Life...before and after 6300

Hehe...no...That’s not yet another fateful year like the oh-so-talked-about 2012...!!

A Nokia 6300...that’s what I own for the fulfilling of one of the most basic necessities of the modern day individual. Having in possession, any one of the boundless versions of that magical piece of splendour invented by Graham Bell, improvised and revolutionised by many over the years. So, that would mean, my pocket sized mode of access to the world has no fancy touch screen...is no pocket sized computer and is in no way related to its more lucrative cousins from the ‘N’, ‘E’ or the very much coveted ‘i’ family. N wait...this is not another tale of ranting and raving, cribbing and crying by a hep youngster for the latesht fad in the gizmo world...! And also, it’s not a bad phone I have too...an ordinary looking one (read quite handsome) with a two-megapixel camera...not that bad at all (in fact I love it!). But, that is not the point here...! A study into how my cell phone is, in comparison to the others is not what I’m trying to do here...but trying to understand the life that mine was, before and after this ‘individual’ made its entry into my life.



It was almost a year and a half back that I’d gotten my first ever phone in possession; which was when I was coming to Bengaluru (exactly one day before I was travelling to this place for my Master’s...can u believe dat!). And, no, it was not as if my parents had denied me one till I grew this old or anything...just that I’d refused one till then. I had only been proud of the fact that I wouldn’t have to pick up calls every now and then, from concerned as well as hyper-ultra concerned individuals asking where I was, when I would reach and so on. I have only been proud of the fact that I wouldn’t have to pick up calls in a train under disdainful gazes that scream oh-who-the hell-does-she-think-she-is, from each and every person in the compartment ...only to be asked, “heyy...wer r u now...? when exactly will you reach” n so on by hyper-enthusiastic friends...be called up again, by the same people before the lapse of even two full minutes, again with the exact same question...or parents calling up asking, “have you eaten”...”Are you fine” “Take care of this...take care of that....”!! I really wasn’t prepared to handle all of this and decided, “I DO NOT WANT A CELL PHONE...!!”

And, life I wouldn’t say was difficult...it sure was not...I mean there were PCOs at every nook and cranny, my parents would call me in the hostel everyday...wasn’t a problem at all...! In fact I didn’t think it was...N by the time I’d reached the final year of college, (UG), I was the only soul in the entire class of 40, who didn’t own a cell phone...but I was still proud of myself and didn’t feel left out, or desperate at all...! I thought I was a ‘gud’ girl who didn’t give a damn about what the world came to, what others did, and stood by what she believed in...yea...held my head high...! :-)...Life was indeed peaceful then...

Just three months later...my life was to change completely...I was coming to an alien city...an alien place of shelter...the so called ‘home-away-from home’ (a.k.a. JONAS HALL)...and was to be a new life...so Naims d gurl got her first phone...! And there began a new life altogether (apart from all the other newness factors!)...!! Life began to be so dependent on that pocket sized machine...it was such a joy when i got messages, missed calls and calls...! What was probably most peculiar was that unlike most ‘normal’ human beings, I was much happier when I got messages and missed calls from people than calls from them...I enjoyed giving missed calls to people too... (Not random people though...!) missed calls became my way of telling people that I was alive and kicking and more importantly, that they were in my thoughts and that I missed them...so every person that I cared for and didn’t see on a daily basis used to, and still do get a missed call per day from me. And it really really is annoying and upsetting when these people do not return those missed calls...!! I mean... cum on... there’s not a single penny spent too...!!!

One fine day, I recently forgot to take my phone to class (which obviously means i wasn't with it) and then I thought of all the calls and missed calls I’d have to return...! Phooo boyy...was I restless the whole day...! The very second I got back to my room, I checked my phone...and...Lo and behold...!!! Contrary to all my expectations or rather...hope, there was not a single message, or a missed call....!! Devastated I felt...I nearly wanted to kill myself...! That evening again, I left my phone back when I went out for dinner (not on purpose!)... I thought to myself that being night, people would be freer than they would have been during the day...so now I might actually have missed calls...! Yet again...I come back eagerly and check...and I stand there dazed and overwhelmed with emotion...there was nothing... No activity whatsoever...!!! And that didn’t feel nice...and there arises the ‘cut my life into pieces...’ feeling...not that bad though...was fine after some time, when my folks at home called up...!! (See...that did the trick...! it had to be a call again that would manage to cheer me up too...!! Pheww...!)

See...that’s me...then and now...!!! What I was and what I am...am not saying one’s good and the other isn’t but...the change is there for all to see...!!! Gawwd...the way things have changed...!! All because of one teeny weenie thing...!!!

So...go on...SPOT THE DIFFERENCES in your life...!!... ;-)