Mumbai - Parents = Chaos !!!
Hi People, so you have time to kill coz u have already wasted ur time on clicking on the link to this page hmmm...
Let me give you some perspective on the piece of crap you are about to read below.I am an organizing team member of KSHITIJ 2007, IIT Kharagpur's Techno-Management fest.I had to go to Mumbai in September-06 for Kshitij related work.Below is a little description of how my Mumbai saga started....
The characters:
Me
Mayank
Chaitanya
Nishad
Chinmay
Gazal
Anchal
Mridul
Naina.
"We'll get down at Thane and then go to IITB".....This collection of seemingly simple words was shared between me and Mayank.What we were not considering was that in this world,there are other minor things which have a greater impact on what actually happens,rather than plain wishful thinking.
One of these minor things is what some of you like to call sleep!!The Homo Sapien Sapien whose blog you are currently reading is of the strong opinion that the best way to utilise your time in a train journey is to rever the Goddess of sleep.But I couldn't fulfill these religious obligations during the first half of my train journey due to the kind attention that my dear First Years were receiving.So at the onset of night,I was clearly gambling when I decided to let my eyebrows cover my eyes for a period of more than one second in continuation.
Well,the conclusion of all this jargonic rambling is that I overslept and Thane was long gone.When I was finally woke up,the train had crossed Kalyan and so the remaining sane option was to get down at Dadar.We did that and planned to take a slow local to Kanjur (For all the lesser beings,the reason to take a slow local was that fast locals do not stop at Kanjurmarg).
Finally,after a ride in a local and then a Rick,I reached IITB.The guard at the entrance of Hostel-2 was as concerned about the security as a 18 year old guy on a nude beach would be about the serial number of the engine of his neighbour's old scooter!!!After getting fresh,it was time to attend to the desparate calls eminating from a small place called the stomach.But I couldn't go to the mess as Chaitanya(My friend who was kind enough to let me have a roof over my head at the cost of his and his room partner's privacy) wasn't here.I ate the stuff I had brought from home,what a welcome relief that was!!After some time I went to the mess where C was waitin and hd a nice breakfast.
After all the PET-POOJA,it was time to work.I talked to Nishad(Anoter new character in the story,he's my kgp colleague who had to endure me for another 7 days atleast.) and made a plan.I left H2 with the confidence of reaching the main gate quickly.I took the first right and then,brimming with confidence,took another right instead of a left.I kept on walking thinking of how nice everythin was goin on until I realised that I was about to get lost in the intricate web of roads in the Hostel area.I quickly asked for help and got going on the correct track.Again as the feeling of nicety was about to be established,a worker from hostel-3 caught me near the main gate and started talking as if he had known me for ages.Being aware of my proficiency in not recollecting names quickly,I told him that I didn't recognise him.He looked at me with a sense of admonition and his look said that he expected me to know him as if he was the only person that I had ever seen on this planet.He babbled on about how he had to "mar jhaadu poccha" in a very large area because of which he had a pain in his shoulder etc.He asked me for 20-30 rs saying that he had the rest(I guess treatments cost rs30 here.No wonder he had the rest!!!).But after careful thought process in my rusty mind,I decided that I had never seen that man before in my life.I tried to convey my feelings (which were "Get off my butt mister") as politely as I could and finally got out of IIT.
I had to reach Andheri,and Chaitanya & Nishad had told me exactly how to do that.I had no problems in reachin my destination--McDonalds in front of Andheri Station.I met Nishad n we embarked upon our voyage in a Rick......
We went to SP College of Engg.They had their own techfest NIRMAAN goin on and we were to publicise our own techfest KSHITIJ during that.The publicity work there had it's own share of hassles and peculiar moments but more on that in some other blog.Ab bhavnayein ye hain that we finished our work there at quarter to six.Then a discussion on Dandiya came up and it dawned upon me that I was headed to a Dandiya having Falguni Pathak,to shell out 200 rs from my own pocket for doin something in which I SUCK.But other intersesting things would also be there....Planning done,I and Nishad went to his home.Arey maa kasam kya building thi yaar!!And yes,the building houses SIVAMANI & R.Madhavan (Arey itni jaldi bhool gaye?Remember the actor(??????^$@^*%) from RHTDM?Accha if not that then the pilot from RDB?Arey yaar Soha Ali Khan ka boyfriend in RDB??Haan,ab kaise yaad aaya!!!)We got fresh,ate n drank to restore our energies and somewhere in between I was told that I wud be a jerk to go for Dandiya wearing a shirt (The actual statement was far far different from this but you get the idea ,right people?)So I put on a kurta kindly given to me by Nishad.Then I realised that the kurta did make a lotta difference.I could see the differences between an Indian looking idiot and a modern looking idiot.Then as we were about to leave,a call came from nowhere that we were also gonna be accompanied by a girl,whose name was Gazal.I wasn't complaining!!!!!!
But then I got informed that we would have to wait until she got ready.Some exciting news right?
Finally the long awaited call of consent came and we were off.Gazal was waitin for us below her home,probably wondering why WE BOTH were late, & calling up to know why WE were wasting time.In 5 minutes we were sittin in a rick headed towards a place which promised many things.The journey was goin on fine but the only problem was that it goin on.................and on..and on.....................I was gettin mentally prepared to reach the arena after the Dandiya had got over and stand outside to congratulate all the people for not being total pathetic morons like us and having made the decision to come on time.But finally the rickshaw stopped and we got down.Gazal n Nishad started talkin stuf like "Tumhe ye toh pata hai na ke ticket kahan milte hain" and stuff,unknowingly comforting me.We started walkin and out of nowhere,Nishad again stopped a rick and told me to get inside.It was as if he was just waitin for my mind to be at peace to play his next card!!!Then the next assault came from the fair lady herself.She conferred upon us the enlightening knowledge that the entry tickets were costing rs400 now,only just double of the earlier quotation.But my imagination of the whole aura at the place encouraged me to go on with the plan(Any person who even remotely knows how it is to be an IITian will wholeheartedly appreciate and support my decision.Others,yaar come on,thoda toh khayal karo hum jaison ka!!!)Then finally we reached there(This finally is the final finally).When we took the tickets(400 bucks remember) and entered,four new characters entered the story---Mridul,Anchal,Naina and Chinmay.We started dancing and it wasn't long before I realised that dancing wasn't the purpose of my existence on this planet.I tried in vane to move my body in sync with the agile movements of the creatures around me.After some time the organiser gave a break for 10 mins.I asked Nishad to accompany me to the front so that we could see the guests on the stage closely(Attention intelligent people!!!!).After seeing the guests for some time,we returned to our positions as the music was about to start.(I wud like to mention at this point that the opinions of the knowledgeable people around me had convinced me that the music at the show could have been a lot better.Also a lot of events were happening around us thanks to the group dancing besides us and I find it really hard to convey my feelings regarding those events here.)Anyway,we danced a lot,or better to say,moved a lot.Calling our movements as dancing would be like calling George Bush a worthy president.
And yes,Naina and Anchal were constantly saying that (Popat Karte Hain,Popat Karte Hain).Now,I being of Maharashtrian origin perceived those comments in a totally different light.It was only after some minute observations of the change in their dancing immediately after the "Popat" demand,that I concluded the ultimate truth....POPAT is a special sequence in Dandiya(or is it Garba??You better ask Anchal)
As the night reached its climax,our movements increased.I became more and more inclined to explore newer ways in which my body could move.As the night came to an end,we jus sat down and planned our next moves in life.It was late for Gazal,Nishad and myself.On learning that I was planning to go to IITB at that hour in the night,Anchal was desparate to dissuade me from taking such a drastic step.She tried to arrange my accomodation in Nishad's house,in Chinmay's house and so on.At one point she told me that she would even take me to her home(Actually this dialogue was a part of a larger conversation and the context would totally change if I tell you the complete dialogue.But reading it the way I have written it makes it look better so kindly co-operate!!!)Then as we were about to search for a rick,Anchal's stomach instincts tried to persuade us to just sit there at an eatin joint and eat or drink something.Gazal was worried and so was Nishad.As for me.I was at peace coz I didn.t know what was in store.Ignorance is Bliss.Gazal took permission to stay at Anchal's home leavin me n Nishad to make a long journey back.We finally left dodging any further conspiracies against us and started lokin out for autos.After futile attempts for 5 minutes,Nishad realised in moment of truth that we were standing on the wrong side of the road.Then we went to the correct side and endured the same fate.Then the traffic police appeared as messiah for us.They were stopping all the procrastinating rickshaw-walahs and forcing them to carry passengers.
The only problem in the rick in which we got in was the driver.He was as bombed on us as some businessman would be on his executives after his company had suffered a loss of multi-billion dollars.We tried to talk to him nicely, thanking him on letting us use his precious services.In his own way of thanking us back, he dropped us down a long way away from our destination.Then again we had to use the facility of walking endowed upon us by the almighty to reach the point where we could find some more ricks.These people were more happy with life and agreed to take us to the our new destination--Nishad's home.When we reached Kandivali(Nishad's home is in Kandivali), I waited for the bus.Rather, WE(I n Nishad) waited.I held Nishad captive as his house was the only place where I cud have gone if I cudn't hav reached IIT.After some futile moments of wait,Nishad decided that I was going to IIT by auto.In the meanwhile a small creature who looked like a small boy appeared besides me.He had his colleague with him and both were the miniature versions of "Circuit" from Munnabhai.In the nice state of mind that I was after the full day,I started imagining how I would react when the little guy would rob me n try and run away.My thoughts were broken by a question, from the same guy......."Do you have a mobile phone?" I now started imagining running after the guy for saving my precious little phone.Again I was interrupted by him...."I want to make only one call.Can you please help me?"At this point of time, my heart took over from my dreaming mind and I handed him my phone.He made his call and if I hadn't seen his small figure earlier,I would have bet that he was a grown up guy from the way he was talking.Again my mind wandered off into subtle calculations about the power left in my legs to manage the pursuit in which I was about to engage at any moment now.As I was finishing my final integration, the guy returned my phone and said THANK YOU.Immediately my focus was back on stopping a rickshaw and reaching IIT.
After a short while, we caught a rick who agreed to drop me to Powai.I got into the rick and embarked upon my final journey of the day.In between I kept getting distress calls from Nishad who was checking upon my safety.Finally after a long journey, with a break in between so that the kind driver could relieve himself of some liquid being accumulated in his body, I reached IIT Powai, Hostel-2, Room 284.There was a conference going on in the room about how to revive Chaitanya's computer which had suddenly gone into a coma.After long brain-storming sessions, it was concluded, wid help from a senior, that some connections would have to be changed inside the computer.I was in no position to contemplate what the hell that everything meant, I was only in search of a bed.I found some space vacant on Chaitanya's room partner's bed and I collapsed...................the end of a nice little day, the first of its kind without parents, and I sincerely hope....NOT THE LAST!!!!!
Let me give you some perspective on the piece of crap you are about to read below.I am an organizing team member of KSHITIJ 2007, IIT Kharagpur's Techno-Management fest.I had to go to Mumbai in September-06 for Kshitij related work.Below is a little description of how my Mumbai saga started....
The characters:
Me
Mayank
Chaitanya
Nishad
Chinmay
Gazal 
Anchal
MridulNaina.
"We'll get down at Thane and then go to IITB".....This collection of seemingly simple words was shared between me and Mayank.What we were not considering was that in this world,there are other minor things which have a greater impact on what actually happens,rather than plain wishful thinking.
One of these minor things is what some of you like to call sleep!!The Homo Sapien Sapien whose blog you are currently reading is of the strong opinion that the best way to utilise your time in a train journey is to rever the Goddess of sleep.But I couldn't fulfill these religious obligations during the first half of my train journey due to the kind attention that my dear First Years were receiving.So at the onset of night,I was clearly gambling when I decided to let my eyebrows cover my eyes for a period of more than one second in continuation.
Well,the conclusion of all this jargonic rambling is that I overslept and Thane was long gone.When I was finally woke up,the train had crossed Kalyan and so the remaining sane option was to get down at Dadar.We did that and planned to take a slow local to Kanjur (For all the lesser beings,the reason to take a slow local was that fast locals do not stop at Kanjurmarg).
Finally,after a ride in a local and then a Rick,I reached IITB.The guard at the entrance of Hostel-2 was as concerned about the security as a 18 year old guy on a nude beach would be about the serial number of the engine of his neighbour's old scooter!!!After getting fresh,it was time to attend to the desparate calls eminating from a small place called the stomach.But I couldn't go to the mess as Chaitanya(My friend who was kind enough to let me have a roof over my head at the cost of his and his room partner's privacy) wasn't here.I ate the stuff I had brought from home,what a welcome relief that was!!After some time I went to the mess where C was waitin and hd a nice breakfast.
After all the PET-POOJA,it was time to work.I talked to Nishad(Anoter new character in the story,he's my kgp colleague who had to endure me for another 7 days atleast.) and made a plan.I left H2 with the confidence of reaching the main gate quickly.I took the first right and then,brimming with confidence,took another right instead of a left.I kept on walking thinking of how nice everythin was goin on until I realised that I was about to get lost in the intricate web of roads in the Hostel area.I quickly asked for help and got going on the correct track.Again as the feeling of nicety was about to be established,a worker from hostel-3 caught me near the main gate and started talking as if he had known me for ages.Being aware of my proficiency in not recollecting names quickly,I told him that I didn't recognise him.He looked at me with a sense of admonition and his look said that he expected me to know him as if he was the only person that I had ever seen on this planet.He babbled on about how he had to "mar jhaadu poccha" in a very large area because of which he had a pain in his shoulder etc.He asked me for 20-30 rs saying that he had the rest(I guess treatments cost rs30 here.No wonder he had the rest!!!).But after careful thought process in my rusty mind,I decided that I had never seen that man before in my life.I tried to convey my feelings (which were "Get off my butt mister") as politely as I could and finally got out of IIT.
I had to reach Andheri,and Chaitanya & Nishad had told me exactly how to do that.I had no problems in reachin my destination--McDonalds in front of Andheri Station.I met Nishad n we embarked upon our voyage in a Rick......
We went to SP College of Engg.They had their own techfest NIRMAAN goin on and we were to publicise our own techfest KSHITIJ during that.The publicity work there had it's own share of hassles and peculiar moments but more on that in some other blog.Ab bhavnayein ye hain that we finished our work there at quarter to six.Then a discussion on Dandiya came up and it dawned upon me that I was headed to a Dandiya having Falguni Pathak,to shell out 200 rs from my own pocket for doin something in which I SUCK.But other intersesting things would also be there....Planning done,I and Nishad went to his home.Arey maa kasam kya building thi yaar!!And yes,the building houses SIVAMANI & R.Madhavan (Arey itni jaldi bhool gaye?Remember the actor(??????^$@^*%) from RHTDM?Accha if not that then the pilot from RDB?Arey yaar Soha Ali Khan ka boyfriend in RDB??Haan,ab kaise yaad aaya!!!)We got fresh,ate n drank to restore our energies and somewhere in between I was told that I wud be a jerk to go for Dandiya wearing a shirt (The actual statement was far far different from this but you get the idea ,right people?)So I put on a kurta kindly given to me by Nishad.Then I realised that the kurta did make a lotta difference.I could see the differences between an Indian looking idiot and a modern looking idiot.Then as we were about to leave,a call came from nowhere that we were also gonna be accompanied by a girl,whose name was Gazal.I wasn't complaining!!!!!!
But then I got informed that we would have to wait until she got ready.Some exciting news right?
Finally the long awaited call of consent came and we were off.Gazal was waitin for us below her home,probably wondering why WE BOTH were late, & calling up to know why WE were wasting time.In 5 minutes we were sittin in a rick headed towards a place which promised many things.The journey was goin on fine but the only problem was that it goin on.................and on..and on.....................I was gettin mentally prepared to reach the arena after the Dandiya had got over and stand outside to congratulate all the people for not being total pathetic morons like us and having made the decision to come on time.But finally the rickshaw stopped and we got down.Gazal n Nishad started talkin stuf like "Tumhe ye toh pata hai na ke ticket kahan milte hain" and stuff,unknowingly comforting me.We started walkin and out of nowhere,Nishad again stopped a rick and told me to get inside.It was as if he was just waitin for my mind to be at peace to play his next card!!!Then the next assault came from the fair lady herself.She conferred upon us the enlightening knowledge that the entry tickets were costing rs400 now,only just double of the earlier quotation.But my imagination of the whole aura at the place encouraged me to go on with the plan(Any person who even remotely knows how it is to be an IITian will wholeheartedly appreciate and support my decision.Others,yaar come on,thoda toh khayal karo hum jaison ka!!!)Then finally we reached there(This finally is the final finally).When we took the tickets(400 bucks remember) and entered,four new characters entered the story---Mridul,Anchal,Naina and Chinmay.We started dancing and it wasn't long before I realised that dancing wasn't the purpose of my existence on this planet.I tried in vane to move my body in sync with the agile movements of the creatures around me.After some time the organiser gave a break for 10 mins.I asked Nishad to accompany me to the front so that we could see the guests on the stage closely(Attention intelligent people!!!!).After seeing the guests for some time,we returned to our positions as the music was about to start.(I wud like to mention at this point that the opinions of the knowledgeable people around me had convinced me that the music at the show could have been a lot better.Also a lot of events were happening around us thanks to the group dancing besides us and I find it really hard to convey my feelings regarding those events here.)Anyway,we danced a lot,or better to say,moved a lot.Calling our movements as dancing would be like calling George Bush a worthy president.
And yes,Naina and Anchal were constantly saying that (Popat Karte Hain,Popat Karte Hain).Now,I being of Maharashtrian origin perceived those comments in a totally different light.It was only after some minute observations of the change in their dancing immediately after the "Popat" demand,that I concluded the ultimate truth....POPAT is a special sequence in Dandiya(or is it Garba??You better ask Anchal)
As the night reached its climax,our movements increased.I became more and more inclined to explore newer ways in which my body could move.As the night came to an end,we jus sat down and planned our next moves in life.It was late for Gazal,Nishad and myself.On learning that I was planning to go to IITB at that hour in the night,Anchal was desparate to dissuade me from taking such a drastic step.She tried to arrange my accomodation in Nishad's house,in Chinmay's house and so on.At one point she told me that she would even take me to her home(Actually this dialogue was a part of a larger conversation and the context would totally change if I tell you the complete dialogue.But reading it the way I have written it makes it look better so kindly co-operate!!!)Then as we were about to search for a rick,Anchal's stomach instincts tried to persuade us to just sit there at an eatin joint and eat or drink something.Gazal was worried and so was Nishad.As for me.I was at peace coz I didn.t know what was in store.Ignorance is Bliss.Gazal took permission to stay at Anchal's home leavin me n Nishad to make a long journey back.We finally left dodging any further conspiracies against us and started lokin out for autos.After futile attempts for 5 minutes,Nishad realised in moment of truth that we were standing on the wrong side of the road.Then we went to the correct side and endured the same fate.Then the traffic police appeared as messiah for us.They were stopping all the procrastinating rickshaw-walahs and forcing them to carry passengers.
The only problem in the rick in which we got in was the driver.He was as bombed on us as some businessman would be on his executives after his company had suffered a loss of multi-billion dollars.We tried to talk to him nicely, thanking him on letting us use his precious services.In his own way of thanking us back, he dropped us down a long way away from our destination.Then again we had to use the facility of walking endowed upon us by the almighty to reach the point where we could find some more ricks.These people were more happy with life and agreed to take us to the our new destination--Nishad's home.When we reached Kandivali(Nishad's home is in Kandivali), I waited for the bus.Rather, WE(I n Nishad) waited.I held Nishad captive as his house was the only place where I cud have gone if I cudn't hav reached IIT.After some futile moments of wait,Nishad decided that I was going to IIT by auto.In the meanwhile a small creature who looked like a small boy appeared besides me.He had his colleague with him and both were the miniature versions of "Circuit" from Munnabhai.In the nice state of mind that I was after the full day,I started imagining how I would react when the little guy would rob me n try and run away.My thoughts were broken by a question, from the same guy......."Do you have a mobile phone?" I now started imagining running after the guy for saving my precious little phone.Again I was interrupted by him...."I want to make only one call.Can you please help me?"At this point of time, my heart took over from my dreaming mind and I handed him my phone.He made his call and if I hadn't seen his small figure earlier,I would have bet that he was a grown up guy from the way he was talking.Again my mind wandered off into subtle calculations about the power left in my legs to manage the pursuit in which I was about to engage at any moment now.As I was finishing my final integration, the guy returned my phone and said THANK YOU.Immediately my focus was back on stopping a rickshaw and reaching IIT.
After a short while, we caught a rick who agreed to drop me to Powai.I got into the rick and embarked upon my final journey of the day.In between I kept getting distress calls from Nishad who was checking upon my safety.Finally after a long journey, with a break in between so that the kind driver could relieve himself of some liquid being accumulated in his body, I reached IIT Powai, Hostel-2, Room 284.There was a conference going on in the room about how to revive Chaitanya's computer which had suddenly gone into a coma.After long brain-storming sessions, it was concluded, wid help from a senior, that some connections would have to be changed inside the computer.I was in no position to contemplate what the hell that everything meant, I was only in search of a bed.I found some space vacant on Chaitanya's room partner's bed and I collapsed...................the end of a nice little day, the first of its kind without parents, and I sincerely hope....NOT THE LAST!!!!!
posted by Chaitanya at 9:31 PM
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