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| With Daksh. |
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| With Prof. Sinha. |
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| With Jasmine. |
- Brian Mendonca
It was a great pleasure meeting up with families in Pune. Dwayne had time to play with Daksh (top) having grown up with him in the same building in Vasco. Veenita, his mom, laid out delicious poha, dhokla and samosas followed by a steaming cup of tea at her rented home in Wanorie. Her husband Rajesh was telling us how he loved the weather in Pune.
This morning after Sunday Mass we stepped in to see Ruby, Queenie's childhood friend. From her perch on the 9th floor at Undri I spied some women from Rajasthan by the road - their saris brimming with the festive spirit. Impromptu I decided to savour some kachoris from the Bikaner store below. My sister rushed to get them and Dwayne and myself savoured them with the tamarind chutney.
Ruby kept us for lunch and ordered biryani. As we left, I showed her mother my latest book titled Jasmine City: Poems from Delhi (2023). She clutched it declaring ecstatically, 'My name is Jasmine!' The book gave her a new sense of identity. It was a sublime moment to see my book appreciated by three generations in the same home.
Prof. Sinha called us at 4. He and his wife gave us a warm welcome at their flat at Kothrud which had a warm cosy feel. I read a few poems from Jasmine City which I presented to Sir. Prof. Sinha taught me when I was doing my MPhil at the University of Poona in 1993. He affectionately recalled the students of our batch and shared their contact numbers. Mrs. Sinha was keen on listening to my poem 'Hari-dwar.' It was published recently in the Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City. (2025) I searched for it frenetically on my blog and recited it moments before the Uber arrived at the door.
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Updated 7/9/25.
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