Ever since they got mobile phones for themselves, my parents have been devoted to the Idea network. Right from the times when we were asked to hand up immediately after giving the message (‘Do you know we are charged almost eight rupees every time you call?’) to now, when mom calls up as she’s walking down the stairs out of the house just to remind us to put the juice bottle back in the fridge.
Cell phones have been a strange fascination; they are, even now. Everybody wants to have his or her very own ten-digit number. Everybody included me too. I longed to grow up just to get that set of ten digits against my name. (‘We’ll get you a phone when you grow up.’)
Time passed, and yippee! I was now the proud owner of a brand new number; needless to say, it was an Idea number (‘ Idea’s the best, you know.’). Yeah right! What an idea! All my money burnt to ashes, with some left for a regular subway sandwich. I couldn’t even replace that wretched thing with a better number. (‘You want those other fancy numbers only to show off! Up to you now, take it or leave it. Idea’s the best anyway’) did I have a choice?
I kept it, waiting for some miracle to happen, until one day, when the sun rose on a brighter note, letting a ray of hope seep into my hapless world.
My phone was now STOLEN!!
Wow! Did I actually own a phone that was worth stealing? Did I finally get rid that pocket-burner?
(‘How the hell can you lose your phone? Why are you so careless?’)
Life slowly got back to normal. Things felt better more time for TV, more money for movies. Late realization – I had my CA entrance test coming up. I bloody hell had to clear it this time! A long month of books and more books passed by.
Now, it was time for peer pressure – Why don’t you get a new number? Get a Hutch connection na, yaar!
“The Aha! Moment”
Hutch sounded better than I-D-E-A. Why don’t I get a Hutch connection?
After a lot of persuasion – ‘Idea is too expensive for me’; ‘let me try a new connection’; ‘the hutch dog is soo cute’ – I finally got it. (Okay, fine. You can have it your way. But, Idea is still the best, you know?)
Phew!
Good riddance, I thought. No more Idea now.
Less did I know, that the hutch guys would come up with ‘ Hutch is now Vodafone’?
That was not too far from the bad rubbish that I thought I got rid of.
The network is pathetic. Helluva trouble taking care of it. Maintenance charges reach up the sky. My pocket has a hole, deeper than the Black hole. The ‘Customer Executive’ guys ignore my calls. I can never reach the help center. I get charged even when I don’t make calls. I get calls singing out lousy, irritating songs into my ears. I’m sent messages late in the night asking me if I want to win gold!
(‘So, how do you like your new number?’)
Cell phones have been a strange fascination; they are, even now. Everybody wants to have his or her very own ten-digit number. Everybody included me too. I longed to grow up just to get that set of ten digits against my name. (‘We’ll get you a phone when you grow up.’)
Time passed, and yippee! I was now the proud owner of a brand new number; needless to say, it was an Idea number (‘ Idea’s the best, you know.’). Yeah right! What an idea! All my money burnt to ashes, with some left for a regular subway sandwich. I couldn’t even replace that wretched thing with a better number. (‘You want those other fancy numbers only to show off! Up to you now, take it or leave it. Idea’s the best anyway’) did I have a choice?
I kept it, waiting for some miracle to happen, until one day, when the sun rose on a brighter note, letting a ray of hope seep into my hapless world.
My phone was now STOLEN!!
Wow! Did I actually own a phone that was worth stealing? Did I finally get rid that pocket-burner?
(‘How the hell can you lose your phone? Why are you so careless?’)
Life slowly got back to normal. Things felt better more time for TV, more money for movies. Late realization – I had my CA entrance test coming up. I bloody hell had to clear it this time! A long month of books and more books passed by.
Now, it was time for peer pressure – Why don’t you get a new number? Get a Hutch connection na, yaar!
“The Aha! Moment”
Hutch sounded better than I-D-E-A. Why don’t I get a Hutch connection?
After a lot of persuasion – ‘Idea is too expensive for me’; ‘let me try a new connection’; ‘the hutch dog is soo cute’ – I finally got it. (Okay, fine. You can have it your way. But, Idea is still the best, you know?)
Phew!
Good riddance, I thought. No more Idea now.
Less did I know, that the hutch guys would come up with ‘ Hutch is now Vodafone’?
That was not too far from the bad rubbish that I thought I got rid of.
The network is pathetic. Helluva trouble taking care of it. Maintenance charges reach up the sky. My pocket has a hole, deeper than the Black hole. The ‘Customer Executive’ guys ignore my calls. I can never reach the help center. I get charged even when I don’t make calls. I get calls singing out lousy, irritating songs into my ears. I’m sent messages late in the night asking me if I want to win gold!
(‘So, how do you like your new number?’)
Well... I like my number. Fancy enough or perhaps simple enough to remember for me..I didn ask for it though. Dad jus handed it to me one fine day. Lotta zeros in it. I guess Dad thought it would suit me. On a frienly note... try pre-paid. Works out great for me.
ReplyDeleteOf course I didn wanna be "whos this outta the blue" idiot. But I like readin stuff expressed well.
don you think its a lil tough to read in this colour?
ReplyDeletehuh.. nice to see someone responding to this so passionately..
ReplyDeletenice!
(i was changing the color of the page when there was some network problem..so had to let that eye-blindingly bright color stay for a while)
Nice post. Actually, exceptional is the word. I like my number and Idea is certainly not the best (The ads maybe good, but...), Vodafone is good, don't know why you hate it. But yes, there is always this thing called Airtel, which in my opinion is unbeatable. (And it has your favourite SRK endorsing it!)
ReplyDelete