gets his most awaited chance to go heights and lengths to enlighten others with any unknown theory, hidden logic or unrevealed facts that compliment a well rounded sound explanation. Whatever, when an IT engineer like myself, who was just willing enough to experiment with MBA, is having a lovely dinner with friends, he/she would last want or if I can exaggerate, he or she would just dread any such question to pop-up. I made an invisible effort to shut my ears and shun off the conversation about accounting and finance by completely engrossing myself into learning the best ways possible to cut beautiful diamond shaped chicken pieces using the pair of fork and a knife in my hands.

A wheezing sound and I was suddenly fully aware and alert. I so love that sight. I could feel the adrenalin rush even before I saw them. Zoom!...Zoom!...Zoom!... and I was almost up on my feet to get the glimpse of the bike gang joined together in camaraderie as they bolted through the street.. As soon as they were gone (which was in spur of seconds..), I looked at my gang with the glimmer in my eyes and a wide ear-to-ear smile. Everyone smiled. Karan said after a small pause, " Ya, so what was I saying?...". I concentrated on my chicken again. Unintentionally but without fail, my friends had managed to make it one of the most boring dinners I have ever had. I could not have been more than relieved as the dinner got over. 'Ya, well whatever, I will go back home and sleep off', I thought as we made the move out of the restaurant.

We were walking down the street when we saw a large group of people standing in a circle singing in chorus.. We came to the halt standing a little outside the circle as one of the onlookers passing by to see what was all the buzz about. Before we knew,or I knew, the guy who was dancing at the center of the circle jumped out of it, towards me, and started dancing in front of me. The crowd cheered him up by raising their voice a few decibels. I was all pink and suddenly wishing and wondering what would it be if I ever had a disappearing potion for a moment like this. The mob was playing 'Riding on a pony' game!..The guy asked, "What's your name?" and I said- Shweta. Next thing I knew-I was at the center of the circle, in a blink of an eye! Almost unaware and just assuming that I was supposed to dance, I started doing bhangra! Of all the dance forms, when you are encircled by Americans as they are cheering, clapping and singing ' Riding on a pony..' in unison, why the hell would you ever do Bhangra?

...

'Here comes Shweta on her pony,

Riding on her big bad pony,

Here she comes on her pony,

And this is what she told me..

Front to front to front my pony..

Side to side to side my pony..

Back to back to back my pony..

And this is what she told me.'

Before the second para(as given above) began, I heard someone saying- PICK SOMEONE!.. and I began enjoying as I knew by now what I had to do-
Front to front to front my pony..
Side to side to side my pony..
Back to back to back my pony..

and I passed the pony to the guy I had picked. My gang was laughing and we all were now part of the glee club singing along. The game got over in a while, and as everyone was dispersing, the cheerleader came up to me, shook hands and quipped, "Thanks, You were a sport". I suddenly realised that I was happy and elated for no reason at all.. and the boring dinner I had had few minutes back didn't even matter after all.

There was so much I learnt from that small moment of the day. I learnt for the fact that like me, almost everyone is willing, even if shy, to see or try something new. I learnt that crowds come together, however diverse...That everyone is willing to join hands, even if for just a few minutes of joy. I realized that till the time you don't plunge into the situation, don't be fearful, don't be nervous, it might just turn out to be one of the most memorable thing you saw or beautiful thing you learned or the wisest thing you ever did. I think about the cheerleader now, the guy who got the crowd indulged in the game and I remember his smiling confident face as he paved his way to the other side of the street when the game got over. I am assured he must have slept well that night.


(Pic : http://hedweb.com/animimag/cool-pony.htm)