Lost and Found.

I am a very careless girl. I have this habit of leaving things behind carelessly. I have always left behind something or the other in every place I have been. But what surprises me is that I find everything I have lost somehow. Some kind person either sends it back to me  or I find it myself accidentally. Here is one such an incident that I would want to share with you.

I once lost my mobile in an ATM in BTM Layout. I kept it on the ATM machine, took the money and left. I forgot to take my mobile from there. I had missed my last bus to office by then and I decided to go by auto. I took an auto along with a fellow infoscion who was standing with me, to Electronics city after having argued with the auto driver about the excess fare. I insisted that he charged me what the meter shows at the end of my ride and I won the argument. I was happy. I started a conversation with the girl who was with me in the auto. She was Archana and a fresher who joined very recently to Infosys.

On my way to office in the auto, I was thinking about what I must do at office. I realized that I had to call one of my team mates for an update. I searched my mobile and at once I realized that I had left it in the ATM. I did not panic. I thought I will reach office and give my mobile a ring. If the mobile is switched off I would never get it back and if my mobile rang I would at least have some hope to get it back again.

When Archana saw me searching my bag she asked what was wrong. I told her that I had lost my mobile and I was searching for it and I also told her where I left the mobile. She gave me her mobile and said “You better call up and find out if its still there or somebody might take it and sell it.” Yes, there are many cell phone thefts and most of my friends have lost their mobiles at least once. That’s when I felt very bad that I had lost it and started to think that I might never find it again. All the sweet messages from friends that I had got, I lost them to some greedy thief who would make some money out of my mobile. :(.

I took Archana’s mobile and dialed my number. The phone rang and I was relieved to think that it wasn’t in wrong hands. Most of the times when you are positive about certain things, there are very less chances that they will turn out to be negative. I was smiling already like I got back the mobile! The phone was ringing and someone did answer the phone. It was a guy who would probably be in his mid twenties. He did sound young really, not that I wanted the voice to be a young man’s voice ;).

Me : “Hello ?”
Him : “Hello ???” (Such was his expression)
Me : “Hello, that’s my mobile that you are having.” No, I wasn’t rude. I just did not know what to tell him.
Him : “Madam, do you know where you left the mobile?”. Smart man. He wanted to confirm that it was me!
Me : “I left in in the ATM opposite Jayadeva flyover in BTM layout. I left it in the first ATM machine.”
Him : “Yes. You are very careless. I got in next, I saw you going. How can you leave your cell like that? ” How boring! How can I not leave it somewhere? Its natural for me to forget things. I at once thought this man is an old man may be in his mid forties.
Me : “Where can I come and collect it?”. I was not impressed by his question so I did not want to answer him. I just wanted to end the conversation and collect my mobile.
Him : “I am Saravanan. You can come to national games village to collect your mobile in the evening before 5.30”.
Me : “Fine. I will call you back later when I leave. Thanks” That was when I actually thanked him. That was very courteous of me!

I was relieved and gave the mobile back to Archana. I was sure that I would get my mobile back. I got down at electronics city and went in to my workplace relieved, without any tension. Well, I was never tensed. The thought of losing my mobile did disturb me only for one reason. It had a lot of sweet messages from friends that I cherish. I would never want to lose them.

I went inside my ODC and told my colleagues that I had lost my mobile and also that its with one guy named Saravanan and he would give it to me in the evening. One of my colleagues asked me “Where must you meet him in national games village?”. That’s when I realized that I did not know any detail about the person apart from his name and I did not even take his mobile number! I was tensed this time because I was once careless and lost my mobile and for the second time I wasn’t serious enough to collect details about the person who offered to return my mobile. I was dumb.

I called back to my mobile again and it was switched off this time. I was taken aback and felt very bad. I cursed myself for being careless.  I waited for ten minutes and then called again. The phone rang and he answered. Phew! What a relief! I need not call myself careless anymore. Lucky was the right word!

He told me that he works for Oracle, the one opposite Christ college and that I must come there by 7.30 PM to take my mobile. This time I took his mobile number. Smart me! He said “Madam, you are getting a lot of calls so I am switching your mobile off.”. I said “Fine Saravanan, no problem. I will see you at 7.30.”. Like, I am doing him a favour by meeting him!! What attitude!!

In the evening, I along with my best friend Vinu, went to the oracle office and stood In front of the gate. I wanted to give him a call. I asked Vinu for her mobile and she said “You can take it but make it fast since my balance is low.” I sighed and cursed her for her pre paid account. I called him and he said he would come down and this time I did not bother to ask him as to how I can recognize him! Yes, I am always this thoughtful. There were many people who were walking in and out of the gate. I was irritated by my carelessness this time for sure. Vinu was like “I don’t have balance. Grrrrrrrrr”. We called him again and he stood there smiling at us. He called “Vasumathi?”. I smiled and said “You have my mobile.” I finally got my mobile back and thanked him. These were the last things he told me “Madam, unga mobile rumba azhukka irukku, clean pannunga. Clean a irundhirundha mattun naa vithuttiruppen.” He walked into his office. We had a good laugh and I was very happy that I got my mobile back. He was a smart young man indeed!

For me he was a Deiva magan who was kind enough to safe guard my priced possession. God bless him.

Friend, I miss you!

Relationships have an expiry date. Friendships have an expiry date. Really? I guess I have to accept the bitter truth about relationships now. I have always believed that relationships cant change, they just go into the dark for sometime and then when you want them back they are there. But I was wrong!

Yesterday I had this very long conversation with an old friend of mine, a friend from school. We hadn't spoken in ages! 

Old friends are like angels. I don't know why I say that, but there is something about them and the way they make me feel that makes me say that. May be because they make me feel like a child and take me back to times I can never go back to otherwise? May be.

I asked my friend why he was not keeping in touch with me regularly. I keep asking the same thing every time I speak to him. I value his relationship and it really matters a lot to me. But, the effort of keeping the relationship alive is sky rocketing! Once he told me that he can’t talk to me whenever he wants because I am married. Earlier he did not have to do the thinking before calling me up. Suddenly my identity is the problem. What’s wrong in talking to a married girl like you used to? I don't know!

Women are always judged by their identity. A woman is always someone's daughter or someone's wife! Isn't it unfair befriending an identity instead of a real person? Can a woman never have friends? Or are they all just short lived? I would just say its lack of passion and commitment in everything people indulge in. Friendships don't have any value I would say, may be because they are immaterial.

It takes so long to build something as beautiful as friendship and there are really only a handful of friends who you can have for life. And when you have made such friends, friends who you feel proud of having, you just lose them because your second name changed! Nonsense I say. But that's how it is, good or bad.

We make real friends at school. That’s when we are ourselves. They know what we are and what we became. They can keep the original self alive and recognize us the way we were at school. It’s a pity that all that has to change because of something very silly! 

I miss my friend today. How I wish my friendship was cherished the way I cherish his friendship!