An Obituary. In loving memory of...

 ~In fond memory of my Nokia 1200~

Switched on: May 2008 

Laid to Rest: Aug 27, 2011

The summer of May'08 would indeed have been fortuitous - for it was then that I bought you and in the process made you a part of my life - rather a part of me. Who knew at that time that the rendezvous will mark the beginning of an association that will be a witness to love and to hatred, to success and to failures, to chivalry and to flattery and to naivety and to shrewdness alike.

My N1200: During it's prime !

Baptized in the heat and crowded buses of Hyderabad, like a true soldier, you proved your mettle even in the rainy Mumbai, the sweltering Delhi, the temperate Bangalore, the tropical Goa and you survived ! You were subjected to the jibes of my colleagues, my friends, my girl friend, my family...but boy u were stubborn! You continued to serve me without a glitch and I persisted with you even in the face of these odds. You were put to intense tests in the dense coffee estates of Coorg, yet like a ruthless crusader, you proved your grit by managing a single tower, of intermittent signal though, when models better (so they claim!) than you, with the same service providers were rendered useless. You were a victim of my recklessness so many times and yet like a true friend, were at my service, the next moment itself. You were privy to all my conversations,all my thoughts; yet like a true confidant kept it all to yourself. Even though I kept getting lost; like a true guide, your  guiding (torch) light always help me find a way through many a stormy weathers.

Resting in sublime peace !

Even now, as you are laid to rest, believe me, it's not that you have outlived your utility; it's just that I was not strong enough to resist the charms of 'smart-phone(y)ism.'

Few years back I heard the term 'value for money'. Three years of our camaraderie and I can proudly proclaim that I have experienced it being epitomized to perfection.

... then nothing else matters !

We first met on the eve of my first job - way back in the summer of 2006, 24th May to be precise. I still have the imprint of those memories in my mind - fresh, as if it were yesterday. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. For 3 months, our romance blossomed, before it was cut short due to my transfer. For the next 3 years, I was in the company of others, but none was as captivating as her. But as fate would have it, we were destined to meet again!

I was both excited and apprehensive at the prospect of seeing her again. Excited - at the idea of being enthralled again and Apprehensive - at the thought of the changes that might have taken place in three long years.

There were cosmetic changes but characteristically - nothing had changed much. And Yes ! she had changed her name(which was thrust upon her). She was called 'Bangalore' when we first met, was 'Bengaluru' in the second innings, but that barely made any difference. She remains a sweetheart...no matter what !

No matter, it's bosom, which once abounded with the green cover is now a labyrinthine maze of under-construction roads amidst a rapidly rising concrete jungle; No matter, "India's Beer Capital" sleeps by 10-10.30 p.m; No matter, the auto-wallahs charge  insane rates; No matter, driving on the perennially dug up roads is woefully difficult and the whole city is brought to a standstill even at a slight drizzle; No matter, you don't dare venture out alone at night, not for the fear of being hounded by rowdies, but for the fear of being hounded by a pack of dogs who are looking for their daily dose of entertainment; No matter, the 'Majestic' bus terminal is such a misnomer and that you end up hurling tons of curses everytime you have to visit it; No matter...(and I can go on and on and on)

But when you close your eyes and 'experience' the gentle breeze (which is so very characteristic of Bengaluru only) that blows in day in and day out, gushing through your face and body; it's as if the spirit of Bengaluru, masquerading as wind, is trying to give you a desperate hug, trying to take away your worries, your fatigue, your confusions with it; it's as if each and every pore of your skin is oozing with springs of freshness; it's as if you are experiencing a divine rejuvenation of soul and senses that peps you up for yet another day. It's then, that you realize that no matter what, nothing else really matters...nothing whatsoever!

Bengaluru never fails to mesmerize me with her charms. And I believe it's just not me. Anyone, who has ever met her, felt her, can't deny falling in love with her !

'Oh ! Bengaluru' - you'll be missed !

P.S: Bengaluru wouldn't have been the same, but for a fair share of contribution by my roomies - the one who always argued, the deadly duo of the psycho and the philosopher, and the one who always ended being beaten up :-)