Kimi roars at Hungaroring!

A well deserved win for Kimi


"Which, if not victory, is yet revenge" - Kimi Raikkonen must have taken Milton's words to his heart after his ruesome showing at Germany. After all, if sport is war, you ought to win. And when you dont win and your opponent does, you ought to have revenge. Kimi had his, setting the track ablaze with a stupendous performance. Great racing combined with brilliant pit-wall strategy from the McLaren paddock helped Kimi emerge victorious at Hungaroring, ahead of Messers Schumacher Sr & Schumacher Jr - the podium starved brothers. Alonso finished high and dry at eleventh, the Spaniard having won six of the twelve previous races. Among the others in points were the Toyota's, the BAR's and the William's, all six of them!

Saturday qualifying was a bit of a surprise with Michael Schumacher grabbing pole position, closing in on the late Ayrton Senna's record of 65 pole positions. Michael is now on 64 from 225 races as compared to Ayrton's 65 from 161 races. Montoya. whose fortunes seemed to have reversed over the past couple of races came up with P2 while Trulli, the dreaded mobile chicane started abreast Raikkonen who well knew that his race would be over if he were to see the tail of Trulli's Toyota for more than a couple of corners. That said, Alonso was on sixth, banking on the Renault's acceleration to get him the much needed initial thrust. Alonso's last corner screw-up during qualifying is one of the very few mistakes that the Spaniard has committed this season. Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan was sandwiched between the Minardi's with Tiago not managing to set a timing.

The race started with everybody expecting Montoya to either overtake Schumacher at the first corner owing to better equipment or take him out altogether, the latter being more convenient for Raikkonen the Finn. However, a perfect start from Schumacher annuled those possibilities.
Raikkonen made quick work of Trulli and Montoya and went on to trade laps with Schumacher.
Klein's Red Bull went for a toss after he made contact with Villeneuve's rear tyre. Barrichello and Alonso brushed each other, while David Coulthard the other Red Bull driver spun off after hitting a stray piece of wing. With David Coulthard gone, it was game over for the Milton Keynes team even before the first lap was completed.

Raikkonen had a brilliant race with the Finn matching Schumacher's speed for starters and then pounding out lap after lap of sheer ecstacy that eventually culminated in a wonderful win. Raikkonen ran light, pitted on the eleventh and chased Schumacher on a track on which overtaking was an almost impossible affair. When Schumacher pitted, Raikkonen's car was nothing more than a blur of silver and black. And when his own second pit stop came up, it was a literal "splash and dash" affair, the ultra-quick pit stop putting the Finn out ahead of the German. Schumacher gave up after a couple of laps, and Raikkonen hurried past the chequered flag, the Finn punching his fist into the air in jubliation.

Schumacher, who started on pole drove ultra-quick, his each turn and bank proving to the on-lookers that it was the machine and not the man who was the culprit. However, Ross Brawn, undoubtedly the most brilliant of pit-wall thinkers could not hold his machine on the front for long after the Woking team's pit strategists out thought their Maranello counterparts. A great race, a well deserved second, the Macher's second podium of the season, ofcourse discounting the Indianapolis sham. Brother Ralf was hot on Schumacher's track, but then, as already said, catching up and over taking are two different things when it comes to Hungaroring.

Montoya was the unlucky one of the race, the Columbian putting up a fine display before eventually retiring on lap 41 in slow trot back to the pits. It was bad time for Championship leaders Renault, with both their drivers not finishing in the points. Alonso finished eleventh, a far cry from his first position a couple of years ago, when at this very circuit he became the youngest ever driver to win a Formula One race. Fissichella, the other Renault driver would have managed to land in the points, but his grassy moments ensured that Webber would hound on him and grab a couple of points.

It was indeed ironical to see the BAR's and the Williams' twined in the points table. Afterall, Sir Williams and Nick Fry arent the closest of buddies in planet paddock, especially after their wrangle over Button! Taku managed to grab his first points of the season and Webber, cashing in on Fissichella's mistake managed to ensure that both the William's were clear.

It was a sad race for Villeneuve, for whom no race seems to go well. Villeneuve retired his race after smoke bellowed out of his Sauber. His team mate's fortunes were no better, with Massa's fuel tank blazing while he was on a scheduled pit stop. Massa managed to saunter to the finish, down seven laps on Kimi.

Karthikeyan, the Indian driver managed to come in twelfth, ahead of team mate Monteiro who seems to have slacked down in the last two races. The Indian driver managed to stay away from most of the other drivers, displaying control as he pulled up to allow the front runners. As for the Minardi's, what else but to say but "No points as usual"?

The driver's championship table looks much the same as it did a couple of weeks ago, with Raikkonen managing to come within 26 points of Alonso. Schumacher lurks behind him, while Trulli seems to have sealed his fourth spot. On the constructor's list, McLaren are within striking distance, twelve points down on the French team.

With Hungaroring completed, the teams break for a summer vacation. Vacation it might seem, but a lot of teams, rather every team has got a lot of work to do. First up, the McLaren's would be analysing their almost unacceptable engine failure rates. The problem ought to be nailed down and the rest of the season should see Kimi Raikkonen joust for the championship. Surely, the Finn deserves a fine car. The Renault's would be working on their top-line speeds and would also try to improve their tyre handling. The Ferrari's would be back in action at home, with the Maranello team being the only one that would be testing.

Next up is the race at Turkey, a country hosting an F1 event for the first time. Turkey should be an interesting race, considering that it would be an anti-clockwise race. More on turkey after the vacation!

Kimi's luck puts Alonso on top

Its Alonso all the way!

Fernando's eyes must have swirled with a rich speckling of scarlet triumph when he saw the silver-black blur in front of him come to a rolling halt. And with his own screaming blast rolling past it, the mind's eye tends to reflect on the lines of a strange poet who once said, "Nothing is unplanned, even luck…it's what you do with it that counts". This is true for the F1 season 2005, in which a flaming Fernando backed by a flambuoyant Flavio has gone on to prove that the Renault's are a force to reckon with not only because their cars are fast but also because they are the ones who tend to capitalize the most when others make mistakes. Alonso finished first, followed by Montoya, another star of the race who started last from grid and rocketed to a startling second place. Button, the BAR driver, secured a much needed third place for BAR Honda.

Kimi Raikkonen had a perfect start after having secured the pole. The atmosphere was great with the Mercedez Grand Stands screaming "Go Kimi Go Juan". With the threat of rain hovering over the Hockenheirming circuit and the great German rain-master lurking behind the title contenders, the race was all set to be a great treat. A determined Kimi would set blistering lap timings all the way up to the middle of the race, holding back a Spaniard who was looking for a sixth victory this season. But as luck would have had it, Kimi's engine failed mid-race. A travesty for the budding Finnish driver, who has been eluded the chance of finishing a race at this great circuit, a circuit so ironically close to the Mercedes head quarters at Stuttgart. The Finn walked away, knowing well that his chances for Hungary were hindered as well.

A little solace for the McLaren outfit, with Juan Pablo Montoya managing to work the magic that his driving counterpart so perfectly managed in the last two races. Montoya started right behind the pack, buldozing his way to ninth even before the first lap was out. A superb pit-strategy saw McLaren outwit Renault with Montoya coming out of the first set of pits ahead of Fissichella who was running before him. A strategy well worked, Montoya would do the same to Button, rocketing to second position, knowing well that had it not been for his own unenforced error the previous day, he could have stood atop the podium, avenging the bad luck of his team-mate.

Alonso, the eventual winner was a class act all through the race. Raikkonen and Alonso pulled ahead of the rest of the crowd at remorseless speeds, each mocking at the other's capacity with a better lap. Alonso would know well that he ran a lighter car than the Finn, for it was he who pitted first before, as against common views that Raikkonen was lighter and hence the blistering laps. Despite being in an obviously slower car, Alonso managed to hold on to Raikkonen for the first half of the race. And when Raikkonen fell, Alonso was ever so keen to grab the spoils. The site of Flavio and Fernando hugging each other at the paddocks is now common sight, for the Renault's seem to have found a better balance between speed and reliability than the McLaren's have. Fissichella, the other Renault driver, managed well to come in fourth, thus helping his team increase its Constructor's lead. Clouted initially, Fissichella managed to romp home after clipping an elderly prancing horse, which was sauntering rather than racing owing to a deceitful set of hooves.

Putting the bad events of the season behind his back, Button managed to secure podium, fending off Fissichella for third. Button had a great race, making some great moves on the German master, proving yet again that his 2004 performances were not flash in the pan incidents. Finally, something to celebrate about for the BAR team, whose 2006 season has been fraught with disasters. Their other driver, Sato, managed yet again to have a poor race, first clipping Fissichella's back and then running wide so many times that even his race engineer would have lost count.

Tyre woes continue to haunt the prancing horse, with situations getting so worse that Button, who happened to tail the German master complaining of being hit by pieces of tyre. Schumacher had to give way to Button initially after the latter made a superb move at the hair-pins and later to Fissichella on the back-straight. Barrichello also had a bad race, with both the prancing horses failing to make a mark. Schumacher finished fifth, Barrichello tenth.

It was "game over" for Webber, after a mechanical failure puts him out of action for ten laps after which he rejoined, the Grove outfit having managed to put their lead driver behind the wheels once again. Heidfeld tottered along, not managing to finish in the points.Among others, Villeneuve had a torrid time, managing to pulverise his own and an unsuspecting Monteiro's car. Massa, the other Sauber driver managed a respectful eigth position, proving that he was a good driver. David Coulthard and Klein had a good race too, with the latter stunning Barrichello in the later part of a race with a clean overtake. Some solace for the Toyota's whose good strategy saw their driver Ralf come out ahead of David Coulthard. Their other driver, Trulli, was penalized for ignoring the blue flag whislt Montoya was moving ahead of Heidfeld and himself. Trulli retired the race with a couple of laps to spare.

Overall, an eventful race, a great showing from Alonso and Montoya, a sad race for Kimi, whose hopes of winning the driver's championship this season are over. Kimi will now be the first to qualify at Hungaroaring, putting himself at a terrible disadvantage. On the standings, Alonso leads Raikkonen by an astounding thirty six points, and only a brave man could tout against him becoming champion. Renault's burgeoning success has put him at the helm of motor racing!

Montoya puts McLaren on top

Surging ahead

A brilliant performance from a podium hungry Columbian followed by an angry Spaniard caught unawares as early as the second curve of the race tailed by a super-charged albeit unlucky Finn peppered by a few promising jousts in the peleton sums up the happenings at Silverstone 2005.

Alonso set the tracks ablaze on Saturday, taking pole position ahead of a frustrated Kimi Raikkonen, whose race weekend started with a blown engine. Thanks to the new regulations, he would start from P12 instead of P2 for no fault of his. Montoya mustered third, ensuring that there was ample help for Raikkonen at the top once he was done with the formalities. Button was as surprised as anybody else, managing to come in fourth. Narain Karthikeyan managed 17^th again, heading the rookie line-up for Silverstone, the erstwhile Jordan’s home venue.

The race was supposed to start after the drivers and the one hundred thousand strong crowds were supposed to hold a minute of silence. But as it happened, nobody was sure of when exactly the moment of mourning began, with Bernie Ecclestone, the promoter of F1 looking insulted when an engine was fired during the minute of “silence”. A sham, clearly indicative of the attitude of these paddock pimps in recent years. Later in the day, Britain held a moment of silence in salutation of the heroes she lost to World War II. Sixty years down the line the killing has not stopped yet.

Race day started with Sato managing to get his car stuck in gear at the end of the warm-up lap. He later rejoined the race after a long bout at the pits. Nonetheless, the race was underway and Alonso sped off into Copse, but Montoya managed to stay abreast of him into Maggots and emerged the winner after Beckets. At the back of the pack, Raikkonen had a blistering start, into ninth even before the first curve. At the end of the second lap, the safety car pulled off, with Montoya leading the pack ahead of Alonso, Button, Barrichello, Fisichella, Trulli, Schumacher senior and Raikkonen.

Thereafter, it was a display of power from the cars either in silver and black or blue and yellow, as Alonso and Montoya pulled off from the rest of the pack, each answering the others challenge with a faster lap. Trulli, as in France held up the rest of the pack, much to the dismay of Michael Schumacher and Raikkonen. Meanwhile, Narain retired his race after a mechanical failure on lap 10.

The first of the big cars to hit the pits was the Ferrari of Barrichello, who was clearly on a three-stop strategy with a lightning quick pit stop that would help him stay clear of the fuel-reds for a mere 11 laps. Button pits, followed by Trulli, much to the relief of Raikkonen who manages a few quick laps ahead of a pit stop. Montoya pits on the twenty-third and Alonso on twenty-fourth. Raikkonen pitted on the twenty-sixth lap, joining ahead of Michael Schumacher. Old horse Villeneuve managed to sneak ahead of David Coulthard, the two stallions locked up in a battle that reminded the old timers of the jousts they had in the mid-late 90’s.

With Barrichello’s poor strategy aiding him, Raikkonen surged ahead, closing in on the Briton with every lap, as the front-runners were caught up with the back markers. Clearly, this was the most brilliant piece of racing in the day so far. With Button and Trulli pitting, Raikkonen posted yet another blistering lap time. Montoya pitted, joining the pack ahead of Button and behind his teammate who was yet to hit the pits. Alonso was caught up behind Trulli the mobile chicane, as Fissichella found an advantage to pit. However, a stall on the pits ensured that the Finn would emerge the winner for the last place on the podium.

Thanks to the mind-blowing speed of the McLaren’s and the brilliant pit-strategists, the boys managed to finish one-three, with a Renault between them. The Renault’s managed a two-four, with a McLaren between them. This is as close as a Constructor fight can get. Button later agreed later that fifth was honestly the best he could hope for, conceding that the McLaren’s and the Renault’s were in an altogether different league.

Another dreadful weekend for the Scuderia outfit, with their drivers managing a six-seven situation. Schumacher’s worst Silverstone weekend, with the German finishing outside the first four for the first time in fourteen races. Clearly, no matter how brilliant Michael Schumacher might be, no matter how quick Ross Brawn’s pit-wall mind might be and no matter how hard Jean Todt works, a 2005 title dream will never materialize. All the Maranello marauders might be thinking about is the 2006 season and how they can ambush the mind-blowing McLaren’s and the rocketing Renault’s.

Williams F1 shares a similar fate, with their machines failing to deliver yet again. Their drivers just managed to stay ahead of a couple of raging Red-bulls, a defunct BAR, an unimpressive Jordan and a couple of Minardi’s. The Toyota’s whose season started with stellar performances from both their drivers share a similar fate, with the Japanese team on a downward slope since Catalunya.

A piece of humorous (humiliating) race gossip - Bob McKenzie, yours truly, did take to the 3.22-mile track in his birthday suit. Following the Woking team’s poor start to the 2004 season, the F1 journalist was harsh enough to write them off for the season. But a change of fortunes fired by the introduction of a “B” spec chassis saw Kimi wipe out competition at the Belgian Spa. Ron Dennis, commenting on the incident, said that, “McLaren only won once last year – but once was enough. A bet is a bet”. In the process McKenzie raised money for the baby charity Tommy’s, which is supported by Dennis. “I will put up £1 for every minute on the track or a minimum £100, just to add financial pain to my physical agonies,” Bob said.

A couple of weeks rest for the bystanders, as the Formula One juggernaut rolls on into Germany for the second time this season. Raikkonen sans his ill luck would still be the favorite and Alonso, holding the key to Michael’s F1 kingdom would be his archrival. My heart goes out to Kimi Raikkonen, who, with no places at stake set a fastest lap on lap sixty, even as his teammate took the chequered flag. Montoya, who has now proved to Ron Dennis that Ron now has two race-winners, would be looking forward to make it two in a row.

All set for the Huns to holler at Hockenheim!

Fantastic Fernando fires at France

Powering ahead - Fernando Alonso

Alonso's crushing and almost mocking superiority at Magny-Cours must have made even the most sober director of Renault jump up in sheer ecstacy. Its been draught-time for the blues at a place they call home since the celebrated their last full-blown victory when Alain Prost took the podium in 1983. And it came at a time when it appeared as though the Britain based McLaren outfit was all set to outpace their foes from across the English channel after the race at Montreal which saw both Renault's bite dust after showing initial superiority. But that was not to be, and in a race that was awfully more exciting than the previous race (or the lack of one), Fernando grabbed the honors followed by a blistering Kimi Raikkonen with Michael Schumacher now staging a serious come back.

An intense qualifying session saw the top eight drivers separated by no more than 0.994 seconds. Alonso took pole position, finding himself alongside his close-pal and ex-teammate Jarno Trulli. Schumacher lurked behind them in P3 with the other seven of the top ten comprising of a menagerie of BAR's, Sauber's, a Ferrari and a Renault. Raikkonen, inspite of a splendid third during qualifying had to start thirteenth owing to an engine change. The crowd waited with bated breadth and exhaled only when all 20 cars were well past the pit lane. Settling back in their arm chairs, they watched an enthralling race as the god's of speed swept across the long straights and the lazy, sweeping corners of Mangy-Cours on a perfect mid-summer's day in France. If anybody could rest, it were the spectators, ensured of a 20-car race. But that was not to be for the drivers, especially the one's that were deprived of a race at Indianapolis. They sat in their cockpits, ready to use their steel behemoths to joust their hearts out at the start of the second leg of the European chapter. Off go the red lights.

A sweeping Alonso took off from pole, oblivious of the fact that he was being followed at all. Trulli and Schumacher spread out and resumed their positions behind the race leader. The McLaren-Mercedes's gunned by Kimi and Juan Pablo were quick to gain inspite of their heavy fuel tanks. A poor start by the Sato saw one Mr.Barichello scream ahead, tagging behind his band-leader Michael. In less than three-quarters of a lap, Raikkonen was all over the back of Massa, after having passed three other drivers, former world champion Villeneuve included. With all cars getting in and out of the first few corners without incident, the stage was set for a battle of strategy, good pit stops and tyre wear. Games that McLaren and Renault would play out to perfection.

With the lead Renault rocketing away, Trulli found his rear suspenders being under close scrutiny by the seven time World Champion. Trulli fended off Schumacher until the first set of pit stops, serving as a mobile chicane, one that would allow Alonso to extend his lead and Schumacher to scowl in frustration. Consecutive pitting from the rival teams makes it a two-three for the McLaren's, their pace rivalling that of Alonso. Raikkonen was the last to make the first pit stop, pitting on lap 28, thus indicating a two-stop strategy as against three from most other teams with the exception of the lead Renault.

With the top four ripping away, the middle part of the race saw a lot of action. Sato ventured out into the wild at times, ensuring that the track had an even supply of gravel and grass. Coulthard almost collided with Heidfeld coming out of the pits while Sato and the lesser of the two Renault's fought for fourth and fifth positions. Alonso made no mistakes and continued to set impressive speeds. Raikkonen followed suit with team mate Montoya. Schumacher pitted on his 34th, leading to gossip about a possible plan change for Ferrari. The Mindardi's bailed out as if by clock work, both owing to some form of tyre-problems.

The final section of the race saw Alonso lap every racer with the exception of car no's two and three, ones that belonged to Raikkonen and Schumacher. The unfortunate Montoya slowed down and retired the race owing to an engine problem. It appears as though the weight of ill-luck has shifted to the other pillar of the McLaren outfit. Taking the chequered flag on a trot, Alonso stuck out five fingers to a sea of blue that was bristling all over the grand stands. The bosses of Renault, headquartered in France were among the many who were impressed by the Spaniard's show of dominance at Magny-Cours. Raikkonen bellowed in twelve seconds later, with Schumacher coming in a distant third.

Jensen Button came in fourth and was elated at getting points which he could keep, with the Renault and Ferrari of Fissichella and Barichello grabbing points ahead of Ralf Schumacher and Canadian Jaques Villeneuve, the latter managing to get team Sauber its first points at Magny-Cours. A dissapointing race for the WilliamsF1 team, with both drivers failing to land in the points.

As for the Jordan's, Monteiro impressed, lapping in the 1 minute 21's, finishing thirteenth eventually. Karthikeyan, who has failed to prove his worth after the first few races found himself staring at the tail of Heidfeld's car even after the latter pitted six times which I presume must be a record of sorts for any racer completing a race.

All said and done, the French Grand Prix proved that Michelin were back in the offing. An expression of relief was evident on the faces of Pierre Dupasquier and Nick Shorrock, the Michelin "minions" after Alonso crossed the chequered flag.

With the magnificient Magny-Cours chapter coming to an end, the battle shifts across the English channel to Britain, the heart of Formula One engineering for many decades. Silverstone has handled many a controversy over the decades, but neverthless has managed to stay in the Formula One circuit. Renault lead the series with 89 points, with McLaren and Ferrari vying for second and third on 71 and 69 respectively. On the driver's front, Alonso leads Raikkonen and the now ressurgent Michael Schumacher, whose dream of an eigth title is far from over. Schumacher is still in the reckoning albiet 25 points separate him and the current leader.

Renault would now ferry across the English channel, closer to the McLaren headquarters, knowing very well that the victory might not have been theirs had Raikkonen not been unlucky enough to blow an engine. A duel with both Kimi and Alonso starting from the front of the grid peppered with the uncertainities of the British weather should prove to be a treat to watch as Formula One rolls on to race no 10 in a month packed with as many races as weekends - the busiest one in fifty-six years of mind-blowing speed!

Rendezvous

With a flushed countenance she snapped her laptop shut and got out of her chair. She admired the brawny sun which was falling heartless behind the high-rise buildings. She sighed and lied down on her bed. Pulling the baby blue sheets over her head, she snuggled into her comfortable bed. She was a bit pensive about the meeting, but the tiredness of the day intervened in her thought process and she was soon fast asleep. She dreamed of a dove. When she tried to touch it, it moved away. She didn’t understand why. She was so desperate to touch it and she was ready to sacrifice herself, her heart and her soul simply to touch it for a fleeing second. It was just a moment’s grasp away, but it slipped through her pale, lifeless hands like so much sand between a child’s fingers. A moment later, the dove soared towards the moon as the breeze from the glide of the wings caressed her cheeks as if mocking at her. She looked up at the dove, a look of sorrow on her face. When the dove came between her and the moon, it cast the shadow of a bat on the moon. Startled, she gazed back at the bird. The dove had turned into a bat and with an ear-splitting scream, swept across the skies. With a jump, she got up in cold sweat.

The normally neat single bedroom condo was in a state of disarray. The cupboard was open and the bed spoke of an occupant who had extreme difficulty in choosing what to wear. The dressing table was strewn with several short and stout bars in shades varying from pale red to a bright shock of pink. The jewel box was intact, except for a string of pearls. The rings were sealed tight into their little compartment. The car in the garage below was missing as well, it was racing away towards the Mumbai Airport at break-neck speed.

She pulled into a deserted parking lot. After all this wasn’t the busiest hour of the day. The servants were already up, sweeping and cleaning the air-port. The only occupants of the waiting area were a few children, sucking at huge bars of MARS chocolate. Their mother’s had spread themselves across three or more chairs depending on their sizes and were sleeping. “I can’t believe this is me” she thought to herself. “This is something that I would yell at others for doing” she muttered to herself. I still have time to get out.

She heard Raj’s voice then, a muttering of some ill-formed syllables as his year long courting culminated with him on one knee, thrusting softly at her a bunch of red-roses. Strangely, he had said “Be my wife”, rather than the traditional “I love you”. It was a variation she liked. She shook her head. She thought to herself, “Ranjith isn’t Raj, he won’t hurt me”. Ranjith was nothing more than a chat friend initially. With time, Ranjith and she had grown as friends and confidants over the past year and a half. Strangely she had known him even while she was going out with Raj. “He has always been there for me, for my laughter and my tears” she comforted herself about Ranjith. She had found Raj strange. He was too manly, too aggressive and a lot more physical than her conscience told her was right. He reasoned, “You can’t stand by the river of life and stick a toe in. You ought to take a hearty swim”. She wanted somebody softer, somebody who would show their care for her. She closed her eyes. That was almost a year back. It was to be forgotten.

The accented voice came over the loud speakers, making the mother’s rustle as if someone had knocked on their bedroom doors. She sat up and waited for the gate number to be announced. “Relax”, she told herself. “There is nothing to be nervous about anything”. I am fucking nervous.

She tried to walk nonchalantly. But any bystander could have said that she was approaching a gate like a skittish student approaching a board where his results (read : fate) hung. She tripped over her sandals, glossy new ones which she was not accustomed to. Her hair was bunched up and tied in a pony tail at her nape. She was too cautious about her appearance today. She had seen his passport sized photo once, but then he could have grown a beard or wore spectacles, in which case, she could miss him. A handsome face with a muscular jaw and a set of twinkling eyes showing one’s passion for life. This was her mental image of the guy who she was going to meet. She watched the first passengers come out of Gate 3. He has never seen me.

The passengers walked away towards the luggage area. She examined each one’s face slowly. She saw a man of American-Indian descent with a blond on his arm. The face is a lot similar, but the eyes weren’t this small. A huge man brushed by her. He smelled strongly of vodka. He told me he does not drink. When everybody was gone, she thought to herself. Had she been tricked? “No, its impossible. And I know he loves me” she said to herself.

Then, she saw someone being wheeled out by an air-hostess. She stared at the face. The man thanked the hostess and turned towards the waiting area, his eyes searching for someone or something. Even from the distance, she could say it was him. She was taken aback, shocked. He never told me about it in any of our conversations.

She slid behind one of the large pillars. She was in a state of dilemma now. Maybe he was too shy to tell me about this. No, he should have told you about it come what may. He is a nice guy. Raj was, too. Raj was different, he never cared for me. Ranjith has not been totally honest with you. Is this guy your Prince Charming? I don’t see him fit within your framework. Would it have made a difference? I wouldn’t comment on that darling. Its up to you to decide.

…

Maybe she met him, maybe she walked away.