Pune for years considered as Mumbai’s country cousin, now definitely stands on its own. Fashion, entertainment and parties can give other cities a run for their money.
Whether you’re at work or home, some days all we need is to find some time to unwind and experience the freedom of gay abandon. There comes a time in life, when both men and women, however conservative throw caution to the wind and go for it!
Chatting with fellow Punekars, I was curious to find out what made their adrenaline rush and it was certainly not midnight drives.
The party scene is Pune is quite a happening place with Themed Do’s being the name of the game. Themes ranging from Bollywood to Oscar nights to the retro 1960’s Hippie rage are quite the talk of the town. The most original theme party I attended was one where the women dressed and behaved like they were possessed by spirits. And as a heady mix of cocktails and tequila shots flowed into their systems, it made the evening one to remember, while the men wondered if they could out-do their counterparts!
But that’s not just all.
Even mundane days at work can have a bit of adventure. Samiksha who works in an IT company in Hinjewadi recalled “We were having a particularly rough day at work and our boss was giving us more than a taste of his foul mood. He left 3 of us in the meeting room and stepped out to talk to a visitor. His phone was on the table. I quickly took it and changed a random name on the contact list with his wife’s name since he always addresses her as Darling.
All this took exactly 3 minutes which felt like a lifetime. My heart pounded during this time which felt like forever. My co-workers were amazed and looked at me with admiration! Now when I think back I wonder how I could pulled this off”. Gutsy Samiksha I say! Youth sure does make one bold.
Reminiscing about her younger days, Smita a flight attendant for many years pondered over one of her reckless moments. “On one of my stops in Rome, I was out for a walk when I met this cop from Italy. He followed me and when I was at the park he came up and introduced himself as Stefano. We chatted like we had known each other all our lives and before I knew it we were having dinner at one of the most exotic Italian restaurants overlooking the Tiber river”. Hmm. I didn’t question further..
Pune Holiday makers are well seasoned globetrotters exploring corners of the world with a little bit of adventure thrown in. While Sarita found cross-country skiing in the Alps in subzero temperatures giving her the adrenaline high, Roopa a diving enthusiast and a frequent traveler out of the city took to teaching diving to a group of novices on one of her holidays to Goa. One of the young students asked her to join him on a trek to the Himalayas. The next day she was all set for her long journey on a train, all for the love of adventure! Back in the day many an eyebrow would have been raised, but not anymore.
Mayura a student of Arts at a college in Deccan gymkhana is secretly dating Tarun for over a year. Her parents have no inkling and are hell bent on getting her married to a boy from their community. On the date of their first anniversary, Tarun and she made plans to spend the day in Goa, with her parents under the impression she was out on a day picnic. When she missed her return flight, it was panic! Tarun had to rent a car and drive her back to Pune. Bad idea said Mayura! She made it back in the wee hours with guilt writ all over her face!
Sulochana has the most creative take on this. Driving back home late on many occasions after work, she puts on giant fangs she bought from a party store. When passersby peer into her car, she rolls down her window and in classic vampire style juts out her jaws. She recalled that not too long ago while crossing the Sangam bridge, she had a young man on a bike almost scream in fright!
It’s clear, Girls just wanna have fun.. And why not!
Quintessentially Puneite, Nikhila now lives in New York, but that doesn't stop her from coming back to enjoy a good drink and celebrate this city she calls home
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