This post should have come 4 days back. But sometimes it so happens that my company gives me some work to do. Rather, it is lucky enough to find some work about which they are sure it would not affect their profit margins. This was one such rare week when I was really really busy. So much so that I had to miss my morning coffee for some meeting where we discussed how much effort would be spent for a support only project which has been on hold for 5 months and about whose future nobody is sure.
Anyways, this post is not how I spend the 8 billable hours in my office not falling asleep. Nor is it about how I spend the remaining 16 hours doing nothing else but sleeping (sometimes in strange places). Actually I spent a very expensive weekend. There is a saying in Hindi Bhagwan jab deta hai to chappar faad kar deta hai. I would want to add to it Aur jab leta hai to thappad maar kar leta hai.. The former rarely happens to me. I am more blessed with the latter. So I am here trying to pen down what actually happened that you had to bear the consequences reading this. Go ahead if you are not bored till now.
Come Friday evening and you would find me singing, whistling and laughing with my colleagues. On a long weekend you might even find me dancing. So even though the last weekend was not a long weekend and the tectonic plates below IBM's foundation were intact, I was having fun. It was a weekend after all. After 5 days of hard work (excuse me for occasional lying) you get a 2 days break. So while I was busy singing some Himesh Reshamiya number, I found my mobile dancing. At first, I was amazed by the magic of my voice. If Tansen could force rains by singing raag Malhar, I could force Nokia 2600 dance to ooooooo huzoor, 13 13 13 surooor. I was brought back to reality by the realisation that it was Deepshikha - my college friend, call. Dipsi and I planned to spend the weekend together at her place. I became happier and stressed with full nasal force on 13 13 13 suroor.
And with that my mobile started ringing again. Before I could think of any weird reason of its behaving this strange way (I hardly receive calls), I saw the number flashing on the screen. It was my landlord's number. Then I remembered that I had not paid the month's rent and it was already 5th. I told him that I was, very busy (ahem) and I assured him that I would pay the rent that day itself. With a very heavy heart I went to the ATM and withdrew 5k (my rent is 4.5k damn!). So the weekend did not start auspiciously. I came back home, watched some stupid movie and slept.
Saturday morning was'nt very eventful except that I took bath. I went to the guitar class and played D chord when my teacher asked me to play E-minor. Then I realised I had to give my fees. So another 500 bucks gone. Now I had to go to the ATM again. It was very hot and I was enjoying chilled nimbu pani when my dad called and asked whether I booked my tickets? I have to go home in June. I got a real good thrashing when I told him that I did not book the tickets because err..I was very busy. Anyways, I went and booked the tickets. The ICICI ATM was out of order as it always is. I had to withdraw from some other ATM and loose extra 50 bucks on that.
It was already 3 pm by the time I got my tickets. I called Dipsi and we decided to meet at E-square - a multiplex mall in Pune. Poor girl was waiting for me and missed her lunch. With that guilt, I decided to treat her and Vineeta with panipuris at a nearby thela. But she was way too hungry. We ordered sandwiches, coke, bhelpuri, coke, chat, coke, manchurian stir fry, coke. Whatever happened to the eating habits of my generation?
After watching the movie (Darna Zaroori Hai), we thought we were still hungry. Who said girls are conscious about their diet?! Then Abhishek Soni joined us and we went to Rajwada - a garden restaurant for dinner. At midnight, when the waiters started removing the chairs and tables we decided to stop eating and go home (we got the remaining items packed actually!). Vineeta, Dipsi and Abhishek convinced me that I am still not out of that guilty conciousness and paying the bill would make me feel better. Well, I don't want to elaborate on what I felt after that.
We decided to go to Vineeta's place. Poor Abhishek was alone and so I gave him my Activa. Vineeta stays with her bhaiya and bhabhi and they live in a very beautiful apartment. They had gone to Mumbai and so we had the time of our lives! We had each other's company along with a TV, DVD player, laptop and a fully loaded fridge. So you can imagine what would happen when 3 ladies are left alone in such circumstances. We finally went to sleep at 2:30 am.
I was dreaming about John Abraham in those early hours when it happened. My mobile rang again. It was, gulp, my landlord again. This time it was his daughter on the line and she told me that I had left the tap open. Now Vineeta's place is about 25 kms from my flat. I frantically called Abhishek. But you can hardly do anything when Murphy's Law is at work! I could not call him and I later came to know that his cell had no balance (he came from Mumbai) and he could not recharge it. I was worried that my home would become a Titanic and the bigger problem is I can’t swim.
I took an auto and asked him to rush. God bless him, he took me through a short cut. But still I had to pay him about 100 bucks!. To my relief, the situation was well under control and no Titanic like scene to be seen. I went back to Vineeta's place after all the damage control was done - another 100 bucks.
I am about to loose some more money. Read on. For the lunch we went back to Dipsi's place. Had a tight lunch and were wondering what to do after that. Dipsi had some playing cards and she said she will teach me how we play 3-patti. Initially we were playing with dummy money. I don’t remember whose idea it was we started playing with real coins. And with that my beginner's luck was overpowered with the skills of veterans like Dipsi and Abhishek. I started with 16 bucks and lost more than 50 bucks and I resolved never to get into gambling again in this life.
I thought my financial woes are over for the day. But oh no! In the evening I and Vineeta went to FC Road. I parked my Activa and we went to CCD. After that we bid good bye and I came back looking for my Activa. But I found a fruits ka thela instead. I thought transfiguration was Professor Mc Gonagall's forte and it was a rare possibility of finding her in this part of the globe. Who could transfigure my smart Activa to a hand cart? The thela wala informed me that the traffic police had taken my activa with them because I parked it in no parking. Lost 150 bucks more to get my Activa back.
And then my mother complains that I don't save money. Can somebody tell me how can I if my life moves like this?
