Missing Noida

November 9th 2003, Sunday, was a new turn in my life, a special day. Because I landed in Noida from Mumbai, that day is still crystal clear to my eyes (stored securely in my photographic memory). Cool breeze, climate was pleasant, the auto guy took a little further than the actual address, I saw a big board of HSBC from far, looked pretty neat. I was enjoying the weather and looking all around the new place...least bothered about the address. The auto guy was shouting at me..." tikh tikh batou kahan pe jaana hai, nahin toh utaro yahinpe..." I was like wow...I have something to handle here. I replied, as calmly as possible to me..."Ab tak sow baar bolchukahun, Sector - 15 jaana hai mujhe, aur wahinpe utarna hai mereko". He looked at me as if he wanted to murder me right there...I continued to enjoy the nature. Autoguy calledup some other rikhsaw guy...to find where the hell this sector - 15 is...? on the other hand I was shocked to see a ricksaw, I remember something of that sort in my grandfather's village, the place where I was born, but even there I doubt whether they have rikhsaws till today...im sure they must have upgraded themselves to auto by now(2004)...even in that hardcore village.

The serene weather thing slowly goingaway from my mind... i was thinking like this..."is this so called NODIA a sick remote place?...my decision of coming to HCL & Noida is wrong ? Damn I was in mumbai...what a place !!!...and where Im I ??? !!! ". I said cool down BVN to myself. RICKSAW...the thing which I was seriously not comfortable at that point of time was...how can a educated man in today's world simply sit when some other person is carrying you and pulling you in a ricksaw !!! (hehe later on I got so used to it...everyday I usedto travel in that).

Now, lets come back to the addressfinding issue, the ricksawGuy said..." you have to goback to the next laalbatti"...this murderer autoguy was like..."oh laalbatti...i know that better"...meanwhile I hve sent the input to my mind as laalbaatti...interpreted, compiled and executed...the final output was...REDLIGHT...laalbatti means redlight....ooohhhh...fear gripped all over my face...i thought today is NOT my day...this guy is taking me through a redlight area ...my goodness...firstday in the city and hope he is not trying to give me more trouble...what the hell I thought.

But still, I had to use all my experience to keep myself calm...the auto guy took a U turn and took me 1 km backwards...stopped again...and started telling me..."yahin hai woh laalbatti...ab toh utarjaou...merekotime horahahai". I thought enough is enough...i was a bit furious this time...I said "mereko lalbatti pe kya karna hai...pagal hai kya ???...sow baar bolchuka hun...mereko sector 15 mein jaana hai...samja.." I was a bit loud this time.

Then he called somebody again and they told the autoguy to go further backwards...and the place where the whole drama of addressfinding was happening is a big four-road-meeting-junction this time and all of a sudden some bikeguy from nowhere... almost came inside the auto, so very fast...just missed...then the idea struck me...laalbatti means...SIGNAL...redlight (laal means red, batti means ...for say a candle ...kind of). so it means a Traffic Signal Post. huh...relieved I was...i said to myself wow noida !!! Crazy.

Finally he dropped near the guesthouse in noida, sector - 15...i got down with my luggage and the autoguy was asking for more...this time somewhat peacefully !!!...i think i gave him 10bugs more...he was quiet thistime as he didnt expect me to give that 10bugs..hehe...finally LEFT me in peace. Relieved.

Entered, the building looked decentEngough, some other guy from hyderabad staying right next to my room, shouting in high pitch...fully drunk, enjoying...obviously a new joinee like me, becuase that is a company guest house. I got inside my room and bolted the door. Took a nice bath...watched TV for 15 mins...jumped out of the bed to explore the nearby roads...it was around 9pm...saw some guys having roadside food...saw a 3rd grade stinking theatre out there...forgot the name of that theatre (will google and let you know):):)...I was liking that little walk so very much because of the climate...I felt like Im in a picnic spot...that chillness...and finally back to the guesthouse after about 45 mins or so. Little excited thinking about my firstday in HCL...watching TV but my mind was all about office...couldnt sleep much that night. I switchedoff A/C around 11 as I felt the weather was quite comfortable without a/c...and back to watching TV with ua fan ON...I think I fell asleep around 1Am.

I Dont remember the exact time...as I was in deep sleep :)...slowly getting into senses as I felt like someone kept ICE all over my body...it was damn cold...I gotup in a flash and sat right in the middle of the bed...dark and i could nt locate anything out there...hurried & searched for the LIGHT switch...and switched it ON with a bit of fear inside. The room was so coooool, may be like a mortuary. Immediately I switchedoff the fan, hesitantly kept my foot down...wooo...floor is like ICE. Then I understood...why they have placed such thick blankets on the bed...I was not using them at all. Relaxed after that silly realization...I smiled at myself...took some water and it took some 5 mins for me to start enjoying the chill...FRESH NOW...switched on the TV again...UNDERSTOOD that it gets really cold out there in NOIDA...hahaha. Back to the IdiotBox (TV) for some more hours...and slept again...this time with that thick blanket...:):):) Every night thereafter ...Till March 2004...ha ha ha

So much happened after that...everyday was eventful & memorable...met all kinds of people there and some animals too...:)

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