Unbelievable

It was an unbelievable offer...

Lunch @ the Le-Royal-Meridien... On Day 4...!

On the occasion of 10 years of partnership between my employer and my client, the offshore team was offered Team Lunch at the above mentioned 5 star hotel. The entire team was picked up from SEZ in bus by 11:50 am. When we reached the hotel it was close to 1 pm.

We walked into the hotel in batches. Welcomed by a lighted-water-fountain and 4-level hanging light I was already impressed. The ambience was amazing and mind blowing. We walked a few steps down to enter the basement were the lunch buffet was being served.



The floor was awesomely decorated with wall hangings, paintings and ceramic articles. One side of the hall was an artificial waterfall (behind the glass door). That waterfall point very soon became “Facebook-Profile-Picture-Click” location. The misted glass and the waterfall, indeed was a nice point to have a click.



If you look closely, you can find my partial mirror image in the above click.

Adjacent to the buffet hall was the hotel Ball-Room, where the client meet was actually scheduled... (Funny...!) When I looked up, the ceiling was beautifully decorated with blue-glowing-crystals in bubble shapes. A section of the ceiling was mirrored which made me feel that people were walking upside down on the ceiling. We were 450+ people and the hall could still accommodate more people.

The lunch was served and below was the menu:

• Gobi Kurma
• Daal Tadka
• Aalu fry
• Panneer Tikka Dry
• Bindi Masala
• Veg Kofta
• Naan
• Mint-Cashew pulav

• Italian Pasta
• Potato-Curd salad
• Sprouts salad
• Sweet Corn salad
• Semiya curd rice

The Dessert list:

• Vanilla or Butter Scotch Ice cream
• Custard pineapple pudding
• Jelebi with Rabdi

If you were awaiting a big list of non-veg dishes, I am so sorry. There were only 2: Butter Chicken and Fish Fry.

I feasted on the desserts thrice and filled my tummy. After completing the fantabulous feast, we were asked to assemble at the Ball-Room for the client meet. My so-called-brain started working...

I was at Guindy which is very close to my residence. We had already decided that, post the client meet we would go home directly and saying so, we had carried our bags too. I was waiting for a good chance to sneak out stealthily and abscond from there.

I planned and sat in the corner seat of the last-but-one row. People kept walking into the room and the back row seats were getting filled very quickly. Suddenly the last row was asked to occupy the front seats. My heart skipped a beat – may be next would be my row...! I kept my fingers crossed...

Then a few delegates walked into the room. My mood dropped completely thinking about the utter failure of my plan. The guests were seated in the front and there was a lot of hustle-bustle in the room. Suddenly, the power fluctuated and the room went dark. In a second, the room was lit with emergency substitutes.

After 15 seconds, when the power was back, my seat was empty...