Couch Surfing: Part 1/3

I like meeting new people. It broadens your horizons, widens perspective and prevents the onset of ‘frog in the well’ syndrome. That is what drew me to couch surfing in the first place: the opportunity to meet new people, people from different countries, hear about their way of life, hear stories about their travel (good, bad and ugly ones) and to have new experiences.

For the uninitiated, let me take a brief moment and explain what couch surfing is all about.

Isn’t it true that travel is more fun when you have friends wherever you go and who make you feel at home in any city?

Imagine having interesting friends around the world who will host you in their homes, show you around, and offer you a local’s perspective on what’s cool and interesting in their towns.

It is essentially a network of people who love travelling, who share their experiences and travel advice. It gives you a platform to research travel destinations from locals as well as those who have travelled to a place of your interest to make the most of your trips, avoid mistakes they made and essentially have a good holiday.

As a host, you not only learn about new cultures, but also reignite your love for your city by constantly seeing it through fresh eyes.

Interesting isn’t it?

But when I first heard about couch surfing, I was apprehensive. The curious cat within me saw it as a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, while the paranoid within me thought of it as a situation which could potentially unravel to horrid proportions.

In the time that I spent deliberating over the merits of couch surfing, friends I knew were meeting new people, taking them around the city, sharing stories of their experiences with me. Curiosity won and I decided to give in to the lure of being an ambassador for my country.

The first few interactions were simple email exchanges. The requests varied - helping them out with suggestions for places to eat, places to shop for souvenirs, where to buy jewelry from, what price range would the cab fare be etc. I was just being their travel help without actually spending time with them. It was ‘good samaritan’ behavior at a safe distance. I was just starting to realize how much help knowing a local can be. No wonder this concept is such a success.

Tourists visiting Mumbai have some typical requests. Everyone who comes to the country since ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, wants to visit Dharavi (after all, it is the largest slum in Asia). Then there is the ‘place of the terrorist attack’, ‘the Gateway of India’, the ‘queen’s necklace’ and many of them want to see a Hindi movie too!

And then there are also some atypical requests as well. Having been in the city for over 20 years now, I believed myself to be quite familiar with the city. I could not have been more wrong. The Lonely Planet, a Bible for tourists, has shown me exactly how much I don't know about my own city. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I have had to rely on good old Google a lot more than I would have liked.

The first time I took someone to the ‘Gateway of India’ was an eye opener. The American I was with, wandered off to take some photographs and I was following him at a distance with a fellow from the UK. This other person I was with, was essentially a Bangladeshi national who had settled in the UK. In the context of skin color, he did not stand out in the crowd of people at the Gateway unlike my American friend. It is unbelievable how many people asked a random American to pose for photographs. And he obliged with a huge grin on his face too. I don’t understand this phenomenon! I hardly think Indians are hounded abroad like we hound anyone with ‘foreign’ looking skin! And if we are, I hope we are as graceful.

The most embarrassing part about such episodes, are the questions that follow.

‘Why are Indians so fascinated with foreigners?’

‘Is it true that dark skin is frowned upon in India?’

And by far the most interesting one,’Where can I get a tan like yours?’

It is a well known fact that foreigners like colored skin. I guess everyone wants what they don’t have. They are surrounded by white skinned individuals. Everyone is a different shade of white and for them brown (yes, that is what they called me) is rare.

We, on the other hand, are surrounded by different shades of brown. This would explain the fascination for 'fair and lovely' skin here...:D

The first time I was asked this, I could not believe what I was hearing: ‘Where can I get a tan like yours. I want to be chocolate brown’

I had gone deep red in the face. But since the first time, I have learnt to handle my blush a lot better…:D

To be continued...

The Numbers Game

I am selective about movies I watch and I don’t waste hard earned money on every movie which is released. But like a lot of people, “Ek Tha Tiger” was on my “must watch in a theatre” list and I managed to watch in the first weekend itself.  

That is the power of big banner movies I guess. The draw of the movie automatically goes up when you have a big banner or a big actor/actress/director etc attached to it. And that is simply because of the track record of the people. Though today is the age of “You are as good as your last movie”, even then, one cannot discount the draw of a big banner like the YRF or a Dharma production.

The opening sequence was sharp and well done. Of course, it still amuses me how the entire gang of goons is quite inept at, well, being goons. It was the battle of the lone hero versus a bunch of bad guys where the bad guys are no match for the hero in terms of either athletic ability, agility, shooting skills or even pure nerve. Having said that, despite the reality and gravity defying situations, such sequences never fail to entertain and I know this isn’t the last time such a sequence will be shown.

As I chewed expectantly on my popcorn, the movie unveiled to expose a very mediocre story telling coupled with substandard performances. Thinking back, it was like the opening a chilled bubbly - massive fizz at the start and all you are eventually left with, is colored water.

Typically, in the days following a release, there is a lot of media frenzy around the movie. There are talk shows/interviews/discussions regarding the script, acting skills, chemistry between the lead pair, the music, etc. This includes opinions from critics, the film fraternity and people coming out of the movie halls.

But nowadays, I have started noticing this really insane trend of reporting box office grossing numbers! First weekend movie grosses 30 crores! This movie beat that movie by x crores! As unbelievable as the numbers are, it made me realize that movie making is after all - 'a money making business'.

Let us have a look at the math behind this. 

Let us consider first week collection to be 30 crore. Assuming the cost of a ticket is Rs. 200 to Rs. 250/-, it would mean roughly around 12-15 lakh people in the country have seen the movie in the first weekend. That is impressive. That would explain why producers insist on massive scales of release.

We often hear how there is a fight for release dates for two big banner movies. Then one of them, usually, shifts the dates. By ensuring that the movie is released across a majority of movie halls, not only is the choice for the audience limited, but also the initial hype and excitement is cashed upon to rake in the moolah. This is irrespective of the presence or the absence of quality in the movie making, script, acting or storyline.

Now I can see why no one puts their foot down and releases two movies at the same time. Both movies stand to lose!

Trade numbers are important to those investing in the movie. But why are these numbers getting discussed in so much detail? What is the audience supposed to do with these numbers? For a movie which was actually lacking in entertainment value, the fact that it made 30 crores in a certain week, means squat to me. All I took home was the fact that the movie was pathetic. 

When I hear the media declaring the movie a super hit due to such numbers, it just seems all wrong. Who decides what magic number of crores is the benchmark of a successful movie? Is monetary success the only measure of how good or bad a movie is? Just comparing absolute earnings of a movie is humbug. 

Movie making was and continues to be a business involving serious money. Movie makers have clearly taken the act of marketing the movie quite seriously. There are interviews on radio, TV, print, reality show appearances and the list is endless. Amongst all this 'advertising', the effort to actually make a movie seems to be lost. 

Irrespective of this, people will eagerly await new releases and big banner movies will continue to draw throngs. The need for entertainment will continue to exist. I know I am going to queue to watch the next YRF Jab Tak Hain Jaan on the first day itself. I just wish a few more of the movies actually live up to the hype and hoopla which is created pre-release. 

The Mystery of the Penguins

Have you seen the recent Coca Cola campaign ‘Ummeedon waali dhoop, sunshine wali assha’?

It is one of those ads which leave you feeling all warm inside. It talks about everything negative that everyone thinks/talks about while highlighting the positive that people do not know (possibly) or think/talk about. And, I don’t care whether the facts and numbers mentioned in the ad are correct. It always leaves a smile on my face.

It is one of the few ads I see to the very end, every time. After watching it one evening, I changed the channel and chanced upon the millionth broadcast of the 7 Up ad featuring Sharman Joshi and a set of grumpy penguins.

Each time I watch this ad right through to the end as well. And not because I love the creation. It simply boggles my mind.

For those lucky few who haven’t had the misfortune to be subjected to this ad, let me just take a minute to brief you.

Set up : People have come to see penguins (am guessing in a zoo or some sort of park) but the penguins look rather sullen. So Sharman Joshi, sips his 7 Up and does an extremely silly dance sequence and lo and behold – the penguins are now happy!

Am thinking the penguins wanted him to stop and hence pretended to look happy. They were suffering enough considering they were captive.

Maybe it is the MBA gyaan in my head which makes me look for the message and the consumer cues (and loads of other such jargon) in every advert. But each time I see this ad, I want to really look for one sane moment which can explain it all.

You know how some ads just don’t make sense? One wonders just how could they allow such ads to be made? Isn’t ad making an expensive process? Where there are agencies, marketing teams, branding teams and so on and so forth? How does such an ad make it through so many people?

So possibly 7 up was trying to say that you could ‘cheer someone up’ after drinking 7 Up. Ok, that would make sense.

But why use penguins? Is it because brands have started using animals in their advertisements? In the recent past, I could think of Kitkat (with the squirrels first and now the parrots) and Cadbury Gems (with the Pandas).

The Kitkat ads are cute. I love the angle of the skirmish between the furry couple and how they make up by singing a cheesy Bollywood number. The parrot ad is pretty much along the same lines. Here, the theme of the ads was to ‘take a break’ and notice things around you which you otherwise would miss. The use of animals in the storyline makes perfect sense to me.

The Panda made sense since Gems was possibly trying to talk about the different colors in their product. And the Panda changing color was a good way to showcase the same.

But I yet can’t see why 7 Up used penguins.

I agree, that all a cold drink does is quench your thirst and you really cant just communicate that. So I can understand the need for a beverage brand to latch on to an emotion:

• ·   Coke  - when you want to be happy or hopeful
• ·   Sprite  - when you meet a smart alec in your life and you want to best him
• ·   Mountain Dew  - when you confront something you fear

If you consider the ads made by these brands, they all talk about situations/circumstances which people encounter in their life be it the ‘boy meets girl’ in a bus with Imran Khan by Coke ad or the ‘boy meets oversmart boy’ campaign by Sprite. However over the top the ads might seem, the situation is very believable.

Unlike, the 7 Up ad.

I cannot imagine anyone running into penguins who would feel ‘cheerful’ after a mindless dance. Unless the penguins were set free post the consumption of soft drink!

So, if this were my ad and I was forced to have penguins in the storyline – I would have at least set the penguins free…!

Changing Times

I came across this quote recently - “I do not believe that friends are necessarily the people you like best, they are merely the people who got there first.” Peter Ustinov.

I started thinking whether this possibly could be true.

Given our social need to mingle and mix with people, we form social bonds with fellow human beings. Of course, the level of bonding varies from functional (you and your accountant), need driven (you and your pesky neighbor), social obligations (your classmates or colleagues who you would rather ignore) to this type called ‘friends’. This bond needs no further explanation.

But is it necessary that the friends you have known the longest are the ones who you necessarily like the most? On the other hand, is it necessary, that you are friends with someone because they merely ‘got to you first’? A flashback to the first lecture of my under graduate program was a clear eye opener for me. Yes – my friends today are the ones who got to me first. However, they aren’t my closest friends.

It was a startling realization. I started looking for examples around me which could be explained by the ‘got there first’ syndrome.

One early bird which comes to mind is the ‘Ambassador’ from Hindustan Motors (HM). For close to 40 years, everyone who wanted a diesel automobile in India befriended this car. ‘Premier Padmini’ was the only other option available but it lost to the ‘Ambassador’ in terms of being sturdy and spacious. HM had the ‘got there first’ advantage so to say but somewhere they became complacent and took their relation with customers for granted. Instead of evolving with the customers and their changing needs, the ‘Ambassador’ stayed the same.

When Maruti entered the market in the 1980’s, Indians quickly befriended Maruti. Within no time, Ambassador had lost its leadership position to Maruti. Moral of the story is that people (customers) sometimes befriend certain people (brands) due to absence of other people (brands) to befriend.

The friend, the brand in this context, should not take the relation for granted. The longevity of a relation does not necessarily ensure loyalty or strength of commitment. If the brand does not evolve, adapt or grow with the customer, the friendship starts to wither. The customers will hang around only because they have to and not because they want to. The early bird definitely got the worm and lost the butterfly!

Another first mover that comes to mind is ‘Acuvue’.

In early 1980’s, the Vistakon unit of J&J sold contact lens only meant for astigmatism, and were an expensive proposition. When they came upon an ophthalmologist in Copenhagen who had conceived a way to manufacture contact lenses inexpensively – J&J got to work. They bought rights to the product and set up a high speed manufacturing facility. The company got a 6 month head start over the competitors such as Bausch and Lomb and Ciba-Geigy. J&J not only brought in a new product, they also marketed it differently. They marketed the product to eye care professionals and end consumers as well. Even today, ‘Acuvue’ is the clear market leader. The competition was never able to catch up.

As a leader, you need to continually be on the lookout to better the solution to the problem your product is solving instead of becoming lethargic. Even today, J&J is continually working towards developing a better product and also towards some technologies which would make contact lenses obsolete.

‘Acuvue’, which is the friend in this context, is seen as someone who understands your needs better than everyone else. It would be quite difficult for a Bausch and Lomb to convince customers that they are better than J&J. It’s a clear case of that first friend being, and continuing to be your best friend!

With every new person who gets included in your social circle (a new brand launch), there is always an undercurrent of changing dynamics. There is no way for you to limit the interactions between two people. The only solution therefore, is to be totally cognizant of the state of mind your friend is in. The relation you have had till now will hold you in good stead for a while. If the new friend does enter the coterie, the secret is to quickly grow in the dimension that is missing in you currently; the dimension which made the new friend attractive in the first place.

The longer the relationship, the more change a friendship is bound to see. Every relationship needs work. The friend could have been with you since pre-school but if he fails to understand your needs and wants as a young professional today; the relationship will slowly change and possibly fade. The friend who observes this change and responds to accommodate the change is the one who will have the stronger relationship.

It is a disconcerting discovery that you as friend are under the scanner, but looks like Peter Ustinov was right after all. 

Vikruti Evam Prakriti

On 2 July 2009, the Delhi High Court de-criminalized homosexual intercourse between consenting adults, throughout India. It felt good to know that we as a country are ready to recognize the gay community. 

However, around seven months or so ago, I realized that it is not just the legal recognition that the community is fighting for.

I had decided not to right about this. But the recent controversy around the gay rights in California, brought back some old memories and so I thought of sharing my story.

I have altered some aspects of the story to ensure privacy of my friend. Let us name him XYZ.

There is a park near my home which I try to visit at least thrice a week. Since I have lived in the same locality since childhood, most of the faces at the park are familiar.

I ran into XYZ just as I was leaving the park one day. I had never seen his guy before. He is the sort of person who is hard to miss. He is about 6‘3” tall, very fair and looks like he is a regular at some gym.

Over the next few days, we graduated to smiling at each other when we passed each other.

A few days later, we had our first conversation at the juice center just outside the park. A consultant by profession, he was originally from Delhi and had moved to Mumbai a few months back.

XYZ and me were at the juice counter having small talk, when a group was just leaving the park. Since I know the group, I sort of waved a blanket good bye to everyone. To my surprise, a few of them completely ignored the greeting and proceeded out of the park.

Probably, they were engrossed in their own conversations; I thought to myself.

XYZ asked me,’ Do you know why they did not return your greeting?’

I did not know what to say, so I just waited for him to answer his own question.

‘It’s because you are standing with me’

Over the last few days, I had realized XYZ was gay. It did not affect my behavior with him. Why should it? His sexual orientation is of absolutely no consequence to me.

‘Have you seen anyone ever talking to me?’

Knowing that he was new to the city, I did not particularly expect him to have friends here. Somehow, the fact that people could be avoiding him just never struck me.

‘So now, they will not talk to you when you are with me’

OK. This was plain bizarre. Come on. People are not that crazy. Or were they?

‘I have been a member of this gym since over 4 months now. I used to work out in the evening’

He went ahead and told me how the gym members made him miserable. If he entered the weight training section, all the men pretty much vacated it the moment he entered the area.

They sniggered quite openly at him when he was working out and the men usually left the locker room when he walked in. Out of sheer dread, he had not even tried the steam room. He had paid up for a whole year, but he had stopped going to gym about a month or so back.

I felt nothing but abject pity for this man.

He went ahead and told me how he had met his partner. Both the men had decided to tell their families about each other. His parents in Delhi had disowned him. And currently they were dealing with his partners’ family in Mumbai. The outcome did not look positive there either.

It was not like they were children who had lost their way. It was a realization, a choice. And yet, no one was willing to accept their decision.

I started thinking about just how lonely they must be feeling.

Can you imagine your family disowning you? Can you ever imagine that your family would ever say that they rather have no child ? If family doesn’t understand, then who will?

I started thinking about the group who had apparently ignored me. What could they possibly have against this guy? The sexual orientation of one person should not matter to anyone else. Or is it because it is something they are unable to deal with? Can’t comprehend? Is it because they think it is not natural?

The sexual orientation of the person is such a personal choice. The Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism says 'Vikruti Evam Prakriti'. It means - what seems un-natural is also natural. Historical literary evidence indicates that homosexuality has been prevalent across the Indian subcontinent throughout history, and that homosexuals were not necessarily considered inferior in any way.

I doubt if people consider the gay community to be inferior in any way. While legalizing gay marriages is important, a social approval and acceptance would definitely go a long way to make them feel a part of the society. What they need is not be frowned upon or discriminated against. What we need now, is a change in mentality.

If Only...

If only, Ayesha sighed to herself. This happens to me every time I come here, Ayesha realized as she rang the doorbell to Simran’s home. Today was Simran’s ‘surprise’ birthday party.

‘Hi Esha’, Simran’s mother opened the door to let her in, ‘Any idea where Simran is?’

‘She sent me a text. I am supposed to meet her here in an hour’

Conversation flowed freely between them as they worked on the decorations. Ayesha did not remember a time when she had a relaxed normal conversation with her own mother. Agreed, her parents had a lot on their minds. Both of them worked and they were so exhausted by the end of the day that they barely had any energy for small talk. They discussed mostly pending bills and tuition fees. Stretched finances are a conversation killer.

If Ayesha would have pictured a dream family, it would possibly be Simran’s. The money was not the only difference: the family, well, behaved like family. Simran had an older brother and a really adorable set of parents. Each time Ayesha was with them, she wished she had a family just like this.

‘Looks like we are all set’, Kabir said while surveying the living room, ‘Looks like everyone is here. Now just waiting for the little princess to show up’

The door bell chimed as if in response to Kabir. Kabir eyed the peephole and gave everyone a nod. As soon as he opened the door, everyone enthusiastically screamed ‘Surprise!’

‘Oh my God! Wow!’, Simran hugged her parents,’ You guys are the bestest’

You could not argue with that. Ayesha was treated like the second daughter in Simran’s house and she really cherished the warm feeling she got whenever she was around them. They really were the bestest family in the world.

‘Esha, come here babe!’

Kabir clicked away the perfect moment and turned his attention to the table laden with food. After stuffing his mouth with a handful of kebabs, Kabir picked a few trays and started walking around the living room.

Simran split from Ayesha and started mingling. Ayesha was not very comfortable around too many people and when Simran’s parents left for the evening, she found solace in an empty kitchen.

A couple of hours, is what it usually takes for me to start feeling guilty about wanting a different family, Ayesha mused. Not that Ayesha was thankless, but sometimes she just wished things were different.

She was humming to herself while arranging the finger food, when Kabir walked in with a few empty trays. Kabir was Simran’s older brother. He was older, mature which actually should have made her feel out of depth around him. But it never did. He always made her laugh. He always made her feel good about herself.

Ayesha did not have a great deal of expertise in dealing with people from the opposite sex. Most boys in college were downright dull and she preferred to spend time with her girl friends. But she liked spending time with Kabir. Lately, she wasn’t really sure why, she felt all funny inside when she met him.

‘I am guessing you don’t want to be outside with a bunch of hungry lunatics’, Kabir motioned to the commotion outside, ’Not that I blame you’

‘You can take these’, Ayesha pointed to the tray of cutlets and chips she had just finished arranging. She barely made eye contact with him. She really wanted him out of the kitchen. She knew it was a stupid thought. It was his house!

‘So, what are your plans after graduation?’, Kabir questioned while using some tissues to clean the trays.

’I will apply to the university here and see what courses I am eligible for’, she rambled too quickly.

If Ayesha did not manage the scholarship for her master’s program, she would not be able to study further. Simran’s parents, on the other hand, were encouraging her to try a program abroad to get a broader perspective.  

‘Simran is still undecided about where she wants to go and for what program. Since I have studied in the US, chances are she is headed to the US as well’

The choices the rich had to make, she smiled to herself. She thought back to the first day she had met Simran. They had both come into class quite early and sat on adjacent chairs, right at the head of the class. They had hit it off and by the end of the first week, they were pretty much inseparable. Gradually, they had realized the differences. They were poles apart in terms of social standing as well as individual personalities but their friendship just grew stronger.

‘You both want to study advanced architecture, don’t you? Simran wants to learn landscaping, but she would need to stay abroad to practice that. Not sure India has a market for landscaping yet’

‘Yeah, we both think the same as well. She has narrowed it to interior design for now. Depends on the school she gets through’

As they continued the conversation, both were quite oblivious to Simran standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Simran had been looking for Ayesha to share some juicy gossip, but it could wait.

Simran had realized just a few weeks ago that Ayesha had a massive crush on Kabir. Ayesha had not expressly acknowledged it but Simran knew enough about Ayesha to understand without having been told. Interestingly enough, her parents had been looking for a suitable girl for Kabir and they had not come across any good alliance so far. 

So Simran had asked Kabir what he thought of Ayesha. She had waxed eloquent about the goodness of her darling friend and Kabir had laughed her out of his room. But sometime between then and yesterday night, Kabir had been convinced about Ayesha.

Simran’s parents were ecstatic. Coming weekend, they had decided to talk to Ayesha’s parents about Kabir. If Ayesha’s parents agreed to Kabir as their future son-in-law, they would all tell her together as a family. Ayesha and Simran would both study abroad for their masters program and once their studies were done, Ayesha and Kabir would get married.

The girls had often discussed their lives, the future aspirations, their knights in shining armour. Simran could not believe how perfect Kabir and Ayesha were for each other. She had been warned not to talk about anything to Ayesha till it was all discussed and agreed upon. Frankly, Simran found that quite difficult. She wished she could tell Ayesha. She could not wait to welcome Ayesha in the family.

Leap of Faith - II

Gina is going to flip out seeing me at the premiere today, Gerard thought to himself. He checked himself in the mirror: sparkling white shirt, well fitted black tuxedo and the red kerchief from Gina. He thought he looked quite ok. Handsome would be too arrogant.

A lot of people thought Gina had made it big in the movie business because of her parents. Gerard knew the dark, dirty truth. No-one wanted to deal with a new comer. A movie was too much money. For every struggling actor, there was at least one rich, spoilt brat who had the money to sponsor his way through at least the first couple of movies. And it was tough even for them.

Though Gina would qualify as the spoilt child, simply by lineage, Gina had made it all on her own. Gina had been lucky. She had got her first offer when she was studying for her graduation. She was chased by film-makers all through her masters as well. By the time she completed her studies, she had decided to give it a try.

Right from the first shot, Gina had shown promise. With her easy charm, she  mesmerized the audience. She had shot to instant and incredulous fame. And that had just been the start. The glitz and glamour had always been part of her life and she knew how to deal with it without being overbearing about it. Her humility won her more adulation.

As Gerard locked the apartment and climbed down the flight of stairs, his mind wandered back to the first time he had seen Gina in person. It had been during the rehearsal of an award function. He had shown up early for his rehearsal and was just walking around the auditorium when he had seen her. She was attractive even without make-up. She was headed in his direction and it would have been perfectly natural to just congratulate her on her latest movie. But Gerard slipped away before she could notice him. He had not had the courage to talk to her. He was a struggling nobody and she was a superstar.

His crush was as strong as ever when they were introduced to each other. It was the dubbing session for an animation movie. After wrapping up work, they got to talking. She was waiting for her car and he couldn’t find a reason to leave. One thing had led to another and they had ended up having dinner together. There was no looking back since then.

He couldn’t believe how life had changed in the last year or so. They complimented each other perfectly and their relationship just grew stronger each passing month. He had even met her parents with their new partners. It should have been awkward but it wasn’t! How could it be? These were people with a background in performance arts. They pretended for a living!

As he started the car, he thought back to the last 24 hours. He had thrown a tantrum, pleaded and eventually begged for the weekend off from work. It was all hazy now: rushing from the movie set to the airport and the very uncomfortable flight back home. The movie was special for her and he did not want to miss being by her side.

As he entered Gina’s green room, he couldn’t have been more surprised. Gina sat in a chair with her eyes closed and was calmly doing her breathing exercises. It helped her deal with the stress better. He willed her to open her eyes. It was quite difficult to stand motionless in front of her when all he wanted to do was to give her with a bear hug, just the way she liked it. But nothing in his imagination, prepared him for the look of absolute single minded pleasure he saw in Gina’s eyes. Before he could mouth a word, Gina had launched herself in his arms. He couldn’t stop grinning. Life couldn’t possibly get better than this.