Arshad Warsi……how beautiful SHE is…..

Yeah, you read it correct, how beautiful SHE is….

I was on the way to Chandigarh with high spirits. So very high spirit that the passenger next to me in the bus, changed not his seat, but the bus itself. No specific reason why I was high in spirit, but for general happiness, I guess…the bus spewed all the passengers in Chandigarh at around 7’o clock in the morning. Still disoriented to certain extent I took an auto to the guest room earmarked for me. Believe me, there were times when auto was easier than a cab….

I was working with an organization that was spread across the country and even overseas. I was positioned at a difficult area and the very word Chandigarh should have taken me to cloud eleven (why should nine have all the fun). But I was not…

I was to stay in Chandigarh for a month and undergo a training at Mohali.  

Reached the guest room, informed the concerned people and settled down. In my next room, heard some noises, strangely sounded similar to the noises from my room, like somebody else was settling there…just like me…

Here I must say about my proficiency in the language Hindi. During my school days, I had joined Hindi coaching classes, like everyone else. Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha conducts these eight exams from Prathamik to Praveen. You may undergo coaching classes if you want, then apply for the exams, attend, clear it and take certificate. It is used to be told that Praveen is equivalent to MA in Hinid. Only God knows if that’s true. But that was supposed to be a motivating factor.

The trend was generally you take six months to one year for first exam and thereafter you start clearing one exam every six month. I thought, let me also do it. The coaching was at the house of a teacher which was in the street next to ours. Also, couple of my friends were studying there. So I decided I will also join, have some fun time as well. I toiled the first year, and cleared Prathamik in First Class. Got motivated. Brimming with that motivation, continued to study for the second exam and was hoping to appear for the same in next six months.

Life is not so easy you see….My teacher said that I am not ready in six months. So succumbed to pressure of continuing for six more months and appeared in second exam and passed in Second Class. The story repeated for one more time and I appeared for third exam after a year. I passed the third exam also, but in Third Class. Now that’s something to ponder about. First exam in First class, Second in Second class and Third in Third class. By simple logic and knowing one’s graph, I realised that I will pass the Fourth exam in Fourth Class. Sudden revelation occurred….There is NO FOURTH CLASS….it is called as FAIL.

How can “I” fail…??? Can I let that happen….?? I decided….resolved myself.…bought forward all my courage….

Walked up to my parents, shared the simple logic I have mentioned above and they also agreed. So I stopped going to the Hindi Coaching Class.

The northern most part of India I had visited before starting my career was Tiruppathi. So when I went to Bhopal for the interview, training at a place even farther in North direction, the very aspect of going there was an adventure by itself. Somehow, I managed and started my career. Hindi in me was where ever it was, THIRD CLASS…..

In the job, I did something to my full conviction but people didn’t like it. They wanted me to be sent away for a break (their break, obviously)…So, here I am, settling myself in a guest room in Chandigarh.

The person next door was Alexander from Kerala. He was also in Chandigarh for the same training. In his job, he had done something good and people had sent him to enjoy. Felt strange….same place, same thing to be done, reason for one was happier and other was not so…

As obvious it would be, we both spent some time together to know each other. I realised I was the most adventurous type between both of us. The northern most part he had ever visited before picking up the job was Coimbatore, got interviewed at Bengaluru and trained at Chennai. And he dint have the opportunity of spending his evenings with some ‘good’ people in the pretext of Hindi classes. So, naturally I took charge of roaming around in the Ga Ga Garh….

One fine day we decided that we will go to a movie. Lage Raho Munna Bhai was the talk of the town. So we went to the nearest mall. So one Thambi and a Mallu went to watch a Hindi movie in Chandigarh. Believe me, we enjoyed the movie. Especially the heroine. She was the typical cute and beautiful looking women who was shown more beautiful by the cameraman. That too in the song ‘Pal Pal Pal Har Pal…’ she was amazing.

The good movie was nearing the end and we suddenly realised that both of us dint know the name of the Heroine. Not a national crime, but we both liked her it would be unjust not to know her name. Now how to find out the name..?? Alexander said we will ask the person next to us but I shooed him saying ‘what will they think of us…and more over why do you have to ask anyone….movie is about to end and finally the credit slides will roll over and we can know her name from there….’ The Mallu liked the idea of Thambi. Now I started praying that the credit slides should come.

Thank God, the credits for the cast rolled up…..was following it up very closely…Sanjay Dutt….Hero ka naam….heroine name heroine name….here comes after the hero’s name…eyes struck there…. Arshad Warsi… Wow what a beautiful name….befitting name….Thambi revealed to the Mallu that the Heroine’s name is ‘Arshad Warsi’…

For next few days, Thambi and Mallu were singing THE LINE, ‘PAL PAL PAL HAR PAL HAR PAL…..’ on repeat mode (for we could register only these many words) and discussing the Heroine, ‘Arshad Warsi……how beautiful she is…..’