Thursday, March 23, 2006

Royal Gaffe

So, the other day at the gym, I'm half-heartedly marching away on the treadmill when, through the glass partition, in the neighbouring aerobics studio I see this girl who I used to work with at the Delhi newspaper. Funny kid and pretty nice. Also, I vaguely remember that she came of some blue-blooded lineage.
Anyway, she didn't seem to have changed much; looked the same and going by the crazy antics she was attempting with the gym ball, was probably as mad as she used to be.
Delighted at finally finding someone I knew of my own accord (I'm a wee bit tired of most of my acquaintences here being through the husband), I rushed to say hi to her.
"Hey XYZ. Long time, how have you been," I venture.
"Oh my god. Journeylist, what are you doing here in Baroda of all places," XYZ squeals.
"Oh I got married and I work for ABC ," I say.
XYZ: "Wow! you are still with them? I wanted to start working with them also but it didn't work out."
Then we begin the usual catching-up number about old colleagues, and the 'are you in touch with him/her', and 'I think this one is working here' routine.
XYZ says: "I still remember this one headline you gave for E's article. It said _____. That was fantastic!"
I feel happy as that was one helluva good headline, at the same time I wonder about how pathetic the life of a copy desk person is that he/she is remembered only for some obscure headline.
Then I ask her how she was here and she said that she had gotten married some 4 years back to someone here.
While saying bye to her, I ask: "So where is it that you live?"
XYZ: "Oh, I'm at the palace here."
Of course! Royal family and all that. Later on in office I found out that she was, in fact, married to the scion of the family.
Anyway, just before leaving she told me: "Listen, you and your husband MUST come home sometime."
Ahem...and all that!