Red satin drapes interlinked with strings of marigold and the smell of incense mildly floating in the air.
A red carpet rolled out to welcome the "new star" on the horizon. An orchestra waiting in attendance and an auditorium packed to capacity.
The release of mafia don Babloo Srivasatava's first book titled Adhura Khwab almost lived up to its name on Friday when despite a court order granting him parole for two hours to attend the function the author was not allowed to travel to Lucknow from Bareilly jail by an unrelenting administration.
The district officials said that due to on-going local council elections, they could not provide adequate security to the mafia don to travel to Lucknow and hence Babloo could not attend his own book release function.
His enthusiastic supporters even arranged for a private helicopter to fly the don from Bareilly to Lucknow but the officials would not relent.
Angry Babloo fans in the auditorium instantly passed a resolution condemning the attitude of the district officials in Bareilly and his battery of lawyers later announced that they would initiate contempt proceedings against the Bareilly officials.
"We will never forget this day and the high-handedness of these officials" warned Ranjit Bahadur Srivastava, an old Babloo associate.
Friday also happened to be the 42nd birthday of the mafia don and hence the occasion called for a double celebration.
A massive pineapple cake in the shape of a book and a three-tiered chocolate cake were cut on the dais by Babloo supporters and the orchestra sang in his praise.
The 232-page book, which gives interesting details on the "art of kidnapping", was released by Dr Sonelal Patel, president of Apna Dal the party which has fielded Babloo in the last Lok Sabha elections from Sitapur parliamentary constituency.
Babloo's friends from the Congress who were "guests of honour" at the function included former MP Ram Nihor Rakesh, former minister Naresh Chandra and former MLC Ram Gopal Misra the latter being Babloo's mentor in the underworld.
Bajrangi Singh Bajju, the newly elected president of the Lucknow University Students Union, was also a guest of honour.
Lucknow
On way to becoming a 'new hero'
The speakers on the occasion bestowed the title of the "rising star on the horizon" on mafia don Babloo.
Some enthusiastic supporters called him a "role model" for the youth he had battled against odds to become what he is, they explained as an afterthought.
One of his associates announced that Babloo was now writing his second book which would expose the "liaison men" of India who had links with politicians and the underworld.
The one-hour function, despite a late start, was marked by an unprecedented media blitzkrieg that indicated that Babloo was well on his way to becoming a "new hero" on Uttar Pradesh's horizon with or without parole.
