Sunday, July 8, 2007

777

7 July 2007, Saturday, Some God forsaken factory on the Old Mahabalipuram road, Chennai.

It was 11.00 PM when the final meeting got over. I said to myself "Congratulations buddy! Its the straight 20th day you are gonna reach home after 00.00 hours." Before I could hear it myself fully, some buzzing noise captured my auditory nerve.

It was my phone vibrating its way to the edge of the table, and I caught it exactly half way through its jump.

I was not shocked when it showed twenty-two missed calls and five messages. (No wonder why my phone wanted to commit suicide)

A summary from my mobile:

Missed calls:
Mom - 3,
Manager Srinivasan - 1,
Bums - 18

Messages:

Mom: 8.30 PM - Will you come home for dinner (atleast) today? The stray dog I am feeding every day with your dinner is suffering from obesity.

Manager Srinivasan: 9.00 PM - Hey Krishna, call me asap. very important.

Bums: 9.10 PM - Dei Kichu... why aren't u picking up honey? Its been days since we went out... you have to take me out somewhere tomorrow...I've freed myself for the whole day...call me soon and confirm dear... bubbye

Mom: 10.20 PM - The dog won't eat your food. It seems to be on a diet. The important thing is, don't go to office tomorrow. You have to go to our kula deivam temple at any cost, for the yearly archanai - Ur star birthday - Remember?

Bums: 11.00 PM - Dear Mr. Krishnamurthy, My name is Bhanu alias Bums. We got engaged a week back. Pls refer to the earlier message and the 18 missed calls on your mobile phone. Is this enough to remind you of who I am? :-(

You would have got a rough idea of the rough weather I was going through in my (personal) life.

This is not a lecture on work-life balance. I work late and hard because I like it. I was just not able to sync my life with work. Thats all.

"But I'm surely not gonna work tomorrow.", I said to myself. I picked up my mobile..

Calling....
Manager Srinivasan

The fone rang... He picked up the fone but I heard

"Vaada vaada vangikkada vayila beeda pottukkada.....
Sega fight-a Sivaji right-a...."
(I felt that the lines were telling something to me)

Srini: Hello, Krishna... I'm at Sathyam watching 'Sivaji'...

Me: I can hear that Srini... You had called up for something.

Srini: Yeah yeah... our distillery client has organised for a lunch tomorrow. As I am busy with some personal work, I would want you to go.

Me: (to myself) I'm dead. Bums will kill me; so will mom.
(to Srini) but Srini would it be possible to send some one else... I too have plans for some personal work...

Srini: I don't want to send anyone else Krishna...Its very important. Even the CEO and his family would be there...

Me: (thinking for a moment) OK Srini, I'll make it for sure. But where is the lunch?

Srini: I'm not sure Krishna... I'll sms u asap.

click.

I was screwed. Why the hell did I say a 'yes'? Srini played his cards right. He made me feel I was important to the firm and I fell for it. In fact that was why I had been slogging all the days. But was that worth making your loved ones unhappy? Or could I really not manage things right? The questions were ringing in my head making me feel like a vibrating mobile phone.

After a few 'vibrating' moments I could feel that I was hungry. I looked at my watch. 11.10 PM. 07.07.07. Huh! It was supposed to be the world's luckiest day. Not mine for sure.

My mobile buzzed again. It was Srini's SMS.

Reading the SMS, sent some thoughts running into my mind. I started feeling happy.

I took my mobile jubilantly and typed a new message, "Programme Confirmed" and sent it.
Recepients: Mom, Manager Srinivasan, Bums.

The reason for my happiness was that my kula deivam temple is Thiruvendipuram, Kadalur (near Pondicherry).

And this was Srini's SMS...
Manager Srinivasan: 11.10 PM - The lunch is at 'The Promenade Beach Resort', Pondicherry - 12.00 PM.
ps. You can take 'someone' along if u want ;-)

Triple seven really was a lucky day!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Ore Kallula 3 manga

Vignesh said...

Cool one. I like ur writing style.
Keep up the good work buddy

Anonymous said...

KB,

there was a lot of fizz in the story.... ;-)

keep going...

KB said...

@ Shree: Orey 'SMS'-la moonu manga ;)

@ Vignesh & Ambi: Thanks for the encouragement guys :)

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