Family get together - Had a blast and how!

15th, 16th and 17th of August 2008, my paternal side family had gathered at Solapur for the Pasali and a short fun trip. Home to my fuias and Pa & kaka living there, Solapur has always been a place we look forward to visit.
The preparations had begun much earlier on. Each family had been asked to perform. Everybody had been busy - shopping, rehearsing, spending hours in beauty parlours, buying gifts, preparing sweets and the works.....
Our meetings, program preparations, menu, scheduling programs had been following up on long distance calls to and from Solapur. The frenzy and tempo was building up.
i was doubly excited because of the drive :D. Was so enjoyable in the rains. Ma and J thought it was too risky. Poor souls, when Pa and me are decided on something, can anybody change it :) Pa was as excited as me because it was the first time, he was driving in the town, gullies and chowks he had grown in. He proudly drove it to his friends' places he had grown up with. Every morning when we would go to sleep after playing teen patti (man played like crazy, everybody from Ma to Priyal), talking whole night, he would just take the car and a companion and go to Siddheshwar lake, temples, Budle Gully and places he had memories of. Love you Pa for the child like happiness you found in it.
The queues to the loo, the insistence on using the same dressing table in a big house, complimenting each other for dresses, sharing clothes, was what brought us closer. Time table was put up in each room so that everyboody knew when to be ready.
We directly drove to the farm on the 15th where had the traditional Marathi jevan (loved by my fuias, Pa, J. i personally dont like it that much), played games, ate oos (sugarcane), peru (guava). Next day celebrated Raksha Bandhan traditionally in the morning. Pa and Kaka getting rakhis tied first, the younger fuias touching their feet and brothers giving their cash envelope. Then it was the turn of our generation - me, J, Priyal, Mital, Maitri tying rakhis on Rohan, Chinku-Pinku, Niket's wrists. Rohan gave us cash and Niket trendy bags. Yippee...Then the next generation tied rakhis - our cousin's kids -Devansh, Hetvi, Rushil and Mohnish.
Had lunch and started getting ready for the evening program. At City Park Hotel, performances ranged from speeches, dance performances, Antakshari, Star Parivaar Awards, Patriotic song rendition. Had good fun. Our team won in Antakashari, all thanks to me, in all humility ;). The best beta award won by Harish Kaka, best bahu by Ma, best youngster by Chinku. Wooo hooo.... All my favourite people.
The highlight of the evening was the slide show. Rohan had collected everybody's pictures - old, new, eccentric, funny. The sequence was childhood, youth, wedding, kids, everybody together of the physically present and Shradhanjali to the soulfully present.
Whistled, laughed at the young photos of elders, flung kisses at Adha's photos, cried at Jijaji's photo, it was all too overwhelming. Everybody was missing Adha, Pragnesh Jijaji, Bai, Gunvanti Fuia. Crying for their Wife, Husband, Grandpa, Father, Mother, Son-in-law, Sister. A 31 minute show of just slides of photos can do that to you. Danced to the tunes of the DJ Rohan playing songs on our laptop.
On Sunday, the 17th, had a photographer clicking pictures of everybody. The photo session. Women wore Bandhani sarees (oh so beautiful), men in churidar kurta (oh so dashing). Was fun. Everybody getting ready as if were going to be on the cover of PEOPLE, TIME, VOGUE magazines. Of course, the memories were much more precious and valuable.
Had free time after that. Pramila fuia started her Tarot Card Reading. Man, the counter was so successful. Everybody asking questions like - will I be a big industrialist, will my son have a good health, will my daughter get a good, rich husband, will I top the university. Some happy faced, some hopeful faced came back with more questions. The ladies went out shopping. Can a trip end without a shopping extravaganza? Never with the Gala's.
Most of them left by train that night. Went to the ticket counter to get 7 platform tickets. The ticket guy must be wondering how many are actually going then??? Came back and gifted Kaka for completing 50 years in June, Chinku -Pinku for successfully passing their 12th and Rohan just like that :)
The drive back was even more exciting with stop overs at Lonavala for chai and shopping for Fudge and admiring scenic beauty. The drive on the express highway was crazy. Though sped only to a maximum of 120.
All in all, good fun. Shall create something great every year.
Three cheers to the Gala family. Hoorayyyyy!!!!