R.I.P.German Bakery
Today, would have painted the town red with love but that was not on destiny's mind. The red that we are seeing is of bloodshed. 26/11 grazed Leopold's at dear old Mumbai and last eve' terror ripped one of our beloved Pune city's favourite landmark, The German Bakery.
A gory, ghastly sight had replaced the usually hustling- bustling merriment.
We can now only reminisce those beautiful cups of sweet tea sipped at those creaky tables. The bushy- brow, toothy smile helper bringing out the fair from its mouth-watering display like a magician opens his bag of tricks!
I would greedily bite into the cheese-filled croissants and devour the pastries. It was a Saturday ritual to lug home a big bag of goodies from the bakery. Apple Crumble pie, Plum cake, Cheese cakes, Tarts and what- nots! Sometimes in boxes and sometimes in bags. I can still feel the cinnamon aroma of hot bread waft into my nostrils raking up a rumbling hunger in my tummy.It was a pleasure to hold the crisp brown bags in my lap on the drive home and then rip open the neatly sellotaped paper-bags to lay out the breakfast table with an array of multi-grain breads, puffs & rolls.
The show was forced to stop last eve'. For forever! Never again will we see the same wholesome fare from German Bakery on our table. They've blown our smooth sailing life to bits!
And what can we do about it? Nothing? Yes, NOTHING. The sad, blatant truth is NOTHING will be done about it....
Death has struck terror in our hearts yet again but we can do NOTHING about it. We will just sit again before our TV sets discussing, speculating, worrying and waiting for more news to come!
Comments
I remember the close shave I had during 26/11. The attack took place in the evening around 8.30 and I was around that same area at around 5.30-6 that very day. Walked outside Leopold Cafe and Metro Cinema as well. Was even a stones throw away from the Taj and Gateway. My College too isn't far from the Oberoi Trident.
I visited that area recently and its almost back to normal. Heightened security yes. Stood outside Leopold to see the windows with bullet holes still intact as a memory of that day.
Hopefully Pune too will regain itself the way Mumbai has. And may the Gov crackdown on Terrorism and Terrorists so that such attacks can be avoided in the Future.
Both on 26/11 and yesterday I was snug and safe at home but hubby wasn't. That dreadful day he was taking an international flight out and was in Mumbai and yesterday he was stuck at Camp. By god's grace not at Koregaon Park!
Not a close shave and yet it shook me to my bones that he was out there.
:(
Though it seems difficult, hope Pune will also recover fast!
Thanks,
All the Best.
Sushrut.
Great post, Vibhuti. But the tragedy is, nothing is going to change.
Please don't think I'm advertising. It's just that they move along the same line as this post.
We can't change anything. But the only thing we can do is to keep the fire burning in our hearts.
It is sad, I am deeply anguished. I have been a patron for over 3 years and yesterday suddenly it was brought down just like that !!!
I thank you for dedicating an entry for german bakery.
It is a nice poignant write-up and i too feel the same helplessness u have described in the last para.
Yes..its not only about the goodies but a whole lot about happy memories and that sense of freedom. The bliss of knowing that your country is secular enough to home people from all over the world..But NO MORE?!!
and that too when i am going to settle down at the place. vibhuti, i got a permanent position at pune, so we will be relocating by mid april.