The call from Pradeep - The survivors (RAPS) on Friday the thirteenth (Aug, 2010)

Wow, it was the day set for the party - the mood, the weather, the attire, the excitement and smiles. Few of our team friends were not going and that was sad but the general air was full of excitment ...

The day started with Suchit first time not having cash at the toll. Normally, it’s me who is cashless :). The work was like everyday - busy busy busy...And then the brand and online team minus Suchit and Asheesh went to have snacks together after what can be termed ages...Got wet in the rain on our way back and worked more . We were the last of the people to leave – RAPS (rICHA, aSHEESH, pRADEEP AND sUCHIT) from Gurgaon. I had some sense to reserve tables on the way and felt relieved that atleast we will have some seats for a Friday night party. Before that during the day, we had received the jolt with one member falling sick. Rest of the jolts were yet to come during the course of evening and night...and literally THE JOLTS...
We again realized that Suchit has no cash today when we are few yards from the toll. My purse was in dikki and so I ran in between 2 cars to Asheesh and Pradeep to get the suddenly in demand Rs 20. We moved ahead and laughed all the way across cars… We crossed Mahipalpur and got Pradeep's first of the many same message calls :)that will follow. He also didn’t know how many calls he will be making to say the same thing again. None of us actually knew…

Asheesh's car was acting funny - the wipers working on slow speed, the steering almost as if clutched by a supernatural power, so we stopped near Suchit’s sector to examine Asheesh’s car. We decide we will take off in Suchit’s car to find a mechanic and then reach the party after getting the car fixed. As soon as we sat in Suchit’s car, his car also started showing same symptoms. It feels like a contagious disease :(. Pradeep and I found it very mysterious and we all decide to push his car. So 2.5 people (well you have to see me) try and suddenly like a movie set, Suchit’s parents appear, give a solution to get the car back on its tyres and continued with their journey :) . We relax and proceed towards the party. Just a km away, I received another call from Pradeep.

Again Asheesh’s car had started acting funny and this time we stop it in front of a garage. We huff puff and get the mechanic the material he requires as the close @9pm. He does some serious stunts that could have…led us to take our focus away from the car to Asheesh and Pradeep. No pun intended, both were saved by jumping to the side when our ace mechanic was reversing the car. And then Pradeep tries to call

….to Ravinder but this time from Asheesh’s phone.Tries because, interestingly, he (by mistake), calls Suchit who is walking next to him. Suchit confuses him to be Asheesh (obviously) and both talk for a minute thinking each to be someone else till one of them realizes that they are talking to each other and burst out laughing.
Finally, the car was partially corrected anough to move and the owner of the car :), then decided to take it to Gaziabad. Very challenging but courageous :). We convinced him that he should instead park at my place and reach the earlier “much awaited” and now “awaiting us “party with Nitin being the courteous caller :). We leave and again we get a call from Pradeep

The car has done it again and this time the glasses were also down so we can’t park it at my place too. Hmmmmm.. So this time Suchit and I take a U Turn back to the same spot where they are stuck. It was getting funnier (if there is such a word) and mysterious and exasperating. Maybe it was the company that was still finding the humor alive in such a humid situation (literally too).
It was looking as if we were caught in between 2 forces, one was stopping us to reach and the other wanted us to reach. So then started the sequence of nearly 25 calls and lot of running around to get it towed. I did some road shouting also to a road roller truck confusing it to be a tow away van with a big shrieky “Bhaiya…...” He must have found me to be a reality TV freak, gave a weird look and sped away :).
We all kept laughing and sweating(few people) ;) and calling and giving ideas and countering ideas and thinking of most unusual ways like to call police, get a tent, push till Sunday to Koshambi, plead to a bus driver, pack it on a metro….endless . Then we decided to go to Police station in Vasant Kunj to get a tow truck if they have released it after the day’s work (Asheesh’s idea). I must mention it was over 9.45pm. Suchit and I again started off and this time ...again received Pradeep’s call:)

This time it was good news. The car had started with the help of a nice uncle and Pradeep and Asheesh’s final efforts. We ask them to take a U turn till Fortis , the landmark near my place. In between, our nice man Nitin called :), so took his call to tell him that we are on our way. Phew…he got relieved and then I again received Pradeep’s call.

I asked , very slowly and with some trepidation, if everything is okay. He said it is and wanted to confirm that they have seen us. I gave them directions till my house on phone with us just ahead of them.
I swear Asheesh’s car has ears, because as soon as I said “That’s my house”, it conked off again. This time again Pradeep was on call …and told us that. We somehow parked the car goodnight, drank water and ate hardly left Bhujia that I ran to get from my house. It was 10.15pm already and we started off finally for the part. Again laughing hard on the sequence of happening . The coincidences, the fun, the adventure, the mystery of having 2 cars emulating each other, the calls, the overall party on road before buzzing off to another party.

Today has been another day of story part 2 but this time it is back in action and Rs 4 Lacs reasonability (car’s key were with me ) is back with the owner. Obviously Suchit’s sensibilities and Pradeep’s calls count a lot.

Written in good spirit with ticking funny bones :):):):)
Callingly yours'