Night at the airport

It was during the Diwali vacations in the year 2011, when I was hoping to get my train tickets confirmed. When I saw no hopes for the same, I decided to book the flight the prices of which were sky rocketing to Rs 12K one way.Luckily I got the ticket for mere Rs 3000..yipeee!!!
Well there was a catch to this blessing..I discovered that it was the last flight from Mumbai to Delhi arriving at 1 am. Was thinking if it would be better for a girl to go back home alone at the middle of the night as my dad couldn't come on account of heavy work load he has been going through the season.

So I decided to stay back overnight..I was hoping that the flight get delayed but in vain.It was 12:40am when the plane landed in Delhi..it landed before time!!
I was amazed to see the terminal 3 at the IGI airport, was memorizing the Heathrow airport at London. I was walking slowly to waste time there. Luckily I had some stuff with me to pass time like magazine, a Chetan Bhagat's novel and some eatables to munch the whole night and keep myself awake.

My eyes were searching for a place to sit and I found near the conveyor belt. Few benches were there and quite a few people sitting there. I was trying to read their faces if they are the ones trying to spend those 4-5 hrs with me and let the dawn break or waiting for someone to receive them. Many of them started sleeping while seated, some using their laptops and few of them kept bag on their heads and lied down on their benches..a typical railway station scene...lol

I started talking to few people around and tried to read that Chetan Bhagat's book..but just 1 hour has passed. Walked few steps here and there and munched snacks to keep myself awake. Thanks to dad and a friend of mine who kept on calling to know how am I holding myself up the whole night :)
There I met a girl who was from Raipur and also was waiting like me to take up a morning train to Rajasthan. We talked for the last 1-1.5 hr of my stay..she took away the boredom to make that night enjoyable for me :)
Clocked ticked 5 am and I decided to start off after saying good bye to the fellow passengers. I was amazed again with the Volvo bus service from Delhi airport to the city like the one at Bangalore. I had slept many a times during my journey but kept myself awake so that I don't miss my stop. Took the bus and reached home after almost 1.5 hrs. At home I slept at home the whole day multiple times to catch up with that night's sleep :)
It was tiring yet enjoyable night at the Delhi airport..will always remember the Diwali of 2011 :)

A tryst with Sourav Ganguly

My favourite cricketer..Sourav Ganguly. I had liked him the time I was 8 yrs old, seen him through the generations of being the captain of Indian cricket team to not being sold at IPL. I like the aggression he has to achieve something.

With the virtue of I being appointed in a marketing company and by God's grace they had planned to launch a hair dye in the market after a long held time gap of 1 yr..and in the whole world,they took my favourite cricketer as the brand ambassador

Happy!!!...super happy..10 times a day I used to ask my boss.."Sir am I invited in the launch" to which he always said "Yes"..the big "Yes".. :)

Here comes the happiness part 1..

On 27th Sep 2011, the D-day had come and I was dressed up neatly in formal to meet my hero at Sea princess, Juhu. It was all hussle bustle around as people were gathering up for the launch event after their morning tea and biscuits. I was also having a look at the hotel that the elevator opened and here comes the superstar and my heart skipped a beat.

He was very tall, handsome having a pleasant personality. I realized that he is not at all photogenic..he looks 100 times better on reality than on camera

Our ambassy has to go for the commercial shoot after the event..I asked my boss "Sir can I come to watch the shoot" and my boss said "han chalo"..I can't explain how happy I was to hear those golden words...this was happiness part 2.. I am going to see a shoot for the first time and that too with a celebrity..yay!!!

I cant imagine how these media guys make a very boring garden out of grass set so beautifully green and a hot sunny afternoon to a nice breezy dawn. All I could see was Ganguly there and could hear was mic on,camera rolling , set lock, take 6/1 and action.Ganguly took almost 15-16 takes for a simple sentence like "Kyun..bhula di na jawani"..lol

Then it started feeling bored with the monotony of the shoot and I decided to move out of the place. Then I thought that I wont go before taking a photograph with him.I was running around my boss to get a picture clicked with him. Dada was free after his shoot when people started surrounding him to get clicked and autographed. My boss called me and told him "iske saath photo khinchwa lo..subah se peeche padi hai mere"..to which dada said.."han han zarur..aapke sath bhi khichwayenge"..and I was on the 7th sky :)

Then comes the happiness part 3..

My boss asked me to drop Sourav in his Mercedes to JW Mariott hotel back from the location. I couldn't believe I am sitting with him. Though I realized that he is very reserved by nature, we shared a few talks and while parting..he said "will meet you tomorrow at 10am for the still shoot..".I couldn't believe my ears that I am personally talking to my favourite celebrity and then I came back home.

I was full on under the hangover of him for atleast 3 days where everything I could see, hear or talk about was him..

No matter how much I hate this city but the experiences I gather everyday here are awesome be it work, life or entertainment. Now I am feeling somehow while leaving this place I might say "Will miss you Mumbai" :)