(When two galaxies collide!)
Before you start dreaming about prince charming or perhaps the luring aroma and taste of a mis-spelt drink, I must start this story with a neat clarification to avoid later disappointment. You will surely not find your Prince charming hiding in the story line, nor will you derive the pleasure of a fine aged matured.. Vine oops wine. But whats assured for you, my dear reader, is a funny observation that may tickle your ribs. An observation of a rather unusual event when inhabitants of two different galaxies meet. Seeing their diversity, you would still feel east and west are close neighbors, but these two are indeed a universe apart. But still there is this one common string that binds them both.. Lets together find it out!
The story is about two of my dear online friends who refer to me as "anna" (big brother) out of respect and teasing grace. Both of them are connected to me through a community networking site which increased the size of my known friendly universe by multiples that cant be measured by mathematics. They also chat with me frequently over Yahoo IM and exchange notes of their days with mine.
Introductions
Enter Prince:
Bombay has a new bhai (brother), or should i say behan??.. someone who rules if not the city but the heart of her friends and admirers galore.
Almost as young as me, Prince (name changed, her actual name closely resembles this nick, and She, yes its a she!!!, Rocks and Rules like a prince). She is the younger of her siblings but takes care of her home like the man of the house, shouldering all the responsibilities of her home.
Working in the Advertising and media industry you would expect her to be pretty jovial and full of perennial energy. Your expectations will be surely exceeded,as much as i know about Prince! Ever dressed in her smart casuals and dressed with a smile, Boldness in her speech with a masculine twang in her self-address, you will ask yourself.. "is it only boost that is the secret of her energy??" No one would dare say ... Our energy :-D
Introducing.... (drum roll) Vine!
At this moment i visualize Vine, the young software quality tester enjoying quality time rushing to the biriyani restaurant of old hyderabad, tossing her long hair-plait that may whip a passerby. Her long dupatta or could be her saree whorls ride on the vortices of a passing breeze that just caressed the nearby Charminar of old hyderabad (Yes thats where she is!!)
Her biggest charm which explains her beauty is her amazing simplicity and bubbling energy that expresses through her chuckling laughter. I still remember the day she had told me that she had a target of fighting with at least X' number of friends in a week. Afterall friendship is dry without fights, she says.
But the bubbling charm of Vine also has a more responsible side behind the scenes, where being the eldest sibling, she manages many responsibilities back at her home.
The announcement:
After a nice long day at work, i rested as usual in front of my "babe" (people call her PC) connected through yahoo messenger to all my online friends, like neo in matrix connected to the "Real world". Just when i was about to check my email pop came a message from Prince
"Guess what anna, I am going to hyderabad!!". She sounded like a prisoner of the "anda" cell who was just being promised her release. Her prison... her cubicle, she would kill me if i describe the jailor and the jailhouse rock that plays at her office, where i had been once in the evening to find a competing agency to WWF wrestling. Save the fact that here there was no referee or a scorekeeper, and sadly no prize :-) except for a spectator like me who had a audio visual delight.
So i now move away from her office.. Prince was delighted about her visit to Hyderabad, and also about meeting a friend who had been known only through the community site and yahoo--- Vine! We had kept the spirit of our online group alive and kicking by encouraging offline meets over walks and coffee. But here was a two member two city meet which was worth observing.
Minutes after Prince told me about her trip, Vine sent across an excited message too."Anna, guess what Prince is gonna visit Hyderabad and I am going to receive her at the airport and have a great time!!". I said.."WOW" and then revealed gently that prince did mention it.
Now i was waiting for the day these two would meet. I was reminded of a planetaurium screening that i had seen.."When two galaxies collide". I was hoping to see that again outside the Planetaurium dome and through the words of Prince and Vine since neither i could go to Hyderabad, nor did i want to disturb their meeting from its natural course.
Prince after that day seemed pretty busy and seldom came online or responded with a delay to chat messages. She was busy wrapping up her work, so that the Jailor couldn't extend her term under any circumstance.
The Appointment Day
Finally the D-day arrived with absolute silence, as expected since the two of them would be far away from the Internet, meeting in the real world, casting off masks from each others faces. Unveiling myth-filled impressions that we usually tend to set about each other!
But before they could do all that, they did prove a corollary "Everything great as this universe starts with a BANG".
The Big Bang
Clad in her ruff and tuff jeans and a hep sports top, Prince saw Hyderabad through the soothing shades of one of her many sunglasses that i had once seen filling her office drawer. Her heartbeat grew its frequency, hoping to see a software engineer clad in casual weekend wear. She waited at the airport exit almost beginning to wonder whether Vine had got the flight and time noted correctly!
Just when Prince was about to make a call... She felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. When she turned around she did recognize the face, but her jaw opened wide with surprise breathing in a whole lot of Hyderabadi air! She exhaled it spellbound squealing... "Vine!!!" What caught her by surprise is the Way Vine was bottled... err i mean dressed :-)
She stood there with a Namaskaar dressed in a pink saree with her hair neatly plaited as usual, though i am not sure whether she wore a flower on her head. But for a moment Prince was reminded of the Indian Airlines airhostess who she just bid adieu at the aircraft. However the smile here was natural, and the weight far less in kilograms :-D as compared to the Airhostess. (FYI Indian Airlines is considered an overweight airline and we cant blame the luggage, passengers or Airbus, Boeing for it :-) ) The only thing that stood in a wierd contrast with her pink saree was a Green bag. The green bag was supposed to carry a camera which was lying now safe in Vine's office drawer under lock. She later told me her regrets of forgetting that camera, for Prince's first expression was a Kodak moment!
Vine had a pinch of surprise too. Though she had expected a mumbai media girl to be clad in weekend wear, she did not expect Ms. Sporty Spice fire-over-ice.
They exchanged a warm hug as they found out more and more about their respective galaxies. The togetherness that followed during the evening, showed a very beautiful pattern. The similarities now showed up.. both of them loved to eat Bhel and junk food from stalls. Both of them loved ice cream but avoided it for their own reasons. Both of them felt that they were still far away from finding a suitable partner from within their community. I hope not all girls feel the same else i will need to start a bachelors community for traditional saraswat boys :-) who wouldnt go intercaste :-)
The exchanges continued towards a memorable day together till they finally had to say good-bye for the moment, with hopes of meeting again in person sometime.
Prince rode off with her mumbai grace exploring the Hyderabadi flavours and Vine left towards her abode, dispersing her fragrance to her paths that awaited her smiling pass-by daily!
My starfilled eyes then imagined this story with my lazy fingers typing it today, days after the actual incident.
Happy Encounters!
Nagesh Pai
The story is about two of my dear online friends who refer to me as "anna" (big brother) out of respect and teasing grace. Both of them are connected to me through a community networking site which increased the size of my known friendly universe by multiples that cant be measured by mathematics. They also chat with me frequently over Yahoo IM and exchange notes of their days with mine.
Introductions
Enter Prince:
Bombay has a new bhai (brother), or should i say behan??.. someone who rules if not the city but the heart of her friends and admirers galore.
Almost as young as me, Prince (name changed, her actual name closely resembles this nick, and She, yes its a she!!!, Rocks and Rules like a prince). She is the younger of her siblings but takes care of her home like the man of the house, shouldering all the responsibilities of her home.
Working in the Advertising and media industry you would expect her to be pretty jovial and full of perennial energy. Your expectations will be surely exceeded,as much as i know about Prince! Ever dressed in her smart casuals and dressed with a smile, Boldness in her speech with a masculine twang in her self-address, you will ask yourself.. "is it only boost that is the secret of her energy??" No one would dare say ... Our energy :-D
Introducing.... (drum roll) Vine!
At this moment i visualize Vine, the young software quality tester enjoying quality time rushing to the biriyani restaurant of old hyderabad, tossing her long hair-plait that may whip a passerby. Her long dupatta or could be her saree whorls ride on the vortices of a passing breeze that just caressed the nearby Charminar of old hyderabad (Yes thats where she is!!)
Her biggest charm which explains her beauty is her amazing simplicity and bubbling energy that expresses through her chuckling laughter. I still remember the day she had told me that she had a target of fighting with at least X' number of friends in a week. Afterall friendship is dry without fights, she says.
But the bubbling charm of Vine also has a more responsible side behind the scenes, where being the eldest sibling, she manages many responsibilities back at her home.
The announcement:
After a nice long day at work, i rested as usual in front of my "babe" (people call her PC) connected through yahoo messenger to all my online friends, like neo in matrix connected to the "Real world". Just when i was about to check my email pop came a message from Prince
"Guess what anna, I am going to hyderabad!!". She sounded like a prisoner of the "anda" cell who was just being promised her release. Her prison... her cubicle, she would kill me if i describe the jailor and the jailhouse rock that plays at her office, where i had been once in the evening to find a competing agency to WWF wrestling. Save the fact that here there was no referee or a scorekeeper, and sadly no prize :-) except for a spectator like me who had a audio visual delight.
So i now move away from her office.. Prince was delighted about her visit to Hyderabad, and also about meeting a friend who had been known only through the community site and yahoo--- Vine! We had kept the spirit of our online group alive and kicking by encouraging offline meets over walks and coffee. But here was a two member two city meet which was worth observing.
Minutes after Prince told me about her trip, Vine sent across an excited message too."Anna, guess what Prince is gonna visit Hyderabad and I am going to receive her at the airport and have a great time!!". I said.."WOW" and then revealed gently that prince did mention it.
Now i was waiting for the day these two would meet. I was reminded of a planetaurium screening that i had seen.."When two galaxies collide". I was hoping to see that again outside the Planetaurium dome and through the words of Prince and Vine since neither i could go to Hyderabad, nor did i want to disturb their meeting from its natural course.
Prince after that day seemed pretty busy and seldom came online or responded with a delay to chat messages. She was busy wrapping up her work, so that the Jailor couldn't extend her term under any circumstance.
The Appointment Day
Finally the D-day arrived with absolute silence, as expected since the two of them would be far away from the Internet, meeting in the real world, casting off masks from each others faces. Unveiling myth-filled impressions that we usually tend to set about each other!
But before they could do all that, they did prove a corollary "Everything great as this universe starts with a BANG".
The Big Bang
Clad in her ruff and tuff jeans and a hep sports top, Prince saw Hyderabad through the soothing shades of one of her many sunglasses that i had once seen filling her office drawer. Her heartbeat grew its frequency, hoping to see a software engineer clad in casual weekend wear. She waited at the airport exit almost beginning to wonder whether Vine had got the flight and time noted correctly!
Just when Prince was about to make a call... She felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. When she turned around she did recognize the face, but her jaw opened wide with surprise breathing in a whole lot of Hyderabadi air! She exhaled it spellbound squealing... "Vine!!!" What caught her by surprise is the Way Vine was bottled... err i mean dressed :-)
She stood there with a Namaskaar dressed in a pink saree with her hair neatly plaited as usual, though i am not sure whether she wore a flower on her head. But for a moment Prince was reminded of the Indian Airlines airhostess who she just bid adieu at the aircraft. However the smile here was natural, and the weight far less in kilograms :-D as compared to the Airhostess. (FYI Indian Airlines is considered an overweight airline and we cant blame the luggage, passengers or Airbus, Boeing for it :-) ) The only thing that stood in a wierd contrast with her pink saree was a Green bag. The green bag was supposed to carry a camera which was lying now safe in Vine's office drawer under lock. She later told me her regrets of forgetting that camera, for Prince's first expression was a Kodak moment!
Vine had a pinch of surprise too. Though she had expected a mumbai media girl to be clad in weekend wear, she did not expect Ms. Sporty Spice fire-over-ice.
They exchanged a warm hug as they found out more and more about their respective galaxies. The togetherness that followed during the evening, showed a very beautiful pattern. The similarities now showed up.. both of them loved to eat Bhel and junk food from stalls. Both of them loved ice cream but avoided it for their own reasons. Both of them felt that they were still far away from finding a suitable partner from within their community. I hope not all girls feel the same else i will need to start a bachelors community for traditional saraswat boys :-) who wouldnt go intercaste :-)
The exchanges continued towards a memorable day together till they finally had to say good-bye for the moment, with hopes of meeting again in person sometime.
Prince rode off with her mumbai grace exploring the Hyderabadi flavours and Vine left towards her abode, dispersing her fragrance to her paths that awaited her smiling pass-by daily!
My starfilled eyes then imagined this story with my lazy fingers typing it today, days after the actual incident.
Happy Encounters!
Nagesh Pai
