C'est la vie and other original observations

I just knew it! Knew it! Knew it! Knew knew knew it! As soon as the time comes for me to leave Pune (another three months tops), I will see an avenue for such thrill and enjoyment that I would want to stay back a little while longer.

Last night, I went for a drive with a friend. We took a wrong turn and got to Law College Road and there, next to an alarmingly bright Kinetic showroom, is an Innsbruck-looking structure. It is lit prettily and a few twinklies stud salad-shaped foliage around the café. Good-looking youth dawdle in all things strappy and vivid – tees, skirts, chappals, jeans. I know it’s a café. Then, I see a banner - a yellow cloth in smudged red lettering – Mocha.

Something deep and visceral and true and primal said ‘Yesssss!’

My Mocha. How much I had missed it! How different it was from the Bombay Mochas. How much better lit and how much cleaner and tidier and how much more polite the staff...and yet, the sameness thrilled me.

The ‘All Day Breakfasts’ listed on page 11, the de-cafs featured with descriptive paragraphs, the ‘cute in Gothland’ m symbol next to dishes that the chef recommends. The uncomfortable chairs where you had to maneuver your spine like elastic. The humungous cups of coffee. The café Zabaglione that was not being prepared because of an absent liquor permit. (It is the brew that sets the Bandra Mocha apart from the rest of the Mochas in the world. Bandra Mocha does this surprisingly well; aside from accommodating those many people in that much space. But hey! That’s Bandra.) The endless wait for the food and the endless wait for the bill. My animated recommendations of ‘Lava Lava’ that was overheard by the couple next to us. They ordered it, liked it, and thanked me. I felt so proud. My baby had come first in class or something.

I had to blink and pinch myself.

Mocha in Pune and it’s almost time for me to leave.

Not that I’m complaining, God. Thank you and all that but maybe the timing could use some work?

Comments

Risha said…
I just couldnt resist myself commenting here, i visited mocha day before yesterday after reading your blog. I'd heard its opening in pune, and was searching where it was.
Apparently i had stumbled on your blog while searching the address of mocha on google.
Thanks to you though,
I had a nice time, the staff was dressed so well too isnt and i really appreciated the fact that they had seperate sections for smokers/non smokers.
Hey, thanks for dropping in. Read your previous post. Kickboxing, whoa!
Khakra said…
the khakra says.. yirgacheffe in churchgate mocha can't be matched.
Anonymous said…
Maybe Pune is trying everything to tie u back to the city :) and not let u go away. Pulls at the heartstrings to discover that your city or your love always keeps surprising you!
Ameet said…
Ah - another Mocha fan! I am yet to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe my next trip to Bombay. Soon.
Varsha said…
True..once you have lived at a place for a while...such things just makeyou want to stay a bit longer.....:)
Mellowdrama said…
They have a mocha somewhere with loo pots as chairs and bathing tubs as divans ;) Have you tried the chocolate avalanch...I don;t think there is anything like that anywhere else.
Dadoji said…
I was beginning to rue the fact that I would miss my usual mocha at Marks&Spencer and aCanteen but good to know there are options in Mumbai. I remember having chocolate avalanche don't remember where -Barista or Java. I will miss Thorton's though. Mumbai, here I come.
Kausum said…
I would say, Mocha at Barista is good. Atleast it was good some years ago, but its true, most of them are not well lit

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