Once It Happened to Me

It was a normal evening besetting the obnoxious heat of summer. I left the office early and booked a cab for Hotel Pullman close to the airport terminal of my city, New Delhi.

For wearing a modest salwar-suit with no accessories, and for not having attended any event like this ever in my life, my face was possessing the palpable signs of nervousness. But the situation of the giant reception of the hotel full of high-class conglomerates coming from 150 countries demanded me to act confident. I called my friend with extreme desperation to ask where she was. She told that she has just left from home which is ‘one-hour’ away from this place. Hell!

The prestigious international event was oriented at women economy which was going to be held for the following week in this hotel and had roped in 2000 women from 150 countries. Luckily, my friend had wriggled tickets for both of us and called me this very morning to reach by the evening and witness the majestic grandeur. Had I got her call before I left from home, I would have atleast carried some smart clothing with me.

In not more than 20 minutes, I was there – at hotel’s reception. The huge space was exquisitely decorated with colorful lights and flowers while the roof was adorned with chandeliers of resplendent designs. But the feeling of unease for me pervaded in the comfortable couch from where I was observing people passing.

Most of them were blondes – fair complexioned and good lookers. Some were in casuals, some in their elegant outfits, while some seemed to be in love with Indian dress like saari and lehenga!

Suddenly, I saw a fair, sweet looking blonde girl giving me an instant broad smile. Her reddish curls falling on her milky smooth face was giving a touch of Russian but what she was wearing was immaculate long black anarkali suit and cream dupatta with a complacent smile on her face. It was pleasant to see people from other countries showing such love and affection towards our deep-rooted tradition.

The exhaustion of the day and dazzling brightness of that unusual glitz and glitter altogether were straining my eyes. I  was about to take a nap, when I saw a man in an orange cloak and loongi and surrounded by few security guards approaching me. Baba Ramdev! What’s going on?

I kept sitting just watching him and trying to understand that it’s all happening,  that it’s not my imagination. But at the same time, I saw my friend from Sweden, Erika Michaelsson coming towards me. She looked like a fairy in her white frock under a baby-pink short coat. She would be today rewarded for her proficient role in Journalism for over 20 years and educating young women in Utopia.

Who to greet first?

I chose the one who is more important for me than anything else for now- Erika.

Next, my friend, Ambika too arrived. I remember her telling me she would be wearing a gown. But she was wearing a white suit instead just to give me company. So great of her!

Running out of time, all three of us huddled in the elevator which took us to the magnificent room on fifth floor, booked by Erika for her week long stay there. Like it happened during the Krishna-Sudama moment, Ambika, bearing a sympathetic look at my attire fished out a gorgeous white necklace towards me to wear.

As soon as Erika got ready, we took a quick retreat downstairs to enter the venue.

With the doors, my eyes too opened wide at the sight of a new world I just entered. It was difficult to decide what to observe first. So I gave a cursory glance around to find the space full of big round tables mostly occupied by foreigners just like I saw on Oscars. Before I could think of more metaphors to relate, the voice coming the stage stole my attention. I looked up on the magnificent stage having huge digital screens on either side for clear display.

I hope I don’t look weird when my lovely friend too is wearing a suit just to accompany me in this glittering crowd. Still, we were so elated that we didn’t miss a chance of clicking pics of each other. Who to ask to capture us together? Suddenly, a couple asked me to click their photo. After I clicked for them, I asked the woman to return the favour handing over the smart phone to her. It was so kind of that lady while that man, adamantly standing near us was spoiling our background for reason I could not understand!

Never mind, we could go for more pics had Erika not told us that ‘such activities feign bad etiquette’. We quietly re-occupied our seats and paid attention to what was going before us on stage.

All the awardees were seated in a row of chairs on stage each of who was allocated flat 3 minutes to speak. The big screen which displayed the face of the speaker had such a vivid resolution that any wrinkle, scar, or the tiniest of mole was difficult to disguise of the person who stood at the dais!

As the event went on, I was mesmerized by the fluency and rhythm of each speaker. There was no sign of stumbling or shivering. Those women who were mostly CEOs and well-known motivational speakers spoke so effectively on their experiences and beliefs that I completely forgot about the complaints and rebukes which I keep hearing day in day out from the people tortured by busy citylife. They appeared so satisfied and happy with the life they chose voluntarily that I wondered why many people don’t make a choice and waste away their life in being acted upon by external forces. Clearly, it’s all a matter of perception on the basis of which we make choices in life and get rewarded if the choices turn out to be right for us.

Next was our dear friend, Erika’s turn to speak. She had dropped her phone to me to record her presence on stage. But her swedish-speaking phone and the alien atmosphere altogether were making my hands tremble. I am quite sure if anyone would watch this video, he would mistake it for having been taken during an earthquake!

After a while, we moved outside when I suddenly got an idea to take some unsolicited interviews for my personal collection just like I did during my trip to Andaman. I like

keeping things like these as cherishable souvenirs moreover when it’s about making people happy by ‘shooting’ them on camera!

I was extremely hesitant to do something crazy HERE but I also wanted to expose myself to my fear by talking to those super classy people and see how they react.

Behaving like a professional TV reporter, I convinced people to say inspiring messages or share their stories on the phone which appeared to be lot of fun. The first person we picked up was an Indian lady who does prolific work on bringing environmental changes in the city of Gurugram. We were hesitant to spook people with the idea of instant interview.

Instead the interview seemed to last for an eternity because that lady was enthusiastic enough to tell about her work in big tomes. In the meantime, I caught at another woman from UK. Her stark black eyes on her unusually white and heavily wrinkled face carrying mischievous expressions of response had a strange sense of horror though but, I anyway fixed her for next interview.

Unfortunately, our phone’s battery gave up. We enquired at the reception only to find that there was no spare charging terminal because all the chargers were already feeding the many phones already plugged in. At this time my fairy friend, Erika once again come to our rescue.

She took me inside and asked a man for a battery bank. The boy agreed but was quite skeptical if we are not able to locate each other. I told him that we are roaming around in the reception and taking interviews so he can easily recognize us.

Plugging the power bank in the phone, I rushed outside and set on the job while Erika and other friends started arranging people to get interviewed. It all seemed to be taking a professional touch and I was thoroughly enjoying it.

I met a tarrot reader- Michael Araojo who became an instant friend. She was so good at speaking, specially for her slow and clear Italian-like accent. As I was taking her interview, Erika and her friends who were sitting in the nearby sofa were closely watching me and clicking the pics. The funny thing was it looked not less than a college ragging and when this interview got over, Michael joined the ‘gang’ and they all clapped together aloud after every interview that followed. That gave a tinge of appreciation – a day making moment.

Adding to another surprise, many foreign girls praised me for my classical ‘avatar’ which took me out of my unease. We met so many people including Erika’s friends, like Lynn Hope Thomas, a kind, soft spoken and friendly lady. I also came across a blonde girl in short boyish hair who, despite being elder than me looked nothing more than 19 all owing to meditation and yoga. Impressive!

Soon, there was a queue of few women waiting to be interviewed, while I had to give priority to ones who had booked their cabs! I didn’t realize when we became the centre of attraction for the people around. It was amazing to ask about their experiences, work, the many difficulties they faced and how they overcame.

Meanwhile the ‘owner’ of the phone charger appeared several times to claim his power bank but the phone was never charged more than 5% for the loose cable so, he was returned empty handed every time.

Finally, after Erika had insisted us many times for food, we joined her inside. I got shocked to look at the watch which now beamed 10. Suddenly, the handsome man appeared once again to collect his charger. As I returned it to him, his wife was dead-staring at me!

Finally, we left in another 15 minutes and I reached my home at 11. I did personally not like to reach home this late, but sometimes we should let adventures to happen.

The biggest twist of the day was the person who we met in the first place and who I was inwardly blaming to spoil our background was none other than Veer Sanghvi, India’s renowned Journalist and talk-show host. My friend said that she surfed on net after coming home and sent me the photo in which he is standing in the corner; at little distance away from us. I remembered she was telling me about his presence during the event adding that we won’t be able to recognize him midst this huge crowd. While ironically the first person we met was him, who we inadvertently insulted with our ‘We don’t give a damn attitude’.

Funny that was, but thus something rememberable to recall and laugh at.

Later did we also got a chance to meet and talk to India’s leading style icons and fashion entrepreneurs- Pernia Qureshi, director, producer and screenwriter – Subhash Ghai, Chairman of Business word – Anurag Batra, fashion designers, Women entrepreneurs, authors, Industrialists, editor from Doorsarshan and yes Shilpa Shetty also…

Mrs. India North 2017-Shelly Maheshwari Gupta

A session to spread good news in which people from all different countries united and sang together…