Things to do before leaving Calcutta.

1. Visit all my favourite restaurants, one by one.

2. Oly, Silver Grill and Someplace.

3. Buy useless stationary at Oxford.

4. Watch the sun set from the outside terrace.

5. Spend the night at Jahnavi's and go on the roof one last time.

6. Eat hot buttered toast and tea at Vikram's.

7. Go to the lakes and see if they're actually beautiful or just hyped up.

8. Go to Shormi's little picture perfect house and play the piano.

9. Win a game of foosball.

10. Smoke the bong and play that board game with Shourjo and Jayatri.

11. Get everyone together and play articulate.

12. Eat as much of Bouchi's mango ice cream as possible.

13. Steal some more books from Jahnavi J.

14. Steal some more clothes from Jahnavi G.

15. One last sleepover at Min's with Pupu.

16. Go out for early morning cha with Siddharth and Aditya and Vikram.

17. Spend a day at Tolly swimming and eating pancakes and strolling around the golf course looking for graves.

18. Spend the night at Tanvi's and fall asleep by ten like I always do.

19. Sit in the garden with all my building friends.

20. Hug and kiss Mama as often as possible.

21. Watch My Fair Lady, Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice with Dida.

22. Buy even more clothes.

23. Go to Victoria Memorial and feed apples to the horses.

24. Walk barefoot around Birla Mandir.

25. Steak and french fries at CCFC.

26. One last game of dota with Siddharth, Aditya, Vikram, Varun. And Jayatri.

27. Convince Pud Kaka to let me drive down that grassy lane near Alipore.

28. Say goodbye to Ringo.

29. Get one last haircut from Bridget.

30. Play 70s pop songs on the Alipore piano.

31. Go to Thakuma's little library room and smell the books.

32. Sleep on her bed under the mosquito net.

33. Ring doorbells of all the Kusum flats and run away.

34. Take lots of photographs of everyone and everything.

35. Say goodbye to Pokey the Cactus.

36. Watch a meaningless commercialised movie at Forum (preferably Wolverine)

37. Get Siddharth to drive really fast on the flyover into Red Road, roll down the window and stick my head out.

38. Play Dead or Alive on Varun's Xbox.

39. Watch Disney movies with Minnie.

40. Spend as much time as possible in my room.

41. Go for a tram ride.

42. See if I can get the T2 delivered to Delhi everyday.

43. Nut corners at Kookie Jar.

44. Go to Vidyasagar Setu and see what the fuss is all about.

45. Breakfast at Flury's.

46. Be as happy as I've ever been.



The sadness, when it finally comes, can wait. I don't want it now.