Last Night’s dinner was a surprise and how! Now you would imagine why I’d talk about dinner on my blog! This one was a special one. My very dear friends Pradeep and Rupali Shah along with Raj didn’t disclose the venue for dinner as it was meant to be a surprise. They had been planning it for a week, I was curious and tried everything to find out but was clueless. I was driven to the Gateway of India (discreetly) and I thought, they had booked a yacht and we were going cruising… But when my car took the right turn and stopped at the TAJ HOTEL’s Front entrance, I was confused, my friends in the car behind were beaming, and I was still bewildered.

Entering the hotel after the whole 26/11 episode brought back many feelings, some not so good. The hotel still looked a beauty, the only major change being the security that had been beefed up.

Nobody still told me where we were going despite me asking them, they said wait and see… we went up a lift to the top floor and soon we reached a door which had WASABI written outside it! It used to be my favourite restaurant and we used to frequent it quite often. We were supposed to be there on the 26th as well! Anyway I entered and screeched with happiness ’cause I had no idea they had reopened the restaurant (make shift) again only in a different section. I had tears of joy when I met Ronald, the Mangalorean waiter who’s always served me, spoke to me in Tulu (my mother tongue) and always made me feel at home. I had a sigh of relief when I sighted him, had some horrible thoughts when I heard that WASABI had been gutted out…..

If it didn’t come as a surprise visit, maybe it would’ve taken me longer to make my first visit. Entering the hotel lobby brought back a whole lot of mixed feelings - nostalgic, some happy, some not… But by the end of dinner, it was all worth it. Nothing’s changed, the menu, the quality, the service and above all the spirit and positivity. It was heart-warming to see the beaming faces of the hotel staff and the warmth they extended. This was my first step towards getting over the deep pain and fear that 26/11 left on me…

It will NEVER be the same again! I will always be haunted by a lot of memories… but the irony is that some things will always be the same - WASABI, my favourite restaurant and Mumbai, my favourite city!!

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