When we were young we used to be afraid of being ‘seen’ with someone. Hyderabad was still a small village in disguise and most people knew the other people, and being caught just when you were up to mischief was a very strong possibility.

But don’t blame me, I actually thought Hyderabad and Hyderabadis had grown up. Even when my phone would ring innocently and see a ‘long lost’ friend suddenly trying to re-establish a connection just to drop the ‘guess what I saw’ bombshell.

As my daughters grew up I was faced with many instances of being briefed about where they had partied…when they had bunked school or college…and so on. But I still hoped that the city and its inhabitants would shed the last shreds of immaturity and accept that anonymity is not necessarily a sin. And there are times that people prefer to be left alone.

As I grew older I also told myself that I was no longer within the purview of the social radar and that my trysts were too boring to be of any gossipy attention. But boy was I wrong?

So here we were…two old beards (if you can call us that with respect instead of using more fragrant terms like ‘farts’)…and we were catching up over a beer or two at one of my favorite places in the world - 10 Downing Street. It was a lunch meeting…with nothing on the agenda except some serious chin wagging.

The afternoon had been orchestrated by a good old friend, a colleague and friend from theatre so he was there of course. And since my friend had traveled from Bangalore to put up a play here on Gandhi Jayanti, he decided to bring along his co-actor, a young man named Sanjeev.

The beer was good and the spirits were sufficiently high. The music being belted out spun us into different orbits of nostalgia…and for quite a few minutes my new friend Sanjeev and I were alone at the table while the others stepped out for a smoke (Funny, how you are not allowed to smoke in 10D during the day). It wasn’t at all uncomfortable to be with the young lad…we shared similar passions and connected at several levels.

My phone was in my pocket and I couldn’t hear it ring or beep…so I missed a message from another friend who apparently was sitting on the other side of the bar. But what got me…stumped me…was the quick and nasty outswinger that called me just a few minutes after we had wrapped up the lunch date and headed back home.

Who was that young man? asked the naughty voice on the other side. Quite naturally I was non committal…and actually quite indignant…but the questions kept coming in repeat mode. Finally, running out of patience I barked out…Sanjeev, from Bangalore…why?

“Groom for your daughter aa?” was the next question…and I almost choked. Very innocently I protested…it was a meeting of actors and theatre enthusiasts…over a couple of beer for God’s sake!!! I said. But the more I protested, the more insistent my caller became. And actually disconnected the phone in a wholly disapproving mood…why was I hiding the truth from him?

I thought about calling him back and clarifying or appealing to his better senses (whichever came first)…but the kids and the wife convinced me to let things go. Some people will never learn that they don’t always have to be idiots, they reassured me.

I went to bed disappointed that my city hadn’t grown…it was still petty…still looking for malicious gossip…still childish in its glee…cheap in its thrills…but I went to bed at peace with myself.

Just as I was drawing my covers and shutting down the book that I had been trying to read, my wife snuggled up to me and asked very softly…very slyly…but did you find out whether he was married or not?

I gave up!!!