Any other Sunday anywhere else is a day most look forward to. It is a day when we get a break; when you do nothing that you may have routinely done through out the week. In School you looked forward to the morning of such a break because you were able to sleep longer. In College it became a day to be spent with the guys in restaurants and meeting up old friends. As an independent job owner, it began the previous night on the Saturday, going into the Sunday morning at parties. Sunday afternoons were reserved for ‘jam sessions’ at clubs and popular restaurants for dance sessions with the latest moves. Struggling for an entry in the movies you looked at Sundays to catch the glitterati of the film world at prominent spots to be able to impress upon them your keen desire to be in the same profession as them. On becoming a full fledged professional in the early years you worked Sundays in particular to show to the producer your keenness towards the project you were working on. When you registered a few hits, you started dictating Sundays as off days for the family. The family was there but so were other important connected professionals as an essential PR exercise so they brought you your next hit film. With time and the age of the children rising levels of objections to absence from the house, you devoted the Sunday with them and their gangs. With further time, Sundays became isolated from others because of the desire for privacy. In the 60 -67 year bracket a Sunday is as good or bad as any other day, so you deliberately schedule work, if it is forth coming.

Today is another Sunday. A Sunday away from home. The family calls to instruct a walk in the park, a stroll to a theatre or ballet. You cannot be all the way in London and be sitting in the room an entire day ?

But it does not work. I sit in the room of the Hotel and am content with my solitude and myself. My blog, my mail, my Wimbledon on TV, the Confederation Cup football final with my favorite team Brazil winning over USA in an exciting encounter, my own country cricket team losing miserably to the West Indies in the ODI, the news from home on a local channel, that beautiful write up in the Sunday Magazine section of the Times, that room serviced Caesar salad without the anchovies, the sparkling water, and the bundles and bundles of junk food strewn all over the couch.

And the communication with the outside world ? The call to Abhishek. Did you see how the referee disallowed the Brazilian goal. Damn he must be blind, ok bye getting back to the game…. and.. GOAL..!! Call Abhishek… unbelievable man !! The Brazilians, I tell you, they are something else.. its like poetry..

Anything wrong with that ! Perfectly happy doing my stuff. What ? Phone call from reception ? Yes ! Yes ! Yes ! … ok let me see, I am not ready yet … another hour and half .. ok shall try to drop by for a few seconds.

The Manager of the Hotel, hosting a little afternoon cocktail downstairs in the courtyard for Vijay Amritraj and the Wimbledon Tennis entourage from India. Would be great if you could drop in for just a few seconds. Its a little diplomatic thing for the image of the country and …

So.. pick a dress.. afternoon.. summer … tennis … right. White trousers, cotton shirt and … a… jacket.. too warm.. ok lets take it.. may be formal casual. Shoes.. black.. er.. white.. would go with the trousers.. no white is out.. black better.. shoes too..fine. Outdoor, so dark glasses ? Er .. may look too ‘filmy’. Right then no glasses. A quick look in the mirror.. water on the hair.. ready.

Good meeting up with Vijay and his family and son who plays at tournaments. And, gosh… Naresh Kumar.. the veteran tennis star of India. Him and the great Ramanathan Krishnan forming the formidable doubles team which always made a noticeable presence. Old Calcutta memories revived with Naresh Kumar, who apart from tennis also was in the coal business, when I was working in the coal department of Bird and Co., . Old friends. And then some prominent commentators on the Sports Channels of the world. Lovely to meet you gentlemen. Yes, I am here for a film shoot, yes.. yes with my son.. no they left just yesterday. Jaya was here too. Now in Mumbai. Yes of course will certainly drop by if here for long. Such a joy meeting old times.. those were the days.. right then.. have to leave have a few important meetings to attend. Thank you, such a joy..

Back in the room. Off with the jacket and shoes, into the dressing gown, on with the remote. Damn..

India batting first.. and … 7 for 3 wickets !! And then further pain.. 80 for 8 wickets in some 23 overs for a 50 over game. It would be a miracle if we go past 90 runs in the next 2-3 overs.

Hey.. Dhoni and RP Singh.. yes RP Singh if you please struggle it out to a more than 100 run partnership to bring it to 188 for 8.. good job.. but will still lose. Just day before they had scored 334 runs for 5 in 50 overs. And today all out for 189. Switch it off.. switch it off.. its embarrassing. Wish half our players would stop chewing gum while they play. Lose concentration… no ? So 1-1 in 4 game series.We had won yesterday. 2 more to go.. !!

RIGHT … time to turn in … but the BLOG ? Oh ya..of course the blog… open the page, check the comments.. replying to almost all.. they love the yellow line under their name.. lets see how much I can answer.. some will be left behind.. what to do.. will make up again.. ya ? Ok ? Say ok ? THANK YOU !!

What to write today ? What ? No yesterday we did Dad’s poem, no.. not again today. Give philosophy a break. Ok.. write about the day.. the day or the DAY ? The day.. idiot ! Ya thats what I am doing. What are you doing ? Writing about the day, can’t you see.. Your’e writing about the day for your DAY ? Ya.. YAAA.. i’m doing that.. writing about the day on my DAY. But thats not writing.. thats cheating. Rubbish !! How can writing about the day be rubbish ? Its rubbish because on your DAY you must write anything but the day. Thats like you are doing a diary - I went here, I did this, he said that…

Ya.. but thats what your DAY is containing. Are you sick ? My DAY contains a number not a day as in the day of the day.. you know what I mean. No.. I’m sorry I have no clue what you mean. OOOOFFPHFF ! See… ya I’m seeing. OIE… stop trying to be smart ok ?? Sorry, carry on. See… don’t you dare.. i’m not.. see writing a day in the day of your DAY is not… hey ! hey ! get things right first. Where have I said that I am writing a day in the day on my DAY… Are you a whacko ??!!! YOU JUST WROTE THAT !!. What did I write ? I haven’t even started writing the day on my DAY. Oh.. Ya ! So what the hell is this 1244 word count at the bottom of the page .. youv’e been writing. Yes.. YES.. YES !! I have been writing, but I have not written my day. I was saying it would be nice if I wrote my day in the day on my DAY. SAYING.. got it.. SAYING.. I have not written my day yet. OKAAAY.. so what are you writing now ? I am.. yes.. you are.. let me finish.. I am s-a-y-i-n-g that today I will write for my DAY on the day in my day. YA I got that.. you are s-a-y-i-n-g that you are going to write.. but may I draw your attention at the text that is appearing above your spectacled 4 eyes Mr B.. just look at it and now look down.. the word count has reached 1370.. you have written, well now its a bit more, 1378 words for the day in your DAY and you have cheated..

CHEATED ??!! Yes.. cheated… because you haven’t written the day in your DAY.. you have discussed it most cleverly by assuming there are two people on the day of the day and filled in, now 1412 words without SAYING anything !! ANYTHING !!!

Oh ! heck yes…

But..

What is wrong with filling a day in the DAY of my day in such a manner..

Amitabh Bachchan