An Orkut Love Story

This post is written as part of the Ultimate Blog Challenge for July 2014 where a new post shall be written on every day through the month of July 2014.I am writing a novella with Orkut who will reach a dead end on September and I present the first chapter. Thirty One chapters, thirty one blog posts and it's my first participation.

An Orkut Love Story

Chapter 1

I am fuming and spewing cuss words as I sit in the cramped cyber café at Dadar. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed where every single thing is turning to horrible. The morning started where I had a spat with a friend, almost coming to hands with the rickshaw walla, and being stuck in the crazy Mumbai traffic. Mom just called and she was giving me lecture on how I am not serious and undisciplined. I snapped at her and cut the phone right on her nose.

On top of that, this old computer has sticky keys and the net connection is horribly slow. After trying and hitting the key board with force, the Yahoo account seems to open. One message: Your friend Samantha is on Orkut and you are invited to join thousand followers. Follow the link.

I almost shouted, ‘What the f*** is that?’ Yet, another marketing strategy to make my life hell with those tele marketing agents..what’s wrong with them?’ They are not done with me, on phone, beating the hell outta my life and now the e-mail.’ Gosh! I have a life and please live and let me live. Arggghhhhhh! Somebody please kill me.

The curious me, somehow, click on  www.orkut.com to register. Thank God! It’s no marketing or advertisers hoodwinking me to buy their products. I have one friend, Samantha. I am clueless what it’s all about. I dabbled with the whole Orkut and in nano seconds, it is becoming an addiction as I slowly move over worries of the day. Strange, how computer and net can change our lives, I wonder. I signal to the cyber staff that I am staying for another hour.

It sounds kinda cool, inviting people all over and start hitting send button to the whole world on my mail list, ‘Join me on Orkut.’ I hit the push button and send 20 invites at one go. I stumble upon a profile, ‘Born in Mumbai and working in Hong Kong..dreamer, princess, sapnon ki raani.’ I click on her profile picture and am bowled by her beauty, long tresses of hair and smile which is stuck in my memory. I am already dancing, clicking on her beautiful face, every now and then. I hit send to Swagata. That’s her name and her image keeps flashing, sending me in a tizzy. I hit send. ‘Your request has been sent to Swagata.’

I beam with joy. I took the rickshaw to Bandra Bandstand, walking past Mannat, the house of superstar Shah Rukh Khan and happily trolling some Hindi film songs. The heart is happy, imagining walking hand in hand with Swagata, sitting by the sea rocks as water is splashed on our faces. I wonder what an internet crush can do to my mind and turn a bad day into an awesome one.

I order a Capuccino coffee at Barista and lit a cigarette, surrounded by the hot and happening Bandra crowd. Somehow, I am praying that Swagata accept the friend request of her stranger lover. I shall visit the cyber café tomorrow to check my new ‘love life’ on Orkut.