THE PROCESS OF BUYING A MOBILE PHONE BACK THEN

Engrossed was I, totally oblivious of the time, while working at office that I had a sale to attend to. A Flash sale!

I opened the Flipkart app on my iPhone and waited for the sale to begin for which I had pre-registered a week before. As the clock struck noon, as my memory reads, I hit the ‘buy’ button simultaneously to have a futile outcome. I was sure, even with the speed of Flash I would have been late. Alas! The limited edition mobile phone that I was trying for, to gift mother, to surprise her on Valentine’s Day, was out of stock and of my reach.

Disheartened, I got into my cubicle, all distracted trying to focus on work again. Focus, then seemed like a lady of very high standards; too exasperating to woo. The more I tried, the more she ran away. To clear my head of these chemical imbalances I distracted myself by turning towards the busy street, through the glass doors. The unfailing streets were loaded with conspicuous dust billowing, erratic throng of people with vehicles running helter-skelter; presumably honking their heads off. This was usual and if someday, the streets go anomalous, it’s safe to presume an India-Pak Cricket match going on. Once, when brooding over the loss of the cell phone, I came across a family crossing the street and then, the already disturbed and distracted mind, went wandering the thoroughfares of nostalgia.

Back in the second half of the first decade of 21^st century, mobile phones started inundating the markets. The transition of mobile phones from the basic to the smart phones happened like a knockout match of Mike Tyson; one killer punch and the match was over.

All I care about that time was the occasion of buying a new cell phone; weeks of research, suggestions from friends and families and then chalking out a feasibility graph with respect to the budget and finalizing the product. Now, this was the background check done at home, the real fun was hitting the Mobile-phone seller’s shop and coming vis-à-vis an ocean of choices to opt for. Slowly, steadily going through the various dummies kept in front and the originals well packed in minted boxes, nicely displayed over the shiny glass shelves. And not just desiring for the best but lusting for it. If all these displays were not enough than there was a strong sales-force of a smart salesperson playing with your mind, finally upselling!

The euphoria of eclectic noises of sellers, customers, queries, features making one dumbfounded and finally surprised at one’s pick after getting out of shop to the corresponding model pre-fixed after a detailed study at home.

For me, it was like preparing for a festival – immense researches, discussing with friends, accompanying father and brothers to the mobile-shops, seeing those display pieces, taking in, incredulously, every bit of the bullshit that the salesman fed me, reconsidering the budget discussed at home, the warnings about not throwing any tantrums in the shops. Definitely not to roll on the floor for an out of the reach mobile handset.

Finally, after all fixed; seeing father do the payment with sparkling eyes and buy the piece you desired, lusted for; getting home, with an attempt to hide the conspicuous grin and a ever-happy and excited mind.

The unboxing, I need not describe, like handling a little baby and carrying it along, even more meticulously; at least for a week.

No matter what phone I ever bought back then, I straight away jumped to explore the gaming section.

p.s.: Online buying has killed the buzz.