The calls

Harbani Khurana did reply the next day. To both the girls, and it simply read, “pLEASE cALL ME” (exactly this font).

Mrinu read and exclaimed, “Ok so she has a weird way of writing”. The two girls decided to call Harbani on different times. Anjali would call her up around 11 and Mrinu would call at 12. It was planned out in great detail and the enthusiasm and excitement was similar to what school kids have about bunking school. So at 11, Mrinu literally dragged Anjali to the pantry and Anjali (reluctantly) called up Harbani.

“Hello?”

“Hello is that Harbani?”

“Yes”

“Harbani, Hi, this is Anjali. I mailed you yesterday about the Rock On concert. You asked me to call. Ummm, I was wondering if its possible for you to arrange for some passes.” Mrinu looked intently at Anjali.

“You are in print media, right?”

“Yes.”

“See as far as media coverage is concerned, we are looking at only news channels. But I could give you passes for you and friends.” (ah to the point. Nice chick!)

“How many can you arrange for?”

“Three?”

“Make that four.”

“Cool.”

“So how do I collect it?”

“From City walk.”

“Where in City walk?”

“You don’t know where is City walk?! Honey, you don’t know anything then about the city!”

“No no, I know where is City walk, I meant in the mall, where do I meet you or collect the passes from?”

“I’ll leave it in the main office. Anjali, right? I’ll leave an envelope for you. Collect it anytime before Saturday. Preferably by 5.”

“Cool, Thanks so much”

Anjali disconnected and gave a triumphant look to Mrinu. “Four passes! Got four passes! Yay!” Mrinu smiled and then did some mental calculation and said “Ok so we need 5 more passes.” Checked her watch and said “I’ll call in an hour’s time.”

So while Anjali was happy and excited about the four people she could surely take, Mrinu wondered if Harbani would catch what they were upto. As Anjali and Diva went to the canteen to get whatever Diva wanted to have (lately she has to keep having something) Mrinu could stay no longer and called up Harbani.

“Hi Harbani, Mrinalini here. You are the PR person for the Rock On concert?” (like she didn’t know)

“Hi sweety, ya I am. So basically, you write for zzzz Times?”

“I don’t intend to cover your story as I am sure you are looking at TV coverage more than print. So, how many can you dish out?” (smart taking a cue from the conversation Anjali had already had with Harbani)

“Yes yes, subah se people are calling up, I don’t even need to go out and do the PR. TV channels are themselves confirming yaar. Darling, don’t worry, I can give you 4. Cool?”

Wondering what was wrong with this Sikhni who just went on saying ‘darling darling’ in every sentence, Mrinu was confirmed in her belief that this woman would never catch the email trick they had so innocently played on her. Never mind.

4 more passes!!!

So Anjali and Mrinu set to work. By the end of the day, they had charted out all the names they would or wouldn’t want to take along. Of course Nandini and Piya were coming even though they didn’t know it themselves yet.

Meanwhile, Anjali got busy being excited and for once happy that the “Press’ tag did anything to help except get free entry in ‘Dilli Haat’ (Yes yes, all you people with the tag, you get free entry! Yipeee! More power to the media.) So she is busy calling up people, friends and family, finding potential head banging excited individuals who would like to attend he concert.
Rrrrrrrrring Rrrrrrrrring

Anjali: Nanduuuuu!
Doyouwantogototherockonconcerttomorrowevening?

Nandini: Hmm, What?! Breathe and speak!

Anjali: Do.you.want.to.go.to.the.rockonconcerttomorrow? It will be SO cool! Please come!

Nandini: Rockonconcert! What? How? You’re going? Where? Haan?

Anjali: Yaaaa! Me and Mrinu are definitely going, We’ve got free passes!!! Mrinu has this friend who has this friend and they told us that press is getting free passes so she called and I called and yak yak yak yak yak..

Out came the entire story of how it was managed and what now etc etc etc.

Nandini: Hmmm. You know dad na. Its dicey, I’ll have to ask. He anyway thinks that rock concerts are license to misbehave for most and only shady people attend! You remember how I attended the Bryan Adams concert with my sister? Papa sent with us an EMPLOYEE from his office. Bhayya ji was running with us all the way. Grrr. That’s so not happening again! But this is really cool. I haven’t even seen the movie! But Arjun Rampal, Farhan Akhtar!

A few moments of silence as both Anjali and Nandini day dream

Nandini: I’m so coming! I’ll convince him somehow. How will we come back?

Anjali: Don’t worry, I’m taking my car so you come with us. Just come!

After some negotiations with daddy dearest..

Nandini: I can come!! Yaaaaaahooooo! One more ‘cool’ thing I’ll do! Ahhh. Good music, drool-worthy guys!

Anjali: So you’re coming?!! We’ll have sooo much fun! Lets plan! So till now, its you, me, my cousin Renee, and you know JB from my college and of course Mrinu the mastermind. I asked Piya by the way, she is going on a date with Viv morrow night. So cant make it.

Nandini: Hmmm…But its so cool! An all girls gang to watch an all boys band?

Anjali: So cheesy!!! But true! And maybe one guy, Mrinu is planning to get along a friend maybe but he’ll be coming from work, lets see.

Nandini: Ooooh. Friend and all?

Anjali: Oh. Long story for another time. But I pity the guy if he does come, one amongst 6-7 of us.

To be continued....

It all started on a Wednesday morning...

Mrinu entered the bay at work, managed to keep her stuff at her desk and hurried towards Anjali’s desk. Turned Anjali’s chair and almost screamed “Guess what?” Sleepy Anjali looked dazed…she was still not out of her sleep and just gave a puzzled look to her hyper friend. “What?” she managed to say. “Farhan is coming. Saturday at select City walk.”

Slowly Anjali was waking up. “You mean Farhan Akhtar?” Ok now she was completely awake. “Yes” squealed Mrinu like a child.” “The entire cast is coming. There is a concert happening. Rock on concert.”

“Concert mane?” Anjali asked. “Are they going to perform live?” Mrinu nodded emphatically. “You mean the cast will perform? Farhan Akhtar will sing?” Anjali just couldn’t digest the news while Mrinu kept nodding excitedly.

“Oh my god!! We should go!!” Anjali finally said.

Suddenly Mrinu’s expression changed from excited to disappointed to determined. She said “Local radio channels are giving passes but cant get through the number only. Let me think how to get the passes” And with that she went back to her seat.

The day started with a meeting with the Boss and pile of work got ‘unloaded’. So the thought of acquiring passes for THE concert was momentarily wiped off due to the work pressure. Anjali had already resigned herself to fate that like all other happening do’s of the city, she would have to miss this one too. But Mrinu was on a mission clearly, because post lunch she came back to Anjali’s desk animated just like morning and said “Guess what? Sambhav can make it sambhav (cheesy I know!) for us!! He can arrange for some passes! Select City walk is a client of the ad agency he is working at.”

For a moment Anjali got excited but soon realized that it will be difficult to convince dad to let her stay that late, and in any case, why would Sambhav take her along? He was Mrinu’s friend, not hers. So she unenthusiastically told Mrinu to go ahead with the plan…that is if Sambhav could acquire the passes.

At four, new developments took place. Sambhav did manage to get two passes one for him and other obviously for Mrinu but gave Mrinu an information that changed everything forever (well momentarily). He asked Mrinu to contact the PR person at Select City walk and ask for media passes. Apparently ‘they’ were giving passes in bulk to media people.

Aha!Mrinu immediately drafted a mail to Harbani Khurana, PR Executive, Select City walk from her official id (no less) and asked for passes for the media.(such undue advantage one takes of one’s company name…sigh). And like a big sister, stood on Anjali’s head and forced her to do the same. Anjali loved delaying adventures by punctuating the ideas with a lot of doubts, questions and negative ‘could be’s…“But why?,” Anjali asked in despair. “ You have already mailed her asking for passes, I don’t need to ask for more!”

Mrinu sighed and said “ You do! Think about it, more the passes, more people can come along and she may not reply to me, but to you na. So mail her.”

“But Mrinu we are not going to officially cover the event, its like doing something illegal!”

“Oh god!! With this attitutde you are never going to do anything in life. We are media people. It’s the PR’s job to keep us happy…all the time! Now be a good girl and mail!”

Anjali reluctantly mailed with Mrinu overlooking.

To be continued...