The Crazy Lounge!!

I got to know them at Hyderabad. No idea how long we three are going to be together like the way we are now……but still……just to log it somewhere let me introduce two new flavors of craziness personified.

Mr. Cabbie: He knows/loves/lives three things: His bike, his helmet and his cell. Well cell is in this list coz it’s programmed to play songs for him which he loves to hear not just to hear and enjoy it but to hear/enjoy it with “shanti”. Yeah, he is the father of the “shanti” concept. Anything which doesn’t has “shanti” in it certainly can’t afford to have Mr. cabbie. Get him kilometers to drive and he is fine. He simply can’t resist the idea of driving on and on and on. That’s where the Cabbie concept came in. He has all the ability and capability of mind to put a professional cab driver to shame when it comes to driving miles or be it the wacky hours of night.His concern for his helmet is awesome. Any girl would have fallen for him, had she seen the degree to which a man can go just to make it sure that his helmet is safe, secure and fine. Sometimes it feels as if it’s the helmet which wears his head. Nez…….one fine day my dear subject found himself standing at the door, all ready to go to office, wearing a helmet and jeans without a shirt. Oh sorry, it wasn’t he who found it but in fact the credit lies with me as I was the one to point it out. Well one might think that it can happen and to whosoever who thinks alike let me vow that it wasn’t an act of casualty or forgetfulness but instead it has everything to do with the way my subject feels when he wears a helmet. The three things which he all cares for are with him. Does he need anything else…certainly a big NO unless someone points that out for him. They make him feel as if he is the complete man………………………….. That’s what the point is all about. Just to make things more clear….let me cite another incident. You go for the bed……close your eyes……feel your strained parts getting relaxed and suddenly a song starts playing. With Mr. Cabbie around things with music certainly can’t be that simple………you have to get up three/four hours later to stop that same song from playing with your sleep. Be it a medicine or demand of APPY or be it any lame need……just let him know about it. That’s the thing he waits for. This species is best found at the night, on the road, with music playing and wheels on the roll for a cause, masked so well with problems and needs of life, that it’s hard for anyone to get what’s on…….well certainly it’s always rock on.

Mr B.A. : He works with my previous employer as a business analyst. He is man of whims. If someone wants to see a physical manifestation of the workings of a human brain….you all are cordially invited to a one day two nights free stay at my place over at Hyderabad as the subject is available for demonstration without a penny. Talk to him and you will know what all a human brain is capable of thinking and planning. Ask him and he says with conviction what his plans are …..call him again and get stumped. Yep….that’s what he is……and he is the best at it. He is probably the best my country has got when it comes to being whimsical. As far as my mind can work it out...we all have stopped giving his plans and ideas any heed. He had the most genuine cause of all when I asked him why he wanted to go for a bike. The daily harassment which he faced on the road while on his way back to his home (a ten minutes walk) at night due to street dogs was what made him go for a bike. His week end plans are the only ones which are always practical. If you want to do something real crazy….sitting in the office and with no work @ hand….just give him a call. You will have your day. He tries whatever comes to his mind…at least once and it’s just a matter of time until it becomes the last try. With a pretty good sense of humor, this species is certainly an endangered one. It is easy to find one, who knows not what he wants but indeed hard to find one, who knows that it’s all that he wants and gives each a try…..sadly just a try.

A day Off...

It’s a Wednesday. I had some work at the bank. Not possible for me until Saturday. I can never mind a break from work at the middle of the week. I decide to take a day off. Why not go for a leave when I had such a genuine problem. Another 30 min and I was on my way. HUDA (Hyderabad Urban Development Association) has always found new ways to change my life. Anyone who belongs to Kukatpally/JNTU probably knows what it takes to reach Cyber Towers on a working day. But surprisingly it was pretty smooth for me. I must admit that it struck me then that why the heck something didn’t go wrong but, well, i took myself for a dog with its day on the roll. Only to be proved wrong.

I needed to deposit hard cash at the bank. Went straight for the Axis Bank ATM on reaching the Towers. Getting inspired every second by the people standing in a queue I waited patiently for my turn. Another one in and it’s me. Well….the ATM has to say “Host down”. Arghhh…… shucks. But still one thing or the other can go wrong...right? I headed for HDFC.

Another display of patience was required. I didn’t have any choice though. Finally my turn. Needed nine. Oops….HDFC says that the transaction can’t be completed. Well I tried for a lesser amount. Let’s try with four. Same reply. Ok….you wanna play…fine…let it take nine tries…….I tried for one. It gets me one with no issues. I enquired the matter and got to know that it can’t be more than three for cross bank users. Fine…I got the bucks with three tries of three each. But something was different. My whole money was in hundred’s. Well that makes ninety. My purse complains. I can’t help it.

Now….Cyber Towers…..just on the other side of the road.

The security has to say that I can’t get in unless I show him my banking card. My tries to make him understand that I was here to deposit failed miserably. He rejected me a pass. With twelve eager eyes upon me, and with a perfect case of communication gap at hand, I wondered where I have headed towards today. Let’s screw things a bit. That’s what I thought and went for the security manager. I was quite surprised at the way he behaved and to my relief he knew English. My company ID got me an entry as he called up the security to let me a pass. Finally……..

Nope….it doesn’t end. I at the counter and a voice shoots “we can’t take that”. “We aren’t allowed to accept more than thirty hundred’s. It’s a security issue.” Well I felt like screaming I am a SIMI fan. I love laden and my dream is to blow off myself. Nez….after all said and explained about the ATM notes all he had to say was “These banks are playing games intentionally. It’s not how we work. It will come down upon me. It’s a rule and I can’t break one.” Ah!!! Three things were needed….. please, please and please. It got done.

Now…. recharge at the reliance counter. Simple man……

In twenty minutes I was done with a word from the man at the counter that the recharge would take hardly five minutes. Three hours later, back at my home, I was quite eager to know when that five minutes counter was about to start. I call up reliance. Was greeted by a voice, explained him the issue, and was put on hold. Six minutes follow, with me listening to reliance music. I get the informative update as “Sir, you will get the SMS when it’s done.” And to add on a question follows “Can I help you with anything else Sir?” I love these people. They are so cute, so passionate about their work and they are so disgusting. It took a movie to get the SMS.

It started with ten at the clock and now at four, it was all done. I wonder why things go wrong. Just think of what would have happened had I not gone for a leave. All of these and then I start for the office. I made the most of my excuse by taking a leave but it looks like as if someone also took a day off and came after me. Hope you know who that someone is.