the day started like any other day… but with a lot of comfort… comfort that i did not have to go to the office.. and the rest of my office mates were working… it gives a strange kind of happiness when you can take an off from your work for nothing…

i wanted to work for half a day.. but could not manage to get the laptop out… and i do not regret it… i have to learn to smart work.. and add it to the hard work that i do…

anyway… today was a ODM day… the Chapter three was to be written today.. i was waiting for it anxiously… not for any specific reasons… but then this is one day when i get to meet a few ppl i gel well with… ppl who have accepted me as who and what i am.. and not because of how i look… and i have reciprocated in a similar fashion…

i would be lying if i say that looks do that matter… but then this was an exception to this normal human thinking mind… i look forward to the quality people that these are.. not how they look !!!

i was late for the Chapter-II, and this time i did not want to take any chances… i called up Aseem around 1250 hours.. and told him that i would park my car at his place.. and then we will walk down to the CCD where we were supposed to meet up with the rest of the gang… i was there by 1345 hours sharp… and aseem was getting ready while i chatter briefly with his brother… his brother had joined us in the Chapter – I when we had gone to Ansal’s Plaza on the First of April’05… eatopia is where we had dinner… and the famous papad and chatney story was made !!!

ok back to future… we were walking towards the CCD when i got a message from Richa… that she was lost and did not know where to go.. and was standing in front of Wimpy’s.. i told her to wait there and wait for me and Aseem… and then Deepu called… and told me that Jassi had to leave for Noida.. he had to meet some friend of his… so we kinda rushed… met Richa… and she could not stop speaking her typical “shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit” when she found out that she had walked right past CCD thinking that it was the music world ( Music World… you do not have chairs in there… 🙂 anyway… you can label it as cute.. and move on…

so we reach there… walk up the stairs.. to find that Jassi and Deepu had company… Avikal.. i could recognise him from the fotos that he has posted but he looks older in his fotos on the net… otherwise he is a smart looking young man !!! and the other fella was Shami… i hope i am spelling his name correct… Avikal works in some firm in CP itself.. and Shammi has his office in NOIDA, do not remember the name of the firm.. but it is just a stone’s throw distance from my house.. how i wish i could get a job which was this close to my place… i could atually catch a nap in the afternoons when the work pressure is less…

ok.. back to reality… Bhaskar joined us in a while.. and we all did wish Aseem a very happy burthday… i think he turned 30 today… just kidding.. he is 23 now… or 24… but not 30 for sure… that reminds me.. he did not give us a party.. and we did not give him the bumps… manh.. i will kick your ass wheni meet you next… beware…

CCD was hot and loud.. and they did not take my order coz they were transferring cash.. and jassi had to leave… so we moved from there… made a few efforts to get Jassi an auto for NOIDA… and then moved to a different cafe.. it was hot as well… and after making the guys there arrange for us 7 to sit.. we moved out… and trust me it was nicer outside then inside that cafe…

Avikal decided that he had to go back to his office now.. and we were 6 of us left… Aseem, Me and Bhaskar have been there in all the three chapters… Deepu was in his second ODM… and Richa and Shammi in their first….

we then decided to move to the Cafe 100… we guys had food last time there.. and it was pretty decent… so we enter there… and no space to sit… we wait and get a place in about 15 odd mintues… during that time… we also discussed the possibility of going to Paranthe wali gali for some food.. but the idea was dropped because the ppl were not very comfortable…

the talks continued… people knew more about each other.. i got angry with Deepak because he reads so much and does not write… and people like me who are not able to read much suffer… well how much effort is it to actually read something that opinionate it and write about it.. atleast some ppl like me would get to know more… and might learn new things… i think he will write now… hope he writes as simply as Anurag Mathur or Chetan Bhagat do.. he is a good writer… and a good person to talk to… and is getting to be a good photographer.. i envy him for the knowledge that he gets from reading.. i can do that too… but for some reason.. i am one lazy ass to read…

we talked about why Chennai should be the capital of India… and why the people inother cities invariably compare themself to Delhi.. i do not think Delhi has any of its populattion of its own.. its people from all over who have made this city what it is… it has its highs.. and it has its lows.. but still this a good place to be in… we also talked about how good it is to drive in Delhi… what kinda books can one read.. what are the new businesses that are coming up… the good part being that the conversation involved everyone.. and it was turning out to be a good meet…

richa wanted to leave early but Deepu bribed her with an offer to drop her back home.. and that worked.. in india.. bribes really really help… and she stayed for a while longer… we moved out.. and then my boss called.. he was not happy about me sharing some report with the team from Singapore.. i did not understand why he had a problem.. but then like any boss.. he has the right to have a problem.. i think that is one of the things that is there in a BOSS’s KRA… have problems with what people around you do… anyway… when i joined the convo back.. they were talking about DU and fests and all.. Richa is to help us get into all the fests that she can this academic year… hai na richa?

oh.. i remember.. we also talked about what would happen if Birla Institute of Technology was owned by the Tatas… what would we call it then.. its called BITS now… hehehe.. funny isn’t it…

we also went to the book shop near plaza.. we had to buy a couple of books there.. but then it turned out that we would take more fotos.. then look at books.. so we did.. lots of snaps.. lets see how soon deepak can upload some of them…

deepu and Richa left after we had some shakes at Cavenders… the shakes were not as good as they used to be.. anyway.. that is understood… so now four of us were left… and we went to Palika to shop for DVDs.. i think we bought about 11 of them… different titles.. and the idea of having a ODM Library came up.. we might like to keep our DVDs safe.. and let the other ODM members borrow the DvD titles from the library… as and when they need it… good idea.. might just save us a lot of money.. right eh…

i bought 6 dvds in all.. and the movie listing goes like this.. Godfather ( all three parts), Conair, Face Off, The Rock, Gone in 60 Seconds, Lord of the Rings (Three parts), Deep Blue Sea, Shark Zone, Jaws ( all three parts), The Gods must be crazy ( Three parts), and a DVD titled “Greatest Hits of Japanese Cinema”.. Gaurav, my fotography guru has stayed in Japan for over 3 years.. he might like to have this DVD as a gift.. lets see.. if i really like the movies then i will keep that Dvd myself.. and just lend it to him for a couple of days to watch 🙂 and return…

ok.. back to ODM… once the shopping spree was done with.. we decided to call it a day !!! Aseem and me… went back to his place so that i could pick up my car and come back home… and Bhaskar and Shammi wanted to talk about something so they sat together… this brought the ODM Chapter – III to an end.. all of us waiting for the Chapter IV for sure…

God bless us all..

back home.. i tool mom to the market.. and went around looking for some trousers.. and finally found a shop with some very very decent stuff.. and at excellent prices.. bought two very nice trousers for 1190 bucks.. and one shirt for 395… the kinda clothes that i have been looking for… will collect the trousers in the morning…

nice day this was… looking forward to such exciting days ahead too…

i love shopping.. and i realise it only after i get the stuff i want.. before that it usually is a pain 🙂