I know exactly what you’re thinking. The master of sequels is at work again. Ah!... Nice misunderstanding... If you’re expecting a continuation of Part I, buddy, you’re out for a shock... Never mind... Read on!
*May 27, 2003
23:45HRS IST
Nagpur City, India*
The sweltering heat of the day had just about begun to wan and the fan finally circulated tolerable air. There was a faint whir of a fan running on full and the buzz of a computer machine driving its full throttle to keep the chip from overheating. Under this halfhearted silence, the computer speakers faintly hummed Hotel California.
There was this boy sitting in front of the monitor screen, the a pale pink glow on his face. He was reading something. Intense. It seemed important. It was a question of 30, 000 Rupees. A purchase of that amount must not go wrong. Just not. It was out of the question. He had to research well. The parameters were straightforward. The budget constraint. The functionality of the purchase. Its returns. Its value for money. The optimum mixture was the only option.
As the words Kinetic Style SLX were fed into the Google Search bar, the results were spontaneous. A list of pages. Kinetic home page. Bad choice. Why would they give out cons? A couple of cliched bike and car reviews’ website. Already checked. No use... Except one link... Looked conspicious... Review by someone... on MouthShut.com?
Weird. Really weird.
Worth a try?
Indeed...
It was just this. This simple little start. How could I have ever predicted it would turn out into a two and almost three year obsession?
It sounds weird. Very weird.
It’s just a website after all. A stupid website, some pages. A bunch of clowns banging about their keyboards like wild monkeys, categorically dismantling brands for whatever reasons that came to their heads. Who would have known I would like this place?
But I did.
One of the many mysteries I can never understand. No regrets though... Absolutely no regrets...
It’s been two years and trust me it’s been quite a while. Made friends, made foes, broke friends, defeated foes and above all several times over made a fool out of myself. Never mind though. Just don’t mind...
But think about it... Just think.
Why did people who only read my e-mails and my reviews, or who only chatted with me on MSN become such close friends of mine?
We pine to meet up some day. We talk on phone, write to each other, miss each other.
And where did we meet?
An unlikely place... A stupid website.
I mean, my parents warned me of befreinding people who say hello to me in coffee shops. They can be anyone, they say. And you’d be wary of people who’d want to befriend you in coffee shops and bars.
Here I am, in the wired world, where there is no way to tell the liar from the rest, making friends with people and things working out so well that they’re just as good friends of mine as are the chaps who’ve failed tests with me in school and college.
How totally weird.
Did I get anything from here?
Well, yes and no.
Yes because I got a chance to write. but then again, for the past 188 or whatever times it’s been just one thing. Me banging my keyboard with no particular conviction, like an utter fool who’s got nothing better to do. There was potential of turning it into a constructive activity. I don’t think there was enough motivation to do so.
Is it a creative activity?
Heck no. Nearing 200 reviews, and I can see all my reviews neatly belonging to a few specific kinds. Humor reviews. Serious pieces. Story reviews. And crap. My four kinds of reviews. I’ve not graduated beyond this. And each review belonging to a specific class is so horribly similar to the others. I don’t know if you faced that. I’m sure you will. This is not a creative activity.
Did I lose anything here?
Hehehe... I did... I lost my frigging mind here... no regrets though... Absolutely no regrets...
I know the body of the review was weird. How could you expect me to end my review with the story behind how I found it?
Crazy chaps!!