I have just got back from a short but unforgettable holiday at Marari with the old 'gang' from College consisting of Shamsher, Kala and Philip. We were of course accompanied by our wives.
 |
| Cheers to Friendship! With the Quaich presented by Dan O'Connor |
 |
| Relaxing at the Bar |
The AGM, as we call it, has become an annual feature, hosted by Philip and Bina at their beautiful sea-side villa at Marari, bang on the beach. We spent 5 delightful days there, doing nothing but eat, drink, relax and chat. Bina's food as usual was heavenly and we were spoilt silly by the hosts and their very attentive staff, particularly Rajesh and Murugan who catered to every whim and fancy of ours.
Staying with Philip and Bina is quite an experience, somewhat akin to being guests of royalty. I have heard that in pre-independence days, in the princely states, like Jammu & Kashmir, the
Durbar used to move from place to place, depending on the weather, and I suspect, the mood of the Maharaja. This is exactly what happens when Philip and Bina move to their beach house in Marari. An entire retinue of courtiers, from cooks and butlers to chauffeurs, boat-drivers and watchmen, move with them. Short of the royal standard being furled and unfurled, the protocols are very much like those followed when the Queen moves into Balmoral Castle from Buckingham Palace !
The highlight of the holiday was a luxurious cruise aboard Philip's yacht which took us all around the backwaters, and culminated in a grand biriyani lunch at the Kottayam Sailing Club at Kumarakom.
 |
Full Steam Ahead!
|
 |
| I try my hand at piloting the yacht |
 |
| Captain Nandita |
 |
| Philip and Shamsher enjoying the ride |
 |
| The one and only Arvind Kala |
 |
| Bina on the phone |
 |
| Chunnu and Simmy check out the plush interiors of the yacht |
 |
| Relaxing at the Sailing Club in Kumarakom |
 |
| Bina and Simmy on the verandah of the beach house |
 |
| A view of the sea from the verandah |
Another interesting feature of this year's AGM was a Musical Night arranged by Philip as a surprise, when he roped in a talented young musician from Cochin called Charles Antony to entertain us with old English (as well as Hindi and Malayalam) songs popular with us while we were in college. Charles was wonderful; all of us felt twenty years younger and there was much whooping and dancing! Simmy especially, was in spectacular form, having had one too many brandies, and was unanimously voted '(wo)man of the evening'!
 |
| The Musical Night in progress |
 |
| Trying our best to dance to the music ! |
 |
| A boisterous Kala during dinner |
We also put to good use Dan O'Connor's
Quaich, the Scottish Cup of Friendship which he had presented to me when Simmy and I visited him in Scotland last year. The cup brought back nostalgic memories of college life and old friends, especially Pod.
