Empire State of Mind

New York, here goes......

Let me start by introducing to you the main characters.....each one is important.

1. Nachiket Mehta (a.k.a Naiya) .....the brain behind the super planning and execution, dreamer (almost schizophrenic), music addict, great guy. Mera Jigri.
2. Abhijit Kangude (a.k.a the Cool Mechie)....Failed Greek Philosopher in his previous life. Great Photographer, loves to be photographed. My buddy.
3. Akshay Tonape....The fourth element. Last minute entry. Took the trip to another level. My bro.
4. Maanas Mujumdar....initiator of the plan, sat back and lived through his childhood dream.

Certain events start with certain omens and they just indicate to you that you are heading into something special. Reached the airport at the last minute in a scramble only to realize the flight delayed by a good 1.5 hrs. Frustration. Delta Sucks!! Eating away merrily at the restaurant without realizing that its only 20 mins to go for take-off, and the airline staff coming to get you, getting hold of the waiter for u to pay ur bill and literally dragging u into the airplane. Whoa!!. No space for bags. Drama. Chaos. Finally....Take-Off.

Our bags which were checked in at the last minute did arrive much to the relief of Abhijit. Meeting Naiya after one year was special and we started towards Manhattan in a cab. While exiting the airport I got a feel reminiscent of Mumbai. The roads, the traffic the lane cutting and honking, it seemed like India. Was I home? I think so. Akshay having reached the hotel early had already received the shock of his life by looking at our room. (Introducing, in a very friendly appearance: Hotel Riverside Studios. Kick started the fun. No hotel ever can have a better placement of broken glass panes). Couple of people were new to each other, but right when we reached our 'great' hotel on Friday night, the situation, the irony, the comedy, people literally got along like a house on fire. We were better prepared for bed bugs than the Indian team going into WC 2011, but none turned up. We crashed soon after cos we had to wake up in 2 hrs. Yes. There was only thing we did not have.TIME.

The cruise for which we got up so early wasnt so much worth it, and about noon on Saturday I couldn’t help but question myself, is NY a bit over-rated?? Why am I not getting the punch yet? Something's amiss. But till then I hadn't really walked the streets. Our first encounter with NY's public transport (reminds me of the Mumbai local, crowded, unclean, yet efficient, and yes ur not expected to find a seat...so dont bother trying.) happened on our way to munching on some Kathi kababs. Post that we chilled at Bryant Park, and thats where I got the first glimpse of the people living there, the life in the city. Here's a very small park few minutes from 'Times Square' and its as serene as the world around it is bustling. Great place to chill, talk about life, play board games, and look at New York's very beautiful girls. The girls over there are unfairly beautiful, their eyes I can never forget, and their sense of style left me reeling under heavy inferiority complex. Wicket off the first ball. Dil le gayi kudi New York di. 

Empire state treated us like aristocrats or royalty just cos we had something called 'Express Pass'. We bypassed all the queues with the remaining desis staring at us with jealousy and were up on top in 10 minutes flat. For a change and although in a small context we felt like we had sliced through competition, left the whole world behind. Our egos boosted we enjoyed the view from the 86th floor even more than we actually would have. Then came Times Square, the most surreal place I have seen in my life, even leaves Las Vegas Boulevard behind. The sheer energy in such a small area, the vibe, the pulse is something intoxicating. We just stood there and soaked it in, following which we went into Hard Rock cafe for our first brush with alcohol in NYC. When suddenly any incident / person u talk about leads u to discuss 'life' u know that the alcohol has kicked in, each one denies it, but knows it secretly. 

The second day started with a nice lunch at Mamoun's falafel (must visit place), and we knew that this was the day we needed to maximize. We were already starting to get charmed by this beauty called NYC and we just wanted more and more. A visit to the famed financial district gave me another reason why its cool to be a finance guy and not an electrical engineer. I was stunned by the beauty of those buildings and the power they exuded. I happened to suddenly realize that only 24 hrs left for us to leave, and I dint want to. That’s the magnetism of the place. It makes u feel u belong, an instant but deep connection, there's no insider-outsider, and everyone’s invited. Since that day I dream about working here someday and going home to an apartment in Manhattan. 

As planned this was a 'Kal ho na ho (KHNH)' trip and in a bid to check where (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF0zGNemkuM) this scene was shot we decided to check out 'Grand' Central Station. This station can kick a 5 star hotel lobby's ass. It’s that good. A cop actually helped us find that spot after we showed him the video!!. On one of our college gang trips to rishikesh, me n Naiya had tried to copy SRK on Brooklyn bridge. A dream nurtured at that time was coming true as we walked onto the bridge and I saw one of the most breathtaking sights ever. I just could not take my eyes off it. The entire panoramic view of lower Manhattan to the right, and empire state and others to my left. I was completely overwhelmed. The word skyline had a completely new meaning. Places like SF and Especially Chicago have brilliant skylines, but this one takes the cake people. There can only be one Tendulkar. 

We were tired, the heat and humidity were sapping energy, but at such times the jokes, debates, photography, gossip and Gatorade rejuvenated us. We pulled on...to Little Italy and Chinatown. Crowded by lanes, only roadside food stalls, bakeries coming up everywhere, it felt like Pune or Mumbai during Ganeshotsav. Italian women seemed more dangerous than shotguns. Italian deserts, mouth-watering. Just a few miles from this there are the heights of richness and prosperity and here is the lower end of the spectrum, with its own charm. This can happen only in 2 places on the planet, New York or Mumbai. 

The last day was rightly reserved only for Central Park, and related KHNH stuff. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wujcTa6RDM&feature=fvst). After another series of very poor SRK imitations we got down to realize the tranquility the place has to offer. Infinite lush green lawns, trees, lakes, fountains bang in the center of Manhattan. Unique, very. People were lazying around right in the middle of the city that never sleeps. Wherever you are in New York the high-rises never go out of sight, they keep charming u, asking u to stay. Akshay had to leave early, much to our sadness and somehow after he left we did not click a single picture. The puzzle didn’t fit anymore. It probably never will in the same way again. 

Four bachelors, 4 different perspectives, 4 distinct personalities, so what brought them together??... It was a certain desire to explore, the spirit of adventure, to just go and let fly and face whatever comes your way. To not give a shit about anything else in the world but NYC. I am a great believer in destiny and in many ways I feel this trip's success and immortality were destined. There were so many moments where things could have gone wrong and enjoyment diluted, but it stayed the same, and in fact kept growing. It was as if a script had been perfectly written, and the way it unfolded layer by layer left us amazed. At the end it reached a pinnacle which very few other trips will match. God couldn't have planned it better. Saying goodbye to New York was like saying a final goodbye to a long time sweetheart, I wanted to hang around as much. I so wish. I might never visit NYC again, but just like April 2, 2011; even a complete memory loss somewhere down the line cannot take away the memories of NYC May 2011. In those 3 days life couldn't have got better. As life will go on and the standard things in life take precedence, our enthusiasms, energies, attitudes might never be the same again. NYC will surely miss the sound of the laughter of 4 young boys wanting to get lost in the city of dreams.