The Cup that counts...

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You don’t want a bad start than I had on 14^th Jan, 2010. I was all set to go to play with my college friends near Tambaram.  My dad didn’t permit me saying that he doesn’t know everyone near Tambaram. I soon bursted into anger and shouted at my mom by asking her, “ Why dad is like this? As if he knows the entire globe, he is saying that he doesn’t know anyone in Tambaram and not letting me to go” I went to bed again

Just after 5 minutes from then, My mom brought “THE HINDU” newspaper subscribed by my neighbour. They went to their native place for celebrating pongal. The newspaper-waala, not knowing that, threw the newspaper from downstairs (as usual, though). My mom picked it up and gave it to me.

As soon as she gave the paper, I just went to sports column. My mouth went wide-open as soon as I read “ World Cup Trophy unveiled at Chennai” First I was disappointed as it was in the past tense. It was unveiled at Citi Centre on 13^th Jan, 2010. By the time I read full article, I was on cloud nine as I came to know that it is up for display again at Sky Walk in the Morning Session and Express Avenue in the evening session

 

The Hindu newspaper dated 14 Jan2010

Soon I took my mobile and called Saikumar Natarajan and asked him if we can go. He too was excited to see the cup and said in affirmative instantaneously. Then I called Pramodh Venkatraman and asked him the same. He replied negatively saying that he have some work at Citi Centre (Obviously, he went to get me a Yuvi branded mug). So Sai and Me planned to leave my home for Sky Walk by 10:30 AM. As usual we were 10 minutes late. We went to St. Thomas Mount RS and I was standing in the “LONG” queue while Sai went to sight some girls.

Just when I was getting near to counter, Sai came near me and said “Hey I want to go home right now.. Seems that Dad is getting me a new system.. “ With disappointment, I said “Yes” and we were ready to return to home. He said, “Don’t worry.. We’ll go to EA in the afternoon without fail” when I dropped him near his house. I trusted him as I know that he is a big cricket fan just like me.

I returned home by 11:40 PM. Meanwhile, Bharathi Ramadoss, one of my college friends, started to mock me as my plan of seeing the world cup was dropped. I checked Express Avenue website for the timings and it showed that It would be coming by 3 PM. As time was getting near 3, I called Sai  time and again and checked his status. Meanwhile I called Pramodh to say if he can join us to EA. He  affirmatively said that he was already at mylapore and he is accompanied by Aishwarya Natarajan and will join us soon.

www.expressavenue.com

Sai came home only by 4:30 PM. We started at the very moment and went to UTI BS so that we would have more buses to catch. We were fortunate as Bus no 52K was already standing and we boarded it. We were happy that we boarded a through bus.

You can’t see a better love story than I saw in the bus. Some really good-looking girl came and stood very next to Sai( Note the word “Really” . I mean it. She was damn good-looking).As soon as he saw her Sai asked me to sit in front so that he can make her to sit near by him. I refused as I was jealous of him as he was damn close to her. Soon Sai hummed some old Tamil romantic songs “Rasathi Manasula…Rasa un nenapu daan….” We didn’t take our eyes from her. 

We came to Thousand Lights. We didn’t wait for the signal to turn RED. We crossed the road while the cars and buses were on their wheels. No wonder one man shouted at me for not following the signals. We reached EA. 

Express Avenue

There we met Pramodh and Aishwarya. Soon we came to know that “Only If we give them a empty PEPSI bottle/can, we would be permitted to take a close snap” I didn’t have any money in my wallet otherthan my lone 10 Rs note and so do Pramodh.  I handed over that  10 Rs note to Sai and Pramodh and asked them to get 4 pepsi bottle. Pepsi bottles were not available inside EA. So they went outside and brought 4 pepsi.

Meanwhile Aishwarya met some of her friends there, while I took the snaps of sizzling World Cup with my cousin’s  brand new 15 MP Nikon Camera. They bought 4 pepsi bottles and Pramodh himself drank 2 and half bottle and I drank 1 and a half bottle. Sai and Aishwarya literally didn’t drink anything. We stood in the line for taking the snap.

The ICC WORLD CUP

The moment finally arrived. 6:40 PM. Sai was first and then me, pramodh and Aishwarya followed him. We received a small card, on returning which we’ll have our copy of a snap that we took with WC. Then each took a snap of the other three and we did it in a round-robbin method and a man who was seeing the whole scene took all 4 of us a snap.

We were at EA to see the world cup

By 7 PM, it was the time for the world cup to leave for delhi, so they took it in a trolly to car shed and then it went OFF.

The WC was taken to Delhi later

Getting the photocopy was the most toughest job ( both for mind and for body ) in the whole day. The pepsi volunteers just showed us all the snap, that were printed until then, and we couldn’t find any one of our’s. As time went by, more and more photos were printed and still we couldn’t find our’s. The EA officials asked the remaining people to come and get in the next day. We ended a day in a disappointment ( Me ,the most of all) I didn’t know how should I react. Should I feel happy for seeing the cup ? or Should I feel sad for not getting the copy of the snap?

We silently went to bus stop and boarded a bus and in a few minutes from then, Aishwarya received a call from the friend whom we saw at EA. He called her to say that he had seen all our snaps. I was happy for a second and soon second thoughts came into my mind. Did he see my face? Did he remember my face?

That night was the most terrible one. It was even more terrible for Sai, as his parents shouted at him as we reached home late.

The next day me, pramodh and aishwarya went to EA to collect our photos. Sai couldn’t join us as his parents let him go this time. Right at 1 PM, we entered EA for the second consecutive day. I went to help desk and asked about the photos(only I know that I was chanting mantras that moment). To my surprise, or To my happiness  or whatever you call it, my photo was first snaps. I was smiling as soon as I saw it. You know what “I am the happiest man in the world” at that moment. Soon we got sai’s and pramodh’s. Unfortunately we didn’t get Aishwarya’s. We searched again and again. We didn’t get her’s. I think she herself lost the hope. Finally after enquiring the girl in receptionist, the girl checked Aishwaya’s photo in the bunch of employee’s photo and there it was. Everyone was happy and we conveyed the news to sai.

We finally received our snaps

Our ancestors have said everything correctly. “Don’t take any decisions when you are too happy or whey are too sad either. “ Those words were true. At bus stop, Aishwarya and pramodh asked if we can walk till mylapore RS and I said “A big yes” and obviously I faced the consequence.

I got the punishment

This is it. This two days 14-1-11 and 15-1-11 going to be those days that I will  cherish till my life time.