Love Story 2030 - Part 1

The seed of this post was sown about a year ago in Mansi's room. 429 had become our hangout den after 623. The usual characters: Mansi, Maru, Atlee and batty. We were pulling each others' legs when one of us mentioned how our children would be. Though it didn’t last more than 2-3 mins, it struck me that it would surely make for a good read. So how do you make a story out of that? How about making them study in NITIE together?? Hmm...something more. They don’t know that their parents were the 623 gang. Hmm...Interesting...70s bollywood effect. But kinda lacks punch.Fine....they fall in love with each other. Yeah that’s right. It’s Love Story 2030. Fasten your seatbelts.

Characters - These are just for Part 1, the other character will be introduced in Part 2
Ashok Pujar(M), Puma Chandrashekhar(F), Padmanabhan Swaminathan(M), Nita Nemji Maru(F), Praveen Bhatnagar(M)

Situation - Eco Project

Place - Room Number: 429

All of them look at each other as to who should start the discussion.

Ashok(whispers): Yaar ek baat bata tera naam Padmanabhan se Paddy kaise ban gaya?

Paddy: Yaar meri mom pakka south indian hai. Isliye Padmanabhan naam rakh diya. Mere papa ne bohot protest kiya ki future mei ise problems honge. Par kisi ne suna hi nahi. Padmanabhan kisi bhagwan ka naam hoga. Isliye mera naam mere papa ne hi a.k.a Paddy rakh diya aur ghar mei jo bhi dost aate hain unko bhi bol diya ki iska naam Paddy hai. To mai Padmanabhan se Paddy ban gaya.

Ashok: To seedha bolna tha ghar mei bulate hain. Itna gyaan kyon sunata hai tu.

Praveen (Jumps on to the bed where both of us are sitting): Abe kis ladki ke baare mei baat kar rahe ho? I'll also join.

Paddy (embarrassed that the other two girls are left alone): Kuch nahi. Let’s start the discussion. So lets all introduce us.

Introduction over and now everyone again stares at one another as to now what.

Ashok(Trying to break the ice): We should have more of our meetings outside lets say at dinners or coffee days. Kaam bhi ho jayega. Ek break bhi milega.

Praveen: Kuch kiya hi nahi. Kisse break lena hai. Abe paisa nahi kharch karna. Idhar hi karte hain.

Puma: Actually we should go out. It’s at least better than staying at this place. It looks like they have not repaired this room since the 90s.

Ashok (winks at Puma): Haan. She is right. Our mood will be better outside as well. We will be able to work better.

Nita: Arre...jaldi decide karo naaa.....mujhe tayyar hone ke liye half hour lagega.

Paddy (smiling): Nothing doing. First we split the work. Nita and Praveen - You research on the internet and get the material. Give the material to me and Puma. We will work on the document and then we pass it on to Ashok. Chal..you guys keep discussing. I'll have a fag and come.

Inside the room - Nita and Praveen get to discussing and Ashok is upto his usual stuff.

Ashok: So are you new to Bombay?

Puma: Yup. My mom and Dad are from Hyderabad.

Ashok: Its interesting cos your Hindi sounds more Mumbaish.

Puma: I actually studied in Pune and stayed at my relatives' place. Kal mujhe unse milne Pune jaana hai. Par bolne se dar lagta hai. This Paddy seems to be very strict.

Ashok: No. Not really. He is a kind a show-off. Dikhata hai waise. Waise koi load nahi hai. Mai Praveen ko janta hoon. Woh internet mei kaam ki cheez kam dekhta hai

On the other side

Nita: Kam karne kab baithna hai?

Praveen: Arre kaam ko rehne do. Tujhe lagta hai Ashok aur Puma kaam ke baare mei baat kar rahe hain. Waise hi timepass karte hain, coffe peete hain. movie dekte hain. I have got some old videos and songs that my dad passed onto me.

Nita: Oh...Is that so? I would like to see those movies. Actually my parents lived in a village and there was no computer in the house. My dad wouldn’t allow me to touch his laptop. I overheard him telling my mom that I might see the TP folder on his laptop. He has been preserving that for over 20 years. Wonder what’s in that.

Praveen: Koi load nahi hai. You can come to my room.

Nita: Sure.

Paddy enters the room.

Ashok: Abe itna time kyon laga

Paddy: Abe woh Dean Anil Pundir ka phone aa gaya. Uski beti ki shaadi mei media arrange karwana hai. Mai kya ghanta hoon. Ye saala insti kabhi nahi sudhrega.

Nita and Puma leave the room and the three of us get to talking.

Praveen: Abe chodd na. Load kya le raha hai. Ashok ki tarah rehna chahiye. Tere jaate hi lag gaya Puma ke saat.

Ashok: Kuch bhi ho mai tere jaise Ambuja nahi maar raha tha ladki ke saamne.

Paddy: Ye saala Ambuja kya hota hai.

Ashok: Abe kuch nahi. Mere papa ke ek dost the Andy naam se. Woh hamesha PJ marte rehte the. Usko hi Ambuja bolte hain.

Paddy: Andy se yaad aata hai. Mere papa ke ek dost the jo apne kisse Andy ke naam se sunaate the. Kahin woh tere papa to nahin.

Ashok: Oye. Baap pe mat jaa.

Paddy: Chal..chodd.. (Winks at Ashok) Acha suna Nita ka koi boyfriend hai. (Both look at Praveen)

Ashok: Haan suna thoda dicey hai unka relationship.

Praveen: Ghanta saalon. Aur koi topic nahi hai. Waise bhi Puma koi kam babe nahi hai and she is single as well (winks at me)

Paddy: Haan yaar. Mazaa ayega uske saat kaam karne mei. Isliye maine usko apne team mei le liya doc banane mei.

Ashok: Yaar..us doc ke baare mei...Humne decide kiya hai ki mai aur Puma doc banyenge. Aur tu presentation banade.

Paddy: Mereko Ch@#$# samajh ke rakha hai. Mai kyon na uske saat karoon.

Ashok: Kyonki kal woh Pune jaa rahi hai

Praveen: To tu doc bana. Woh dono presentation banaenge.

Ashok: Nahi yaar. Kal mujhe bhi kaam hai. Mujhe use chodne station jaana hai.

Praven and Paddy break into laughter.

Paddy: To ye Ashok Travels suru kar raha hai. Kya rate hai be.

Ashok (blushing): Abe chod na..

Paddy: Abe tum dono pair mei kaam karoge to mai kya.......... you dont want me to complete the sentence...

Ashok: Mujhe pata hai tu bhadkega. Isliye maine Shalini ko bol diya ek aur vacancy hai humaare group mei. Woh kal se join karegi humei. Tu uske saat kaam kar.

Paddy: Ye kaun hai. Naam aajtak suna nahi. Saala aajkal MBA mei 800 log padte hain aur 12 batches hain. Kaunse batch mei kaun hai samajh mei nahi aata.

Ashok: Mere batch ki hai.

Paddy: Acha poora naam to bata.

Ashok: Khud dekh le.

Ye Shalini kaun hai. Kiski beti hai. Stay tuned to this space.

Written and Created by

The batty