10 DOWNING STREET

We are a group of women and in those days of yore, when going out was easy, would get together at least  once a month for lunch and normally meet at 10 Downing Street, that pub of Hyderabad, with the same name as that of the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom but obviously so much different. With wooden interiors, heavy furniture with leatherette covering, it had and has an island of a bar, where one has spent quite the number of evenings. 

When it was first inaugurated in Hyderabad, it was the place to be seen in every Saturday night. With a small dance room and David Masilaamani, popularly known as Black Jack, at the DJ Console, it would turn magical while we danced, sweated and drank the evening away. I do not have too much of a memory of how Murali and I returned home. But we were back home each time, blind drunk and a guaranteed hangover the next day, but come the next Saturday and we were ready to visit the place again. 

The crowd at this place was quite eclectic and soon faces became familiar. Crowds from ITC, VST and a few from the Air Force would be there, all of us crowding the dance floor. Many more pubs came into Hyderabad and we frequented them as well, a Saturday night de rigeur, either as a couple or with other couples. Music and drinks were the high points of these evenings. And in my case smoking too. 

Somewhere along the line, we stopped visiting pubs as often what with travels for work and such. But soon 10 Downing Street started their pre-plated lunches and the visits to this place started once again. They serve some delicious stuff and us friends love it here, considering it caters to all kinds of tastes and I can steal in my glass of afternoon beer every once in a while.

Even as we entered the place, a few waiters recognised some of us and made us feel very welcome. The place was not crowded and there was just another table with a couple and their two daughters. We all gathered at our table, exchanged stools for chairs, and sat keeping the vegetarians together and all that. There was a lot of chatter and the waiter was very obliging.

Suddenly the gentleman from the other table came with his wife and introduced her as Bhanu and asked us who the lucky winner was. He thought we were a kitty group and then he went on to tell us that his wife had very long hair. Meanwhile Bhanu was getting upset, but I told him since he was busy digging ditches for himself and falling into it at regular intervals to carry on. He obliged us in a cheerful manner. His name was Balan. Unlike me, but I did not ask him where he had worked and where he lived. Not that we get to meet such cheerful persons often. But that encounter cheered us up no end.

Meanwhile I ordered my favourite snacks and in the two years gap that we did not visit the place, the kitchen staff has obviously changed for they actually burnt the potato wedges. I order vegetarian snacks and everyone shares and I get to eat some, so do not raise eyebrows at my order. Though we enjoyed the ambience and the attention, the food was a bit of a disappointment, at least for me. The others enjoyed their baked dishes, though we called for some additional salt.

But I am glad that we can go out and have those fun moments.....Again.....