He probably hasn’t interacted much with young top-notch MBAs from top institutes working for the best companies.

I get to stay here for another ten days or so till I find my own accommodation in Mumbai. But that should be plenty of time. I will speak to landlords in a day or two. But till then I’m going to live the life of the stars …

I have no time to waste. I will smoke a cigar on the balcony while watching the sea. Life cannot get better than this!!!

11.23 p.m.

I had just fallen asleep after a reasonable midnight snack of ‘Texas Ranch Burger with fries and nachos with sour cream’ when I was awakened by a knock on the door.

Apparently I was booked into the wrong room. The hotel has an arrangement with Dufresne that does not include occupancy of sea-facing deluxe rooms. I had to pack all my things in the middle of the night and drag them across the hallway and down one floor to a room that the manager said was a ‘single, business value room’ that was used for bulk users such as Dufresne Partners.

It was a little embarrassing walking through the hotel in my pyjamas with the Yanni theme design. But honestly, it was a relief to be able to wear them again. I had to abandon them after that first night at WIMWI when Punky from upstairs took photos of me in them and made that musical PowerPoint presentation. The bastards even used one of the photos in the yearbook. Fuckers. But on the bright side I had a fresh fruit basket and cookies waiting for me in the room and I also walked past Atul Agnihotri in the hallway. He smiled very broadly.

Okay, I am too sleepy now. The window does not open. Stupid room change.

Good night, Diary. Tomorrow I need to start work and must report at the Dufresne office in Worli by nine. Must wake up at seven.

16 May 2006

7 p.m.

What an exciting and fun day! The best ever at work. There is so much to laugh and talk about.

For instance, first of all I woke up at 8.15 because the hotel alarm fellow forgot that I had changed rooms and called my old room instead. Then when I ran downstairs to the coffee shop for my complimentary breakfast I remembered that I had forgotten my certificates and passport in the hotel room. So I had to rush back up.

By the time I came downstairs it was too late for a bite and I had to run to catch a cab.

I reached the address given in Yogita’s offer letter in Worli and found nothing there except a construction site and a security guard who understood none of the languages I spoke and eventually chased me away with one of those irritating blinking light sticks they use to direct traffic. In the middle of the DAY! Motherfucker!

I called Yogita at the Delhi head office again. She informed me that the Mumbai office had been permanently moved to Prabhadevi a week before and they still hadn’t updated the letterheads. We had a jolly good laugh when I told her about the security guard and the chasing incident. Somehow laughing about it with her gave me a sense of closure.