It all started when I called in a standing promise from Yazad that I could borrow this book from him whenever I wished. Three witnesses were called in to ensure that the handing-over process was free and fair. There was international presence too. The press wasn’t invited.
It ended with the discovery that I am a genius in the garb of simplicity and that I have a a scholarly bearing about [me]

Many things conspired to prevent the momentous event from taking place. The night before the meeting, I was in the same state that Salman Khan got into in Andaz Apna Apna as a result of Amir Khan’s machinations.* The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation dug up trenches all around my office, perhaps anticipating an invasion by American special forces. (after all, anti-war types keep saying that India could be next ) But with grim determination and gritted teeth, I landed up, albeit 45 minutes fashionably late and just before Sampada could throw a tantrum (in Yazad’s words ) I didn’t know which to fear more – a lady’s tantrum or a German’s disapproval of unpunctual people, but thankully I was spared both.

Sampada was as vivacious as I’d expected her to be. Sameer being the silent type shouldn’t have surprised me. After all, I had my own experience to go by, but it did. I had met Yazad before, so he wasn’t a suprise. This time, we did not get into an argument about whether a government was needed or not, but we did manage to discuss ostentatious Indian marriages, a German’s cultural shock at finding people without a sense of time (he meant people in Africa, not me – at least that’s what he assured me) and the Protestant movement and Martin Luther’s part in stopping the sale of indulgences.

I think I missed a lot of the conversation this time because of BMC’s war preparations. I want to make it up.
Here’s to many more such meetings! When do we meet again? This time I promise I won’t be late.

*You know, where Amir takes revenge because Salman subjected him to a diet? That state. Literally