So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

After listening to the original and the S&M version on Southern Spice Music till 0500hrs, Puyal and I finally crashed.

At precisely 1145hrs, Cheeru enquires about the shortest route to get to Ega Theatre. At 1200hrs, he informs us that all of us are also to come. At 1240hrs, after missing out a crucial Ghost-in-love-with-Mortal scene, we're all watching Amol Palekar's 'Paheli'. Thank God, Cheeru took that decision.

We practically had the entire Cinema Hall to ourselves. And aapno Rajasthan, its colours, its traditions, and the culture portrayed was marvellous. I, incidentally, was in my Jodhpuri Jootis, and not before long, I was enjoying the show sitting cross-legged on my seat as if it were a Diwan.

All the characters got their Rajasthani perfect, with a super-dignified Rajput twang. Naseeruddin Shah's unmistakeable voice carried the narration with style. But this was not all.

This film too, brought about a refreshing change in perspective. One big loser, Kisanlal, leaves his newly-wedded wife, a day after the wedding. The idea is to return after 5yrs with ten times more money. That's what we call the 'Baniyaa' in Rajasthan. He even checks his account books on the honeymoon night.

Kisanlal leaves the beautiful Lachchi to make money. And that's when the naughty Ghost, who can take any form he likes, and who adores the young bride, returns as 'Kisanlal'. The one-liners were sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant. But not a word was to be missed.

The way the movie goes, the Ghost is so mesmerized by Lachchi's beauty, that he reveals his true identity - an apparition. And because he will not force her to accept him, he offers to leave. Which is when the Lady remarks, "Jaane waale ko to rok na saki, aane waale ko ub na jaane dungi".

This movie was about the woman. Her grief at not being able to restrain her man from leaving. And her accepting, and then falling in love with the Ghost embodied as her husband. It was her choice.

So even when the real Kisanlal returns and challenges the Ghost, she tells the Phantasm, 'Promise me you'll never let go'.

The ending was that of a classic fairytale and all of us had sored our throats with the cheering. My hands were throbbing from the intermittent claps throughout.

The liberal use of the lovely Rajasthani phrases 'Padhaaro' and 'Khama', reminded me of home. This movie is saturated with everything Rajasthan. And even before it ended, we had decided that lunch was to be at Jaipur.

Greams Road houses Jaipur - one fantastic place for Rajasthani cuisine. We weren't very hungry, so all of us ordered one Thali and multiple plates of Dal Baati. When visiting home, my ABCD (American born confused Desi) cousins refer to the stuff as paper-weights !

The Dal was marvellous, although the Baati had taken a form that neither Cheeru nor I were accustomed to - It was flat, like a cookie ?! The original paper-weights are spheres prepared by baking wheat flour.

We enjoyed the meal, nevertheless. The taste was different. And for a change, I was missing Ma's cooking.

We rounded up with the Matka Kulfi. Getting it out of the pot proved rather troublesome, until Maddy figured out using the reverse of the spoon to scoop the stuff out. Jai and Dil succeeded in bending a spoon Matrix-style.

Chennai has almost everything I have back home.