One of my dearest friends, DJ, had an urgent need to look for new accommodation. So we both found ourselves room hunting on a not-so-pleasant evening ( to be read as dirty, dry n cold evening). Our first halt was at this place with a Marathi "rector". She was so ferociously Marathi she could bite. While I ied my best to mumble a few marathi words I knew in response , DJ caring the least. At the end of our short visit, the rector declared the inevitable.."if you have to bring your brothers, they have to wait downstairs. Cant go up with you". Whoa !!! DJ dint have so many 'brothers', so that wasnt a problem anyway :P.
Our next halt was at this place which had a weird French-Indian name in a lane where even a man and his dog cant walk comfortably alongside. We parked our bike outside the gate and I started muttering my usual.."Oh God please dont have a dog pounce on me now" prayers while lil DJ pushed open the gate. We were looking around when Voila !!! There, in that slightly creepy moment, we had our first glimpse of Sha-La. Hearts stopped beating, mouths started opening and breathing stopped happening. Pulses weakened as we looked around for support. Who should stand in front of us but a voluptous young woman who was dressed to kill. Yes, she could kill even women. We managed a weak.."Room dekhne aaye hai" and she went in calling out.."ahooo.." (Marati housewives address their husbands like this). And who should come out but a thin, dark man with glasses as thick as Sha-La's lipstick (I would bet if she were ever given anaesthesia on her lips, it would never reach her veins). He was the caretaker.
DJ was excited about the place but I wasnt able to decide who( the man or his wife) gave me the creeps.. I convinced myself that it is Sha-La. The next afternoon, PG and DJ went again to see the room and PG convinced me that the guy wasnt as shady as I thought he was. DJ decided she loved the place and we went again in the evening to settle things. Then the Sh-La effect struck PG. Her memory and eyesight might have become temporarily busy processing Sha-La while she had a weird conversation with the caretaker which went like..
"Accha.. ShantaRam kahaan hai..?"
"Madam, me hi Shantaram hoon."
"Kya? to subah wo kaun tha?"
"Wo bhi main hoon"
"Kya? Aap ho? To aapne subah aapke chashme pehne the kya? oooooooooooooo"
While I stood sadly witnessing PG gathering her senses again :D
Anyway, DJ stays in the Sha-La apartment and we hear stories of how her saree pallu is always about to fall and how her lipstick is always so red and so thick... PG and I wonder when we will get over the Sha-La effect. A glimpse could paralyze you for life. Thats Sha-La short for "Shady Lady" :D
