Day one
28th December 2005
What better than landing in Goa and making that not-to-be-missed trip to Anjuna's famous flea market? Yes, it was a bright Wednesday morning and having relished the first, fitful and rejuvenating night at Goa we were raring to go. The last time around I saw Sushmita Sen and Randeep Hooda striking a bargain, this time though negative on the celeb count Anjuna Flea Market was yet high on local flavour and the odd bargain. Great Tibetan artifacts, an assortment of nautical instruments, handicrafts, silver jewellery and then Indian spices, leather bags, chic and cheap clothes, curios, home décor items... My husband always makes a beeline for that open space where backpackers display their beefy bikes on sale, but till date hasn't found one with the requisite paper work! We chatted up an assortment of salesmen from Ireland, France, Brazil, London and then having our fill of fresh juice and watermelon slices decided it was time to go and say hello to all of Bombay and Delhi at the Taj Village. Home to all the stars, the Village is where all the action is. Be it Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Salman and Katrina, Sohail Khan, Arjun and Mehr Rampal, Sunil Mittal - they were all here. And not without reason, the Village with its perfect setting of individual villas, easy access to the beach, great eateries, outdoor sports and the famous pool with its sunken bar make this the 'it' place to be at. Walking in to the buzzing all-day diner, Caravella, I spotted Sohail Khan fussing over his little one. He is one doting daddy; word was also around that Salman had been giving the little guy cycling lessons. We chewed on the spread and more celeb tattle and it was only by 5pm that we retired back to our hotel to shower and get back to the Taj for the first of the Tag dos. At Sunset Point, at the Aguada Hermitage, I met Kalyani Chawla. This Delhi hot-on-the-circuit lady exports accessories globally and also deals in contemporary art. While she partied with abandon, with mom and daughter in tow, she also told me of her new role with Christian Dior Couture. Yes, the ultra chic brand is finally in India, having opened doors in Delhi recently and Kalyani is at the helm of affairs. "Don't I wish it was all about wearing Galliano and nothing else…." is all she was willing to give away for now. Hosts for the evening Anjali and Ravi Thakran make a brand new entry into the party packed Goa year-end calendar. Tonight was just a precursor to the Tag Heur do tomorrow but it was a cosy affair nevertheless. For Ravi, overpowering Goa cannot be such a big deal, having successfully stormed the world of time in the global arena way back in '89. As Asia Pacific chief for watches and jewellery with the world's best loved luxury brand, Louis Vuitton, he's brought laurels to his ilk. "The bias of a brown man giving orders to the white does exist, so it has always been a unique thrill to succeed despite this strong bias. The challenges, in fact, made Anjali and me both work doubly hard and doubly smart." IIM-A sweetheart and wife of many years, Anjali has her share of international glory as consultant. Together the go-getter duo, who've till now battled the race and age barriers, now plan to 'conquer' the Chinese market and with it the 'oriental racism'.

Day two
29th December 2005
The traffic outside Club Cabana last night ensured we got back much, much later than desired. But then it was also a sign to say that 'the nightclub in the sky' is yet action destination! On the agenda today was a long and lazy lunch at the old favourite, O'Coqueiro. I wasn't too sure when I saw the place: it's neither the typically Goan shack nor the upmarket diner. But after a calorie-loaded lunch I vouch for this haven of Goan food. From Vindaloo to Pomfret Rishad, Chicken Xacuti and Prawn curry, O'Coqueiro conquers all. Brunch, or whatever it was, finished by the time it was time for sunset and having heard all about Nine Bar from Manish Arora last evening, at the first of the Sunset parties that also had Malini Ramani attending we knew where we were headed next. The Delhi designer was right; there is no better place in Goa to watch the sunset. Come 5pm and suddenly the place breaks into a crowd - chairs are pulled and the gallery fills up. High up on a cliff at Vagator Beach, Nine Bar that opens doors only between 4 pm and 10, has a great view of the sun above and the beach below. For others who prefer to surface post sunset, Nine Bar is Destination No 1 for deft moves on an open-air dance floor, with mud walls and neon lights. We of course couldn't indulge in the same considering we had Shah Rukh Khan's do to head for! Landing at Congo around 8pm (the invite read 5) we realised that in true Goan style the bash had only just begun and we were the perfect guests! Shah Rukh in pristine white, "considering that I can't take off my shirt to play volleyball, as I'm shy, this is as sporty as I can get!" was a sight to behold. I decided it was a good time to chat with the super star who seldom joins in the page three revelry. "I don't like to go for parties, as the focus inevitably shifts to me and people can't have fun. If I want to party, I have one in my home with my friends - so we can all have a good time". He cherishes the few holidays he can grab and goes any place where he can spend quality time with family and friends. This time it was Goa, friends and family and tonight's Tag do. And though he'd earlier said, "volleyball is not my game. Also having seen the size of the other players I might at best just serve!" he finally took to the match with gusto and was the anchor of the winning team! He toiled and he served, he sprinted and he shot back, he fell and bounced back - basically SRK sweated it out and made the promotional match all real. Between poolside games, volleyball and putting golf balls at the bar we met the bubbly Indrani and the irrepressible Peter Mukerjea. Contrary to common knowledge television is not all that's synonymous to Peter Mukerjea's name. So is Indrani. Head honcho for Star and James Murdoch's blue-eyed boy, Peter churns out the best and only the best at work and yet has reserves of more of the best for his little daughter, his two grown sons and his svelte wife. And though holidays are rare, the last week of the year is a reserved holiday and after the quiet solitude of Rajasthan last year, this time the couple chose to rock Goa. The dance floor was the hotbed of activity, the DJ exemplary. Setting the floor ablaze, as is his signature style, I spotted Vineet Jain. Probably the only media honcho who knows how to work hard and party harder. An unapologetic party-holic he holds forth with aplomb in a business dominated by contemporaries who prefer the parliament to page 3. I danced my way through to the Chief Content Architect of the Times group and got him to share his party secrets… Goa: has all the right ingredients for a perfect year end. You have the choice of seclusion and then you have the crowd from Delhi and Mumbai wherein you can have a great evening with friends. Favourite holiday destination: beach or a ski resort. Party-holic: why not, I am single and young at heart? And what's wrong in going out on a Saturday when I've slogged the whole week? Favourite party: Gautam Singhania's and Vijay Mallya's bashes. But perhaps the most amusing incident of the night was that a top corporate honcho was denied entry since the ill-informed bouncers and ushers had failed to recognise him. Needless to say, the well bred man, on the world's A-list, decided a silent exit was a better bet than an impromptu lesson to the ushers. Word got out only when he spoke to SRK later. Can this happen in any other place but Goa?!!

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