I wish you could meet Vridula, my neighbor. A restless and energetic girl who has successfully channelised her restlessness and energies into a wide variety of activities, that are as follows:- a) Shopping, b) Shopping and c) Shopping.
Over a week, everyday from Monday to Friday, I'd been bumping into her, hands full of shopping bags, dropping stuff hither and thither, an immensely satisfied, ear to ear smile plastering her face. She'd explain she was coming back from her shopping sojourns in Mulund. Come Saturday I saw Vridula without shopping bags, and I asked, “Are you coming from Mulund again?” And she said, “No, now I’m going to Mulund. Coming? Hop In!”
I used to wonder what’s the strange force that pulls Vrids to Mulund everyday. Since the Mountains won’t come to Mohammed etc. and also since I have no other constructive activity to participate in after office hours, I decided to grab this opportunity and go find out what she finds so appealing about Mulund.
As she drove, Vridula was animatedly talking all about the place. It is now an opportune moment to make a quick note about Vrids as a driver. When, while driving, she gets way too engrossed about some topic she orates on, her hands tend to leave the steering and gesticulate wildly. Also, her focus shifts from the road and she bodily turns towards the person she is talking to, either next to her or worse, towards those seated behind. LBS Marg at 5.30 pm with all its traffic and craters is not exactly the right place to drive in such a breezily cheerful fashion. While reeling under the effects of Vridula’s driving and partaking whatever sightseeing this road had to offer (viz. Huma Theatre – Kanjurmarg, Krishna Theatre –Bhandup and Deepmandir Theatre – Mulund) we drove towards the end of the city limits, I finally saw what attracts Vridula to Mulund like a magnet.....
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R – Mall
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R- Mall is India biggest shopping mall (at the time I type this) A gigantic, glitzy, place over 4,50,000 sq feet. The moment we entered the ample car parking over 5 levels, I gathered this would be one huge place. I saw a stunning lobby, cute waterfalls, and an awestruck Vridula who said, “I’ve never been abroad, but this I think comes close to it.”
Vrids began her conducted tour like a sort of a Raju Guide. She took me first to Lifestyles a suitably huge departmental store and did a quick round of its various sections and I saw the widest selection of fashionable and trendy merchandise of clothes, shoes, accessories, toys, and cosmetics ever. Lifestyles also had its furniture, home decor section.
We later had some pastries at Qwicky's, the coffee shop at Lifestyles. Her vigor renewed, Vrids announced that she needed to have a closer look at the lingerie section. After staying with her there for an embarrassing few seconds, I cleared my throat and told her that I’ll be waiting for her at the listening posts of Planet M, the music store chain, which has a rather smallish outlet there.
The Provogue studio was a good one to check for its cool range of shirts and sunglasses. There was also Weekender Kids for brats who want to dress cool, and a shop that I always avoid like the plague - Archie's Gallery with its silly cards, teddy bears and sundry Valentine’s Day stuff.
Then there was Big Bazaar a mammoth, household shoppers paradise to purchase household electronics, kitchenware, upholstery, clothes, and its Food Bazaar section for groceries, fresh fruits and vegetables etc spread over three levels.
In Big Bazaar, Vrids ran helter-skelter over its three levels, (incidentally, Vrids talks a lot and doesn’t expect an answer when she asks you a question, she pops the next question anyway and gives your answers for you. An abridged version of her chatter follows) “I want some stationery. Do you want stationery? Buy this nice stapler. Oh yes, my lenses fell off yesterday, I’ll buy a new pair. Mangoes!! I want mangoes from the Food Bazaar. Mom also wanted to make some ravioli. You want bedsheets? Ok forget bedsheets, I’m going to buy a shirt for my brother.''
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As we walked around outside Big Bazar, I saw various speciality stores for, you name the stuff. You want Suitcases? There’s Samsonite. You want gym equipment? You want leatherwear? You want children clothes? You want footwear?
Vrids added and I could also see that what we saw wasn’t even a fraction of what’s about to come up here. The place has a capacity for many more retail outlets. Coming up are a few more malls and stores in there as more than half the areas were still unoccupied or under construction (when I type this) More speciality outlets for books & publications, beauty saloons, departmental stores, amusement arcade, exclusive clothing outlets, and what not are coming up here.
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Wait a minute there are big downsides to this place. R-Mall and the fast food outlets it houses needs to iron out these initial glitches as soon as possible as once the rot sets in right in the initial phase itself they are seldom remedied.
1) The snarling traffic at the entry point to the parking lot will make you wish that you never brought your car here.
2) Uniformly all the counter staff at the food outlets are hopelessly ill-equipped to handle customers, making things like placing orders and eating here an unsatisfying experience, especially in Subway, Café Coffee Day and Qwicky.
3) The queues at the multiplex current booking counters have to be seen to be believed, I thought I was the only movie going nut in town, apparently millions of guys like to spend their hours here.
4) The check out counters at Big Bazaar are hopelessly small in number resulting in huge queues during peak hours.
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“I’m Hungry again” announced Vridula after her shopping was finally done. ''Where do you want to go? Subway, Café Coffee Day, Pizza hut, Barista? You don’t like any of those? Then come I’ll show you Café Bollywood which has the best of Bambaiyya snacks.”
When we finished stuffing our stomachs, Vrids said, “Come I’ll treat you to a show of Tere Naam at R-Adlabs multiplex, for being such a sweetie and giving me company during my shopping. Not Tere Naam? Ok Hulk?”
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