“How did you both meet?”

“How did you both meet?” is one of the most frequently asked questions of my life.

And no, I am not at all tired of answering this question. Fact is, I feel quite proud to narrate the beautiful incident of our first meeting.

Well, we met on 4th March, 1999 (my parents wedding anniversary) and what a chaotic day it was –both literally and figuratively.  

I was a freelance journalist then and regularly wrote for a youth magazine called UPBEAT. My latest assignment was to interview MM Kreem, a music director from down south, who had launched his first Hindi music album – Coffee Aur Kreem through Plus Music (doesn’t exist anymore, sadly). My editor had fixed my interview with him for 12 noon at Sun N Sand hotel, Juhu. 

Those days I used to live in Vasai and the reason I call that day in 1999 chaotic because I couldn’t reach for this interview at the above mentioned venue on time. That day there was a “rail roko andolan” by the people of Bhayander because of chronic water problem. The angry residents of Bhayander were all over the railway tracks and weren’t allowing any local trains to pass by. This display of anger was supposed to go on till evening. 

Mobile phones were carried only by few head honchos during those times and I definitely did not have one. Our landline at home was out of service because of which I had to go to a STD booth to make calls. I called up my editor to explain her the situation. After listening to the entire conversation, she decided to give the assignment to someone else. And I just couldn’t let this happen. So I told her that I would call up the PR lady at Plus Music and reschedule my meeting with the artist. I remember making 4-5 phone calls until this message could be passed on to her. She gave me a 5 pm appointment at their office at Saki Naka, Andheri East. I wasn’t sure whether I could keep this appointment too as the strike was still on.

Later in the day, I came to know through reliable sources, that the local trains had finally started plying. I made a rush for this appointment at 5 pm. I had to reach Plus Music anyhow at 5 pm. I have always believed in punctuality. 

I finally managed to reach Plus Music a little after 5 pm but the auto rickshaw driver didn’t have change money for the Rs.100 note that I gave him. So I made him wait and went inside the office to ask for the change. At the reception, I saw a ‘gentleman’ – I asked the change from him. After telling him who I was and for what purpose I had come, the gentleman asked me to go and meet the PR lady first. He, in turn, volunteered to pay the waiting driver outside. Later on when I saw this gentleman coming to the place where I was sitting with the PR lady. I offered to pay back the change money he had paid but he refused to take it. Somehow I persuaded him to take the money. 

Many months later the gentleman confessed to me that it was the only money he had that day. If I had to keep it, he would have been doomed for the day. 

Well, that was the beginning of a love story for that gentleman. No points for guessing, this gentleman happens to be our very own Jason Alexander Cardozo. And every year on this day he tells me that it was love at first sight for him. My name, Jubilee Mukherjee, in the PR list, had already intrigued him and he was waiting to see who this Jubilee Mukherjee was. Now that he had seen her, he wanted to know her. For this, he had given me his business card while I was leaving – just “to be in touch” with him “whenever required”. But I hadn’t bothered to give a second look at his card until June 1999. (That's another story altogether. I will share that on 19th June) 

Twenty two years down the line, I not only keep the change but the big notes as well. And I am sure he is not doomed…and this is how we met for the first time!!!