Place: EDP (3-4), NITIE,
Powai
Instructions given,
mentors allotted.
Place: NITIE Pond
Clue1: “This place has recently seen a construction of something
famous”. Place shares name with Scottish writer Hector Hugh Munroe.
Google told something like Saki.
So, next destinations => “Saki Naka”. Auto rickshaw hunt followed. Almost
all the teams had booked an auto, so our team was trailing by about
10-15minutes.
Auto found. Now the question was
“Where/What in Saki Naka?”
Google said a new place called
“Peninsula Grand” has been inaugurated. It turned out to be a new hotel. Auto
driver confirmed that 2 new hotels have recently been opened. But mentors said that
that’s not the right answer. So, auto-walla said metro station can be the new
thing we are looking for. It turned out to be correct. Rules were to take a
group selfie there and post it on Whatsapp and the next clue would be “pinged”.
Place: Saki Naka Metro Station
This selfie business did amuse
the auto driver, and contrary to what I had heard about Mumbai auto-wallas only
going on certain routes of their choice, this one turned out to be sport enough
to go ahead with us to help us win this event.
My team mates Madhur and Ipshita quickly guessed it
right-Juhu/Chowpati!
So off we go. On our way, many other autos were carrying
many other teams and indeed, it was a
matter of pride for the drivers too as they raced to get their passengers to
the famous beach first. On our way, we were speculating what could be the next
destinations in this hunt. I said it has to include the sea-link. My idea was
immediately rejected by both my team mates and even the auto driver echoed
their denial. How bruised I felt. Anyway, no time to sulk.
Place: Juhu Quickly
we clicked a snap with the sea visible behind us and let Whatsapp do the magic.
After a few unbearable seconds, answer was declared correct and we received the
next clue.
Clue3: “The 64th most famous surname in the UK”.
Ok, so I asked the auto driver to
think of a place with “Angrezi” name. Meanwhile, we were checking Wikipedia of
famous surnames in the UK. Auto-walla was giving us the most quizzical look he
could manage. But, Madhur found the answer to be Carter and of course, we were
now heading towards the famous Carter Road. Since this is in Bandra, I again
pitched in the idea of Bandra-Worli sea link. This time the denials were more
pronounced, including “tsh-shh!”
Place: Carter Road
An eatery with the name “Carters’
something”, and thus we clicked Madhur’s picture with that sign board above him
to prove that we have indeed reached there. The answer to next clue was
something that gave me an enormous amount of inner-joy.
Clue4: “If this thing
is put in a weighing pan, you’ll need to put 50000 African elephants in the
other pan to balance it.”
It did take me about 40 seconds while my team-mates frantically
googled, but here was my moment of glory- “Heavy as elephants- it’s got to be the Sea Link”! Hearts of hearts
my team acceded to my genius and when our mentor confirmed that the answer’s
correct and gave his “blessings” to go ahead, it was a real task to keep a
modest face and conceal the smirk.
Clue5: “The last scene of ‘Wake Up Sid’”.
Ok, so it was the kissing scene. It was raining. It was at
Nariman Point.
Now, the auto-driver had to experience the pangs of
separation as there was no way he could drive all the way from here to
there. All this while, he had been the
benefactor for us, our mode of transportation, and a clever one- taking all the
short cuts and racing with (against) his fellow auto fraternity. Naturally he
felt a kinship towards us.
Anyway it was harder
on me and Ipshita as from hence forth; the journey was long if we take a cab
and quicker if we choose to travel by the local train. I was determined not to
go with the latter. Determined I was. As it turned out, Madhur was more
determined in this case to take the short trip via the dreaded mode of
transport-the locals.
Saying my silent prayers, clutching my sling-bag closer to
me, trying to look like a confident, everyday traveler, I boarded the train.
Luckily it was Sunday afternoon, meaning we got empty berths to sit on. To ease ourselves, we girls sipped in the Appy
Fizz, talked about something I don’t remember, while I listed the possible
destinations for the finale clue- “the CST, the Marine Drive, the Ambani’s
house Antilla, the stadium Wankhede…,” took deep breaths and ultimately reached
the last stop-our stop- Church Gate.
I sighed relief for about 5 seconds, when Madhur waved at us
and started running towards the exit. We took a cab. He tried to negotiate and
settle for Rs.30. We had to settle for Rs.40-as quoted by the cab driver.
The few minutes inside the cab were for me to take a mental
note. “I travelled the dreaded local and nothing went wrong. Thank you
God”.
Clue6: “This place is
sarcastically known as the greatest centre for gender transformation in
Mumbai”.
Missing the sarcasm intended, I thought of nearby hospitals.
Re-reading the clue out loud, I called my uncle whose office is in the vicinity
of where we were and he told me that there is a National Centre of Performing
Arts nearby. We were convinced that sarcasm intended was at the male dancers in
female attire in the plays. Wrong answer!
Our mentor called Madhur and told him to head towards the
CST. Clueless, we did. Two minutes into the cab, I thought out loud- Centre for
Sex Transformation! The answer to the clue was an inside joke involving the
abbreviation of the famous railway station. What the hell! The mentor now told
us to head towards the Gateway of India, because the reason he asked us to head
to the CST was because the game was over. Winning teams had already cracked the
code. We touched and went from the CST to the Gateway.
Place: Gateway of
India
Now that the game was over, we
sipped the refreshing sugarcane juice from a nearby juice shop and joined the
crowds picnicking at the well known tourist spot. We spotted the rest of the
teams, the winning teams in the centre and though we were drenched in sweat;
the treasure hunt had culminated into an awesome tour of the City of Dreams. After a few group photos and selfies, it was
time to be treated by our mentors for the winning teams and time to treat
ourselves for the rest of us. While others were deciding the eatery to go to, I
quietly looked at the magnificent Taj- the celebrated hotel opposite the Gateway.
Some 9 of us walked on the
streets of Mumbai looking for the famous coffee shop Leo Pold, then decided to
go instead to the Starbucks. I followed the group silently while once again
trying to look street smart and confident in the overcrowded tourist spot,
which has also witnessed a terrorist attack. Calming my nerves and keeping
faith, we enter the Starbucks coffee shop.
So today was not just the first time I travelled a local
train, it was also the first time for me in a Starbucks. J J J
Another dreadful experience was ready to be encountered.
Catching the BEST bus till the CST, from where we take a local train for the
journey back. Now, I am no daredevil. Travelling in the local and catching the
BEST bus in the same day was the scariest that could happen. With the other 8
marching confidently towards the bus stop, my “keep a calm face-look
confident-be brave” inner machinery went into auto mode.
Another myth of my mind was busted that day, and there is
nothing scary about the fast moving transportation of this fast moving city.
All safe and sound, we reached the CST. Panic
easily trumps my feeble faith and again the inner mechanism has to pump me up.
Getting into local train was easy. Getting out of it was easy too.
To add to this eventful day, the auto-rickshaw we hired from
the station to our hostel faced a tire-puncture. But this did not deflate my spirits as in
about 6 hours, I had travelled across Mumbai, journeyed in the local train and
the BEST bus, visited the Starbucks and discovered an effective inner faith
machine. J
