FUNNY SLICE!!!!!!

India!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where do I begin from? I have suddenly discovered a patriot with in me. May be its because of the fact that I pretty much have nothing to do these days. But considering the fact that I am a die-hard optimist, so much so that even an empty glass at times seems to be full, I would love to believe that its genuine love for my nation.On a serious note, I think I have started observing the intricate details that have surrounded me for ever. I believe that, if anything, I was only oblivious to them till very recently. This is a very interesting incident that I think I must share with you all. Just about a few days back, a day before Diwali to be precise, Maha and I decided to get adorned for the upcoming event. So, it began with a visit to a barber. More out of a tradition, we have this custom of eating mouth-watering pani-puris at JHAMAS after a cut. But unfortuately, due to the exceedingly huge demands for sweets, the counter was closed. So there we were, caught in no-man's land, between our age old tradition and our fate. After a few nerve-cracking moments, Maha who undoubtedly is the Rashmi Uday Singh when it comes to the road side food in Mumbai and believe me, his selection and more importantly the knowledge of the precise geographical details of the most novice of the vendors is impeccable. No GPS system can match this guy's innate quality to spot that priceless needle in a stack of hay. Anyways, we spotted a sandwich shop. Very quietly we made our steps to the shop, which was more like a rickety table barely balancing on its 31/2 legs. Everything was spread on this modest little piece of wood. We ordered, to which I must confess that I was very sceptical more for the taste than quality. There went my two slices in the toaster, packed with tomatoes, potatoes, onions...blah blah..it was so stuffed that I vitually felt like the poor vegetables were being squeezed and strangled.......reminded me of VLCC for some reason....so there it was,my sandwich.Hot,crisp and served.What happened next was unbelievable. This guy gets a call on his mobile, which is hardly surprising these days in Mumbai. I have had many embarassing moments, but there's one that I distinctly remember. I bought a Nokia 6600 about 2 yrs ago. Back then, it was kinda new in the market and I like any other guy of my age loved to flaunt it. This ended one day when in a local train I saw a vendor selling the cheapest pen that you would get in Mumbai and talking over the phone parallely. No points for guessing which model it was. That day I gulped in the pride that I carried in flaunting my cell. Coming back to this Sandwichwaala, after talking over the phone he suddenly started packing his stuff and within a matter of seconds he was off and I was left standing there,facing this wall in front of me like an idiot, in the mddle of nowhere with a sandwich in my hand and an enforced smile on my face. After a few moments, the rats slowly came out of their burrows( not that rats stay in burrows, but here they actually did). We asked them in a very surprised tone, quite obviously, the reason for his sudden disappearance. He informed us that he got a call from his brother, who had information that BMC's vehicle was on its way towards them. For the unaware ones, BMC confiscates these guys' entire stalls, as it is illegal to sell on the roads without a prior permission. What impressed me, was the entire organisation skills of this nexus.Can you imagine how efficiently the state of Maharashtra could function if we adapted and excercised similar skills. I was mesmerized by the information network these guys shared. I for one was left there, stunned. I just couldn't help but believe that what a wonderful job of crisis management would a team like this do. As I left the place that very day and the guy prepared to set-up his shop again, I imagined what a mutli- crore market this is. This is the face of Mumbai that is known to the students and innumerable other workers in Mumbai, who thrive on the foods served on these wooden planks. I salute India.......this country never fails to surprise me, be it with its subtle gestures of unbounded love, examples of atrocious actions based on religious beliefs, passion.....the list is endless.