11
The moment, I was out of Bangalore airport, I rushed into a STD booth and dialed Preeti’s cell number. I could only hear some crazy sounds than the default ringtone. I tried back with no luck.
I thought for a moment, and called her residence number, but to my disbelief, nobody picked it up. It went ringing and ringing.
Frustrated, finally I gave up and called my parents to inform that I reached Bangalore safely.
I wished I had enabled roaming on my cell. Roaming was a luxury in those days. I had thought and rethought on it again and again, and finally decided not to enable it.
I tried calling Preeti’s cell first and then her residence number again. But the history repeated.
I was feeling restless for not been able to talk to my cutie pie.
As the queue outside the booth started growing and going restless as well, I pushed the door open like a south-indian film star and went out in the heat cursing.
I had tried my best to keep my face straight after seeing the nagging client. I sincerely wished, if this pig had a wife, soon they would get divorced.
Once in office, a series of meetings and discussions started. By the time the third meeting was halfway I was irritated and frustrated. My mind was only half in the meeting, whereas the other half was thinking why I couldn’t reach Preeti.
Finally the lunch time showed up on the clock.
My new Bengaluru friends wanted to order something for me, so that they can eat outside food on the expenses of my account and then get it reimbursed.
But I avoided them all, and ran down-stairs in search of the STD booths.
I kept running in the heat from one chowk to another and finally found one.
I tried calling Preeti’s cell first and then her residence number with no luck.
Agonized, I returned back to office.
The latter half was much better. Now that I was sure off of some problem with the phones and was convinced that I couldn’t do anything about it, I tried to concentrate on the work. The best thing for me would be to finish the work in less than two weeks and run back to my lovely lady.
When I reached back to hotel I tried onc more time, but same problem persisted.
Late night I called home to inform them everything is alright and slept.
I must be dreaming about Preeti, because I woke up late.
I looked at the phone on the table, but then decided not to try and get frustrated.
Office was as usual. I finally started understanding what the super-hero client want. I kept jotting down his suggestions.
Afternoon, again I went to the same STD booth which was two chouwks far and called my mom.
After a usual gup-shup, mom said, “Tarun, your friend was here.”
Not aware of which of my friend landed at my place, I asked “Friend? Who?”
To my surprise, my mom said, “Preeti!, such a sweet girl”
I was awestricken.
“What was she doing there?” I tried to add an extra anger in my voice.
“She wanted some help from yours in her project submission. Everybody is not like you in computers. Poor girl”, my mom said
“So she could have called me na.”, I said
“She wanted to, but the road digging outside her home cut the cable of her telephone dead and her cell, it seems her neighbor, a small kid dropped it into a water bucket”, mom laughed as she spoke
I instantly knew who that little kid was.
So the mystery of not been able to reach her was resolved.
“She said, she will use your computer with your permission for couple of days”, my mom added
I was so.. so proud of my love. She was doing everything to get in touch with me.
“NO mom, don’t ever let her touch my computer”, I shouted, showing as if I strongly disagree.
“What Tarun, she is not going to harm the machine. Anyways you are not here, what if she use it for some basic work?”
I was wondering what Preetu did to convince mom.
“She will be here by 7.30 evening. I have told her, by this time you usually call home. Talk to her and tell her how to use the computer. Ok?”
I said, it is okay.
I came out of the STD booth jumping with joy.
“Preetu, you are such a darling yaar”, I said to myself.
I called home, 7.30 pm.. sharp.
Although I wanted to ask “Is Preeti around?”, as the first question, I didn’t
“Alright mom, cya, take care”, I added the concluding statements..
“Wait..” mom said.. “here she comes”, I thought, my heart pounding
“Talk to Preeti, she is waiting here since long”, my mom said.
I could see my mom smiling and giving the receiver to Preeti
After a brief second a sweet voice came online, “Hieee”
“Mwaahaa.. Mwaahaa… Mwaahaa..”, I couldn’t control but kept kissing on the phone
“Ok.. hmm.. ok.. in which directory?.. okay.”, Preeti kept saying from the other side as if I am instructing her something.
“I love you sweetheart; I missed you so much… Please do something with your phone”, I said
“yes yes.. got it. I will need your PC only 2 days. Work should be done in two days. Thank you so much. Yes yes, I will take care not to delete anything”, Preeti kept talking in the secret code
“Hey Mr. James Bond, Double-0-seven”, I thought, “You are not the only one with beautiful and brainy secret agents
“So the password is…”, I was about to tell when she whispered, “ I know the password”.
What else could be the password for my PC than the name of the lady I was madly in love with.
I hugged the receiver tightly.
After the call, I felt so glad, so rejuvenated that I started jumping and rolling in the bed with happiness.
It took almost 3 days for her phones to come back to life . Although we were directly connected now, we could hardly talk for a long time. With her landline, she couldn’t talk much as there was a fear of being overheard by someone. In the era Where the incoming calls were also charged, and charged heavily, for the STD incoming, the monetary limitation blocked us for long – long distance calls.
With so much of limitations, the time was passing slowly. I felt like I was in Bangalore for ages. But finally the work got over and I booked my flight tickets for the return journey, a journey back to my love.
