Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Christina & Soni - Part 1

Rewind to 21 Feb 2008 - Its been yet another boring and uneventful week at work, and I'm totally demotivated with my pay and my growth in the company and the kind of work I'm doing. My uninterest obviously shows up in my body language because Krish pulls me into a conference room in the evening and asks me what's going on? I ask him for some time, go to my cube, collect my thoughts and go to him again. We go to the conf room once more, and I tell him all that's bothering me the last few months. He understands everything and tries his best to justify the way things are; and finally asks me to take off the next day and get a long break. I obviously jump at it, because a long break is exactly what I need. I remember I slept like a baby that night, because I knew I would have the entire next day to do nothing!!

That's how I ended up in P's house on a Friday morning burning DVD's using Prerna's laptop. And that's when I saw Jana's mail sent to some of her Indian friends, asking for help. Two of Jana's friends were coming down to India in March, and they needed some place to stay in Bangalore; and someone to help them the first few days. Without a second's hesitation I shot off a reply saying that I would be more than willing to help.

Forward to the evening of 11th March 2008, i.e. yesterday. I take 4 print-outs from office with "Christin", "a & Soni", "Welcome " and "to India" printed in huge letters. I reach home, stick the 4 sheets on a chart paper to carry with me to the airport in the morning. Then I frantically try my best to clean up the mess in my place (cleaning up may not be the right term - hiding all the mess is more like it). Finally around 1 am, I lie down to sleep with a satisfied look because now my home is at least resembling a place inhabited by a human. Sleeping so late cost me bad, as I had to wake up at 4.30 am, take a lightning quick shower and head to the airport. By the time I parked my motorcycle, and reached the arrivals area, the Jet airways flight 9W2411 carrying Christina & Soni had already landed. I spotted 2 'firang' girls looking like fishes out of water, but before I could call out to them, they went right inside again. I waited with my big banner for another 10 minutes, and they came out once more. This time I started waving my big banner to catch their attention, which thankfully worked. The smiles that crossed their faces when they read it told me that I had found the right people!!

We took an auto home and chatted away till 7 am. They told me things about Germany and what they did back there; and I gave them some gyaan about India and the people here. Then we went to one of the small South Indian places on Thippasandra main road, where they had their first Masala Dosa!!
I also got Jana's gifts - a letter, a T-shirt and a German bar of chocolate through Christina.

Met Jana's close friend Vinod later in the evening and went to Hard Rock Cafe and Leela Barista. Unfortunately, somebody flicked my cellphone at the Barista :(
But as they say, "S*it happens!"

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