This visit to Poona has been one long nostalgia trip....maybe because this shall be one of the last times that I will be coming here on anything other than work. My brother is finally shifting to Bombay and we will be putting up our house here on rent, so.....

I just drove and drove around the city today, visiting all the places that meant so much to me at one time....the Times of India office where I took my first steps into freelancing; Poona Club, where I conducted my first cricket interview - with Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and where I later conducted my most explosive cricket interview - with Rajesh Chauhan striking out against the BCCI; Hotel Blue Diamond, where I stayed for 4 months while we were still looking for a house in the city and where I participated in my first-ever vintage car rally and later the scene of some of my most thrilling triumphs as an executive committee member of the VCCCI; Marzorin, where a special someone first indicated that we were more than "just friends"; the airport, where I got that exclusive interview of Viv Richards that made me the envy of the sports journalists community for months; MG Road, the scene for innumerable lazy afternoon shopping sprees; the corner magazine shop on MG Road, where I rushed to every morning to buy multiple copies of any newspaper or magazine that printed my articles; Kayani Bakery, which always solved the problem of what to gift a non-Puneite -- I think for 4 years I just gave everyone Shrewsberry biscuits...I could just go on and on and on where this city is concerned.

The place that I love most in Poona, however, remains Koregaon Park, especially lanes 1 & 2, where all the old bungalows are. This is what Pune used to look like in the past -- green and gracious, and just so unbelievably serene and relaxing. Its really sad that most of these old, colonial-style bungalows are giving way to characterless apartment blocks. But these two lanes are really full of beautiful mansions, which I would give anything to own and live in. The most gorgeous, of course, is Shapoorji Pallonji's palatial mansion right opposite the nulla park -- you just have too see the place and its gardens and fountains to understand its charms. Its impossible to distill the beauty and quiet grandeur of the place in mere words, and thats saying a lot since as a journo specializing in interiors and architecture, I am quite used to describing fascinating properties. But I wont even attempt to describe this one - its simply the most beautiful residence that I have ever seen!!