Chapter 3 : City of an angel

I asked her on Wednesday. This time I would travel to Los Angeles. She loved the plan. She said she will tour the city with me. I had seen LA before. Clicked pictures of hollywood sign from the kodak theatre balcony. Seen the hollywood star homes. Shot a video which noone watched. Seen the beaches. Clicked pictures with the sun, sea, sand, inanimate idols, equally inanimate but living beauties. I had seen Universal studios and Disneyland...So, ideally when Devi offered to tour me through the city, I had to say no in as charming and fake way as possible.

"Lets rather go to a movie and lunch and then we will just spend some time on hollywood boulevard or some beach and then I will have to go back. I will need to leave early. You know how crowded 101 is in the evenings."

"Ok. Stop. You are not going back on Saturday evening. You are going back on Saturday night at around 11 p.m. 101 wont be crowded, so u will reach in 2 hours exact. I know you dont sleep until 1.30.a.m. So, dont give me false reasons."

"You have already seen the city, why do you want me to chaperone around??"

"I have. But I want to show it to you."

I did not think she was so dim.

"Devi. I have seen the city."

"I dont think so."

"I can send you my photographs at every location in LA."

"Ok. Send me one inside the city hall."

"Nobody goes inside city hall."

"They do. Do you have one on outside??"

"Devi, I really have seen it all. I did not go to city hall, but I have seen everything else."

"I will show you El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciúncula."

El poobla what???

"What???"

"El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciúncula."

"Whats that??"

I was sure she said something un-English.

"You will know when you see it. Please, come over. The moment you get bored you can go back."

I could not refuse.

"Okay."

"Great. See you at 7 am on Saturday. You will have to be up at 4.30. Start early, at around 5, so that you miss the traffic. I will do all the planning. We will share the driving and the gas."

Start at 5??? Ha!!!

"Bye."

"Bye."

This is what I hate about girls. The moment they think that a guy likes them, they start planning out his life. I had thought that Devi was different. But maybe I was wrong.

I had really hated LA. It was all a commercial facade of places you have to say you enjoyed. Its like the emporer's new clothes. I was fuming internally. Why could I not put my foot down? I wont go at 7. I wont start at 5. I wont wake up at 4.30. Wont!! Wont!! WONT!!

Have you ever noticed that only on a day when you are determined to wake up late, something happens that spoils your sleep so much that you cant?? This Saturday, I got the same dream. Wide, mad, tearful eyes of a guy trying to kill me. I was up at 4o'clock in the morning. And I was feeling so much awake that I could not even get back to bed. I was feeling as shaken as I had at first.

Today, I could not dare to call up Devi. I had not called her on Thursday and Friday. I was too angry with her. I was also feeling an odd feeling of guilt for not calling. Also, part of me was waiting for her to call me and ask me what was wrong.

She did call me. On Saturday. At 4.30.a.m.!!! I feigned sleepiness.

"Hullo??" I mumbled.

"Hey!! you are up!! I thought you forgot about our tete-a-tete."

Did I not sound sleepy??

"I was sleeping."

"No, you were not. Get ready and come over. I am waiting."

Hmm. Guys have weaknesses. You cannot resist the enthusiasm of the only interesting girl you have ever met. And I was anyway up. And I was anyway thinking of her. So, I showered, dressed and wrote my room-mate a note that I will be back by night, and
started.

I reached her house at around 6.30. It was still dusk. I called her from the main entrance. She asked me to park my car while she would come down. Then why park the car??

"I have rented a car for us."

Within minutes, she came to where I had parked my car. With a smile on her face and twinkle in her eyes, she waved at me. She was up and fresh like a morning glory. She had a pink glow on her cheeks. Just looking at her intoxicated me.

She had come out with a huge backpack.

"Whats all this??"

"You will see."

Ok. I was not feeling extremely curious. I was rather hoping for a cup of coffee.

"Can we go to starbucks first??"

"Nope. We are starting our tour immediately. Our first stop will be after half an hour. I want you to sleep while I drive."

One second. I dont get my coffee?? I have to start immediately?? And I have to sleep when a lady is driving?? Any fair minded guy will know what was going through my mind. I needed my coffee. I wanted to sit for a while. And it would be unchivalrous and moreover reckless to sleep while a lady is driving.

"Devi, You may have just woken, but I am up since four. I really need my caffeine."

"When I called you at 4.30, I was showered and ready. And you will get everything you need in due time."

I used the best male defensive technique. I decided to sulk and make her apologize.

I think by now you will be used to the idea that Devi surprised me in everything she did and of course everything she did not do. For example, somehow she just did not know how to complain. Even when things went wrong. I was to find this later. I guess, you know by now that I did have the best Saturday of my life. LA was never this beautiful. And I never felt so special.

Moving on, thrashing out my old belief, Devi drove like an expert. No sharp turns, no clumsy parkings. No oops and no it-was-all-his-fault-s. Within first few minutes of our journey, I dozed off.

"Ajay."

"Hmm??"

I blinked to see who was calling me. Her brilliant eyes were animated with excitement.

"Ajay, wake up!!!"

"Devi??"

"Who else??"

I jerked awake.

"I am sorry. I was fast asleep." I looked around. I did not know where was I. It looked like an isolated road. "Do you want me to drive??"

"No. I want you to look outside and I want you to have this."

'Outside' was at the top of a mountain with rising sun and 'this' was a home-made warm cup of tea.

"Is this real??"

"Are you awake?? Here!! Have some water first. Wash your face."

I took the water obediently. I was overwhelmed. I was wide awake.

"You made this???"

"Yep. Thats what I was doing when you were driving down from san diego, my dear."

"For me??"

"For us. How do you like it?"

"Beautiful. I feel like I am at the top of the world."

She easily jumped on the bonnet of the car. We were overlooking the entire valley. She pointed out landmarks to me.

"Where are we??"

"Well, if you are in Los Angeles, you have to start your day from - Hollywood"

We sat in silence for some time.

"Are you too sleepy for a hike??"

"I am not at all sleepy."

There was a small trail in the mountain. We locked the car and took that trail. The city of Los Angeles was visible on my left. We walked for some time and came to an opening.

"Is your camera ready??", she asked laughing.

I had completely forgotten everything about taking pictures. I had not even carried my camera from the car. I cursed myself.

With a mischievous laughter she gave me her camera. I immediately started clicking.

"You cant even wait, huh!!" She teased me.

In couple of minutes, she entered a parking. There was a small staircase going to the top of this peak. I just followed her. It took me some time to realise that I had been here before. It was the closest mountain opposite to the hollywood sign.

There was nobody there at this time of the day.

"Take pictures. Then we will have our breakfast."

She had fresh home-made pohe* and some more tea in her backpack. There were some benches. We sat there and had the best breakfast of my life. Then we went back by the same route.

"Whats next??"

"You'll see."

"Come on. Give me some idea."

"Well, if you like it, you owe me two hundred dollars."

She would not tell me anything more than that. She changed the topic to history of Los angeles and in general landmarks. She was driving all this time. At around quarter to ten we entered the parking lot of - Warner Bros. studios.

"Warner Brothers??"

"Universal studios is not the only studio in LA, you know?? There are Paramount studios, Sony or MGM studios and of course, the Warner brothers studio. Warner is the most interesting one according to me. You can have your own judgement. This one is not normally open on Saturdays. This is a special weekend. Its their birthday or something. We will be having a deluxe tour."

She had the entry tickets. It was the most unique experience of my life. I was entirely in a different world. World of movies. It was a five-hour tour. It included a delicious lunch with some of the soap stars. Video shooting was not permitted.
I saw the stage for F.R.I.E.N.D.S. and "Everybody loves Raymond". Best part was the stage dedicated for Harry Potter series. In short, it was an intriguing tour and true to what Devi said, something that neither me nor any of my friends had seen.

Devi was fascinated by everything in there. It was hard to believe that she had seen this before. She had a child-like curiosity, amazement and glee at every aspect. Enthusiasm is very contagious. I was also enjoying everything today, like I had never enjoyed before.

After the tour was over, we went to Hollywood Blvd. I did the driving. She did a lot of shopping for her folks back in India.

She also bought me a Hollywood T-shirt as a memento. She took me to a confectionary shop in Kodak theatre.

"Have you been here before?"

"I have seen the Kodak theatre."

"Have you tried the custard cookies here??"

"Nope. Not a big fan of sweets"

"Those are not sweets. Those are pieces of heaven which angels left on earth. Pure Ambrosia."

"I'll have half."

"You can't have half. Either you have one or none."

I had faith in her.

"Ok. One then."

When I took it, I was not prepared for it. Those are warm crispy cookies filled with delicious melted cool custard. Not too sweet. No Cinnamon. And as Devi said, it was pure ambrosia. But here is a warning for first-timer - DO NOT EAT IN PUBLIC OR WHEN YOU ARE WITH A GIRL. The custard sticks to your nose, different parts of face, falls on your pants and you cant resist licking whatever is on your hands. And unlike in Manhattan, in LA, everyone looks, kids point out and girls laugh. And Devi was bubbling with merriment.

Moving on. On the walk of fame there are many performers. Some play music, some do magic, some mascquerade as different characters. Devi watched all the shows, took my pictures with many characters. She actually paid them for all this. Music, Magic, Dance, everything. I was chagrined.

"Dont do that. Why are you wasting money?"

"Do you see the stars on walk of fame??"

"What do you mean??"

"Ajay, do you know that only if they had a little bit of luck, instead of performing, all these people would have their names in stars kicked on the walk of fame??"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you enjoy the dance we saw??"

"Yes."

"Did you enjoy the magic show?"

"Yes, I did. But thats not the point. There are lot of unlucky people in this world. You cant keep on giving away money."

"I have spent about thirty dollars. If I would have gone to watch shows of any of their contemporaries, I would have paid at least hundred and fifty dollars for this much entertainment. Each of them has what it takes to be a star in him or her."

I felt sad for the performers. I know that I would still not spend money on street-entertainers. But I would not stop anyone in future from doing so.

It was nearing evening when we started from there.

"When do we have dinner?"

"All in good time!! Right now we are going for a drive."

"Where??"

"Hollywood homes."

"No no no no." I protested.

She gave me a map and a small torch.

"You dont have a choice. This map shows who stays where. I like the feel of that area in the evenings."

"I have to look at a map?? Whats the use of my guide??"

She smiled.

"Your guide does not know or care. I can tell you random names. But I know only Frank Sinatra's home for sure. By the way, this is the best time to see the stars as well."

I suddenly was curious. I was looking outside hoping for a glimpse of a star.

"You should not have told me. Now I am looking at every normal person hoping that he is a star."

"In his own life, he probably is. And believe it or not, all stars are pretty normal people."

Lady Socrates, eh??

"That was philosophical??"

"Yep and intelligent too!!"

"Ha ha."

I know I should tell the next thing that happened in a suspenseful manner, but I just need to get it out first. That day I saw Leonardo Dicaprio and had my first little confrontation with Devi. And no. She did not even stop the car, let alone take a picture or autograph.

"Its Leonardo Dicaprio. I wanted a picture with him."

She snapped, "He is not some inanimate monument that you want a picture with him. Please try to respect his privacy."

I was angry, though I knew she was right.

"Dont get angry. Look around. I am taking you through the richest and most historical area of LA. Look at the houses. You can check the names of the owners in the map. Everyone of them who is present in this area has come back after long shifts of being someone else. It is the toughest thing to do in life. They deserve their few quiet moments in their homes. It is not fair to disturb them."

"Hmm. You are right. I am not angry."

I changed the topic.

"I am hungry."

"Ok."

We drove some more and came to a place named Trader's Vic. It looked like a good upscale restaurant. It had a nice homely feel. And yeah, we had an extremely tasty dinner there. It was not as expensive as it felt. The service was prompt. Overall, a perfect end to a perfect day.

Devi suddenly asked, "Ready to go back??"

"Not really."

"Want to take a walk on the beach??"

"Yeah. That will be good."

We went to Santa Monica beach. After strolling a bit, we easily found a relatively isolated place. We sat down on the sands.

"Thanks Devi. It really was the best day of my life. And I had never thought that LA is this pretty."

She smiled.

"You are welcome. LA is really a very beautiful place."

"Yesterday you said you will show me something french or latin. I guess we were short on time. But next time, I do want to see it."

"What are you saying?? Also there wont be a next time. I am going back."

"I wish we had met before. Weren't you saying el poobelo something something los angeles something something??"

She laughed out loud.

"That was Spanish. Los Angeles is actually short for El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula. It means the city of our lady, the queen of angels of Porciuncula. People think it is just the city of angels."

She started telling me the history of Los Angeles. The Mexican struggle etc. We wanted to unwind for 15-20 minutes. We sat there talking about history, geography, politics, philosophy till four o'clock in the morning. After which she took me back.

She asked me to come in for a coffee. I was already dreading the task of driving back. I knew I would feel drowsy. That cup of coffee was most welcome. Her apartment was simply furnished and tidy. We sat in the balcony with our coffee.

"Ajay, we have talked about a lot of things today. I mean I talked a lot, you talked a little. But you have not told me what you thought of me. I dont want to meet your parents before knowing that."

"Devi, do you really need me to tell you that? Dont you know already?? You are the most gorgeous girl I have ever met. The time I have spent with you is the most memorable time of my life. There are two kinds of approvals in arranged marriages. One is where you agree to marry someone because there is nothing to disagree about. You dont know what are the negative traits of that person.You hope that you will fall in love with that person. And even if you dont, you will live with it for your whole life. I belong to the second category. I do want to marry you and not because I cant see whats wrong with you.I know you are pushy, short-tempered and a little blatant. But I also know that you are honest and wonderful. I will never marry against my parent's wishes. But you are one person, I am hoping they will like. If this does not work out, I will take time to get over you."

She blushed. And I mean literally. She lowered her eye-lashes and looked at the horizon. She had traces of smile lingering on her face. My heart was swelling. There was something sweet brimming in my mind. I left for San Diego. I was not sleepy. I was smiling. I had fallen for LA - the City of Angels - no, no!! City of my lady, my queen of angels!!!


*pohe - a snack made from rice flakes