UpDATEdSID,VIDYA&AMjoDI-TATTood on mYmINd

"Your pineapple soda, miss. Would you be wanting ice? NRI's visiting Bombay seem to like ice.??

I barely heard him. My focus was on the far corner of Hot Harry's Saloon  and the man whose presence filled that spot.

"Thanks. Um, say, do you know the Strider wannabe in the back? In the hood. Sitting under the poster for JANAM SAMJA KARO. he's staring at us."

The waiter squinted. He seemed puzzled. " Stri-der? i do not know this word. Like stride, yes? a person who walks very fast?"

I smiled. " Im sorry. ive seen LORD OF THE RINGS a few too many times. i forget that not everyone is a film buff. Strider's one of the main characters."

"oh. yes. of course." he smiled. "but i do not think this striding man is staring at me wanting a refill. i think it is you. most understable." his smile grew wider. "striders in movies. i love NRI's. cinema junkies. but we also have much this interest in Bombay. we are home to bollywood. HUM APKE HAIN KAUN was a bollywood film. i have seen it one hundred times. you will visit?"

i nodded. id already jotted that particular site down on my to-do list.

the waiter had pegged it. Cinema junkie. i spent my childhood attending plays on ramayan and mahabarat when i was not taking acting, singing and classical dancing classes in US. mom dreamed that she'd see my name, VIDYA, above a tarp or any billboard along highway. Theater or film-- she didnt really care which.

it seems logical then, given my upbringing, to assume i was currently
soaking up the ambience of this bar in BOMBAY waiting to shoot a film. doubtless one in which i played a starring role. logical?yes! but wrong.

ironically, i was in INDIA this week because many years ago, on the day i turned four, my father found me reciting Rono's speech in Russian to the doorman. my father declared that he had sired a linguist genius, then declared i would earn a living in a career far removed from theater.

i became an interpreter. an occupation that consisted primarily of translating whatever into English and vice versa  for whomevers like my current boss, HARSH, the man sitting opposite me.

"Vidya? what's with cozying up to the waiter? trying to make me jealous?" said HARSH

i frowned, then shoved the bourbon and coke that HARSH had ordered for me back across the table for the third time in less than 20 minutes.

"cozy? discussing movies? mr. HARSH, lets get something straight here. you hired me to translate Hindi to English so that you dont get swindled in the middle of buying some crazy statue. might i remind you that this job does not include extracurricular activites with the interpreter."

"uff.. lighten up VIDYA. were in BOMBAY for an entire week. this transaction shouldnt take more than 30 minutes, after which we can leave this stinking bar and head over to a night club that caters NRI's who believe in clean. now, tomorrow night, and subsequent nights, id prefer spending with you alone."

"forget it. not interested. im here to complete this deal for you,. although i still dont understand why you need a linguist. most folks in India speak English quite well."