Meeting My Fellow Blogger

She lives in the US and me in India. We met over blogs and started reading each-other regularly. She was planning to take a holiday in India and I love writing about my travels. We even exchanged a few emails over many months.

Then, I saw a post on her blog, saying she and her husband would be leaving for India in next 12 hours. Looking at the date of her post, I realize they must be already in Delhi. I decided to leave my cell number with her, just in case she may need to talk to someone local, for something. So, I wrote an email to her and she gave a reply leaving her hotel number and asking if we could meet? She was kind enough to ask my husband and two nephews too to join them.

After some thinking, we decided to meet at the Metropolitan Mall, near Shopper’s Stop and have dinner at 8.30 in the evening. I asked, “And how do we recognize each-other?” She laughed and said, “We will stand out.”

My husband could not make it nor could not my younger nephew. She told me, she wanted to try out some Indian food, my elder nephew was thumbing his nose, why Indian when we are going out? We have it daily at home. My younger nephew suggested buying some Indian sweets for them, and I did.

We reached the mall early, because I had a few errands to do. We completed it well in time. While waiting for them, I clicked a few photographs of the Christmas decoration in the mall. My nephew feels awkward at my habit of using my camera everywhere but bears with me gracefully. Anyway, he has no choice, at the best he stands at a distance when I am using my camera.

Finally, I get a phone call and a person says, my friends are in his taxi and they will be slightly late. The driver gives me his taxi number and I decide to meet them in the parking lot. That way, there was no mistake in recognizing each other.

They had gone sightseeing around Delhi for the whole day and must have been very tired. I hurry them along and soon we are seated in Chor-Bizzare, a restaurant that serves Indian food.

It was so easy to talk because our blog posts already provided for a lot of common ground. I was wondering if my nephew would be bored but soon, he was discussing music with them.

We ordered the drinks quickly but ordering the food was more fun. Finally, we decided for malai kofta, dal makani, Naan, tandori chicken and Kadhai chicken with some rice. This is familiar food for me and my nephew but I was very worried if they are going to like it. Well, I really do not know but they did eat a little bit of everything and she particularly liked malai kofta.

We yakked about this and that. I asked her how her trip is going and for the first time I could appreciate that being followed by a tout for a long period in a strange land, with strange sights and sounds must not be easy! Not that they stressed on it or anything, I could just guess.

Dinner was a pleasant affair and they ate Naan like us, with hands! After dinner, I offered them the sweets, and to my horror the sweet, sticky syrup was all over the box. I handled it and once the syrup was out of the way, they tried it! I really hope they like it.

She said I was the first person she met out of her blogging world and I am at the maximum distance! For me too, it is a first and I am so happy that I finally met Lily B and Tom.

Very soon, it was time to say good buy. Thankfully as the taxi driver had a cell phone, I could coordinate it easily with him and I saw them both safely back into the cab. I hope they are enjoying their Indian adventure. For me and my nephew, it was a truly memorable evening.