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The googly-woogly queen

Readers, thank you so much for all those cheer-up comments on my last post about being homesick. So here is something to prove that I am in good humour now.

Some people have been pestering me if I have ever paid any compliments to a girl. I keep telling them that I don't like to pay compliments unless they are worth mentioning and remembering. Ok-ok, I know that your radars are now at full alert. So before I go further, let me clarify a few things. The 'some people' are friends. The 'worth mentioning' part comes into the picture because if you are a girl reading this post, and I have not paid you a proper compliment as yet, then you must wait for that worth-mentioning idea to strike me (try wooing me, if you want that quick ;). Now, again, what qualifies as a worth-mentioning compliment? Did you watch the Ponds' googly-woogly ads recently? Or maybe you heard them on the radio? Well, they are the ones I am talking about.

I was in my final year at my engineering college. The Times Public Speaking Contest auditions were being held in Surat and I had applied. The elimination round was being conducted through group discussions, at the Taj ;). After waiting for some time in the lobby, we were called in for this 'discussion'. The girl who this post is about had entered sometime with us, and was seated at the far end of the table. Anyway I did not take much notice then. The GD topic was a much more important than who all were speaking (now, please don't look so scandalized!). We got a topic: "Abhishek Bachchan --- failed in comparison".

Lets not worry about what your opinion on the topic is. Instead, let us recall what happened. I got to speak just a couple of sentences during the entire melee, and that too much later in the discussion. I call it a melee because whoever has been to a similar GD will know. As far as I remember, this girl spoke up just after me and supported the only couple of sentences I spoke. And of course you understand that in a GD where you know nobody, a girl speaks right after you and actually supports your argument automatically ensures that you take notice of her. I did that. She was fair-complexioned and well, generally well-dressed. The discussion continued, and then ended after some more discussion. We were asked to stand outside in the lobby and wait for the result.

This girl came out along with the others. I went about getting to know others, while glancing at her at times (ok, if you want it, staring). She, however, was with her folks at a corner of the lobby. As any guy can confirm, you don't want to invade a pack of girls standing and giggling at a corner just to say hi to one of them. Therefore, I waited for my turn.

In the meantime, the results came out. Six people were selected from among the 30-35 people for the regional rounds. The names were called out one after another, and her name came in second, as far as I remember. The last name belonged to yours truly. What was the name of the girl? Hold on please... let the story go on. So, as I was saying, we started leaving the lobby. I went towards a lift at the far end of the corridoor as the nearer side was rather crowded, and most people did not want to venture too far out ;)

She followed me down the corridoor, and entered the lift. Inside, there were mirrored walls with glowing lights and golden-coloured steel frames, etc. You would suddenly feel as if you had walked into a sea of very bright yet unobstructive light. But the jewel in the crown was definitely the girl herself. You do not get to see such people everyday. There was something so supremely lively about her that I began to wonder. Now, this lift was one of those uncontrollable lifts where you push the ground floor button from the second floor, and the steel doors close, but it starts moving up. It is bound by its nature to move up and down in circles, irrespective of where you want to go. So this lift started moving up, and so did my heartbeat.

She started talking first. "I liked what you said", said she, and I thanked her. I also had to support whatever she had said, although I would have been stumped if she had asked what it was :) Anyway, things went on... and the sparkle in her eyes seemed to grow every moment. I came to know that she was going to become a 'dietician' and was in some college. The conversation drifted into other things, and we had a very lively conversation going. The lift was now on its way down and stopped at the second floor. All this time, we had been alone in the lift, and nobody had went by from outside. As it stopped at the second floor, some hotel people went about talking very animatedly in 'chaste' hindi outside the lift. Inside, a sudden silence followed. I suddenly found myself having so many things to say to her, but saying nothing. It was a very discordant silence. After what seemed like an aeon, the doors closed and the lift started moving down again.

I looked at her and our eyes met. I smiled, and she smiled back. Ahh... the sparkle again. I took a gulp and said, "Hey, wanted to tell you something...". The looked at me expectantly. I continued, "Would you mind if I told you that you are looking beautiful?". Her reaction was something between a blush, a yes, a no, and a startled expression. She could not speak anything then, however. So I went on, "Ok, so if you do not mind, you are looking really stunningly beautiful". She went silent for a while and the doors of the lift opened. We had reached the ground floor. She said "Thank you", with some reddened cheeks and a big cheerful smile, as we moved out. Once in the car-park she said, "Good bye". I wished her all the best and said "See you tomorrow" as I waved good-bye. However, that was the last I ever saw or heard of her.

Why?? Well, actually I was disqualified from the actual contest which was scheduled for the next evening. Why and how that happened is a different story, the next post, maybe. Suffice it to say that even as I was hoping to futher this little story on the next day, a little phone call told me that I was to sit in the audience if I decided to come the following day. Even after that, while I was contemplating a little dekko at the place on the next evening, I found Sehwag hammering the crap out of some bowler (Mohammad Sami perhaps) on that evening. I felt too lazy to go and chase the gal when I had some real good cricket going on at the same time that evening. Besides, truth be told, I was depressed a bit as I was not being able to speak that evening.

That, dear readers, was the only time I paid some memorable compliment to a girl. That was a comment worth mentioning; well, worth mentioning for the Ponds' googly woogly contest. Lady, if you are reading this, you have my permission to quote this.

Comments

  1. Oh-boy, this has become longer than I expected. Sorry people... but since you are already reading this, thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to tell me how much of a dolt I am in letting go of a gal like that.

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  2. When is the next Times Public Speaking contest? ;-)

    Hey Nice Post!

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  3. Supremus, the ulterior motive of 'God' might have been the same as the panelists, but my rejection was far more dramatic than a plain phone call. Wait for the next post for that.

    About attracting ladies via this one, sure! All ladies who post a reply get a compliment from me ;), albeit I would 'really' mean it in your sense :D

    Poorna, Why, want to get a compliment?? :P

    Nice post? Well, thanks and you are a very intelligent and a patient reader :D

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  4. Could you expand intelligent, please:-P?
    2 compliments! yay!

    Btw... I am Poornaa (double 'a'), slightly particular about that.

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  5. Poornaa, I think I'd demonstrate 'intelligent' by example. So intelligent = Sudipta when he is not thinking.

    I'm sorry about the typo (honest, it was just a typo).

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  6. I guess it was Jiju who won the contest at that time.. Isn't it??

    I remember u briefing us regarding the CGPA system at H2.. U were impressive indeed that night/..

    Nice post..

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  7. I've been pea green for more than a day now, and that's why I din comment initially. And that's what the fever sms was for. Gawd...et tu sudipta? I've been humming the song ever since- mujhko bhi to lift kara de!!!

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  8. hi sudiptada,

    well wat is the name of that gal? u havn't metion it!!!

    bikram

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  9. Jeevan, yups... Jiju, probably with Vinay Tiwari, won the contest. About that little lecture, yup... I am always good at that. And guess what, right now developing a newer version of that software myself.

    Sunshine, yeah... I was kind-a sceptical of your reaction. And don't worry about that et-tu thingy. You know me too well for that.

    Bikram, welcome aboard! As I wrote in the post, I don't remember anything of her except a few scattered details. And no, her name is not one of them

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  10. haha.. when i was reading this post i broke out into an endless laughter :)))
    i still cant imagine you writing something like this.. you and eyeing a girl!! hmm......
    on a serious note!! the writing here is good sudipta.. but dont you think a ride in the lift isnt enough to cause so much of a flutter ?? ahem.. i mean that implies either you have a weak heart or you are just exggerating :P anyways keep writing!

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  11. Feel sorry for you, for you chose cricket over something which could be more enchanting to you for years to come. Sometimes we just feel too week to act.

    Here's wishing you the very best for this new year and may you have another girl worth complimenting, by your side soon.

    -ATG

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  12. Sweet Alien, you will not believe the amount of silent laughter that I have had ever since I wrote this. And you guessed right.. some parts just seem longer because I have been going over them in detail while I skimmed over some other areas. And you know too well to discern what is what. It wasn't much of a flutter, nothing that counts now, anyway. :P

    Anil, naah... I ain't that sorry. Just that she caused some half-an-hour's flutter. And thanks for the good wishes... may the same happen to you! :P But you know, most girls I know are worth complimenting. Just that I don't do that very often. :)

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  13. Ok, here are the compliments for the girls who chose to comment here:
    Sunshine, you are the most sensible, sober and wonderful girl I know. Whatever you write is always so very close to life as I see it :)

    Sweet Alien, you have the most wonderful sense of humour in all the girls I know. Your sense of responsibility, cheerfulness and level-headed-ness has no match! :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. hey,...iam bak
    welcome to da club brother..this post beats mine. But dude really bad on ur part..shud have chased the gal..since she was the only one u found worth-complimenting ;)

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  15. Do u pay compliments to guys? :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sriram, welcome back, sire!

    Naah... read the follow-up post explaining why I did not go the next day. I am sure you will understand

    One more thing, readers.... if I have not paid a memorable compliment to a girl, it does not mean that she is not worth a compliment... it is just that I am too dumb to come up with an innovative compliment at the time

    Sajid, yeah, I compliment them only when they seem to have lost their marbles. And that compliment usually it, "Welcome to the cluyb, berather!!"

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  17. Starting of this story was really enjoyable...but ending was very un-romantic.....i think, if u will go to make a movie with this type of unromantic ending....then there will be no need to buy shoes for your whole life...:-)

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  18. I am sure, you must have been blushing more than her, while giving her the compliment! :)

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  19. Awwww :( anti-climax! I was hoping you would come across her again or something like that in true Bollywood style :D
    Anyway that was a good account!

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  20. me and sober? I almost choked on my coffee. Gawd, you'll kill me this way someday.

    BTW, can you repeat your compliments? hehe.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Animikh, STORY!! ?? :O

    Nahiiii... this happened with me :(( And whichever movie director is interested in this kind-a story, tell me... I'll find a happier ending.

    Volunteers, anyone? :P

    Twilight Fairy, you bet! Ok, I wasn't exactly blusing, but my heart was throbbing madly *a real internal blush remembering that*

    Shruthi, Yeah... me too have been hoping of this one :) Lekin kya karen, likhne waale ne is script mein kuchh aur hi likha tha :(

    Sunshine, now, don't push your luck too far :P

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  22. Ok, here are the compliments :P

    Twilight Fairy, you are the best female car-driver I know :)

    Shruthi, you are a very appreciative reader who can feel the undercurrent of these mute writings on the wall!

    Sunshine, *no-comments* :P

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  23. Nice post man. Though it would have been better if you had the girl by your side as you wrote this, wldn't it? But you can still make up for the loss.............. no girl likes anything better than a 'really meant' compliment. Happy complimenting ;

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  24. Sudipta, I need to ask you something and did not find your email address here (of course I saw the AOL handle but I stopped IMing on AOL long back). Can you send me an email to my indusguy at gmail account? Thx.

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  25. Oye.. "i was looking at her...okay STARING" huh?? I would say u were bloody ogling at her!! Ullu!

    Enough of girlie wirlie business... worry about your apps :-((

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  26. Manasi, thanks! And welcome aboard. If the girl would have been here by my side, I doubt if I could have composed this :P

    So you mean to say that girls know when a compliment is really meant? Hmm... will have to be careful next time :D

    Thennavan, right, sire! Check your mailbox.

    Juggernaut, naah, not ogling. I think stealing glances would be a better expression. ;)

    Enough of girlie business, huh? Ok... the next post is about God's role in this little drama :)

    Parna, fun read? :(( Yeah she might have been looking out, but I doubt that --- maybe she remembers the incident though.

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  27. Ok, now the compliments:
    Manasi, you are the best complimenter around! Please be here :)

    Parna, you are the lady with a wonderful memory who remembers all the sweet little things that happened in life :P

    ReplyDelete
  28. I am not able to open ur blog from our CCC.. y is that so.. ?? I can open all other blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Jeevan, I think that is because I have the word 'chat' in my name which is guarded by the proxy rules at CCC. It was I who had set them :((

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  30. a genuine compliment is what makes a girl's day.

    maybe you will meet her again, its a small world.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Evenstar, really? It makes your day? Hmm... I guess I made her evening that time.

    Ok, now time for your compliment :D :
    You are the most down-to-earth girl I know... someone whose words I find easy to connect with. But honestly, most of this is really meant and true :)

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  32. Thank you Sudipta. Coming from a writer like yourself, it means a whole lot...

    :-)

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  33. Evenstar, a writer like me!! :O Want an autograph?? :D

    Ok, just kidding... thanks for the compliment. You do write well --- and I mean it.

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  34. It seems like a complimenting session here! hehe... tats the only reason I chipped in! ;) As I said in one of my prior posts [http://melodycalledlife.blogspot.com/2006/03/wanna-be-friends-why-think-just-go.html], compliment a gal, and tat is it!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Ships, thanks for making this the most commented post now. As you say, it is the complimenting season around here. So here you go: you are a brialliantly talkative and friendly girl.

    So now as per the post whose link you've given out here, are we friends? :)

    ReplyDelete

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