From Leela to GoldFlinch to ...@#$$%^&*@@ !!!!!!!!

" Namrata Gidra, We are please to inform you that you are nominated for a training programme in Leela Palace on RTOS starting from the 23 -26 Oct.............................."

WHATTTTTTTTT? I couldnt believe my eyes...it just cant be true......i felt a stone noisily turn inside me...i...i felt the dams of boredom and monotony slowly open themselves in front of me..........to unleash a gushhhhh of unbounded excitementtttttt.....my eyes almost popped out...my hearttttttt swelled upppppppp......my limbs moved a lil nervously now.......Leeeelaaa Palace........!!!!!!!!!!!! UMMMAHHHH....The grandeur of the architecture..the sheer elegance of the interiors...the lovely royal sophisticated ambience..and a wholsesome 4 days to spend there!!..I wanted to jump excitedly 12-13 times at the same spot in my office cube to realease my excitement which was now overwhelming mee!!! I hve always welcomed training programs in between hectioc work schedules....the thought of leaning back comfortably in a chair with arms folded and pretending to listen intelliently to the lecture in progress has always excited me!!

But then a greyyyyyyy cloud loomed dangerously over my sunnnnnyyyyy excitement- I always knew how tentative the venues could be in office...how i could be asked to attend to an urgent piece of task at work and forget about the training...how in the past, my lovely dreams of attending trainings and meetings in 5 stars were shattered...about how my daily routine could never become <5> routine even for a couple of days....how always my innocent excitement of something as trivial as a training in a grand hotel was was killed by a re-announcement later!! I thought of keeping my excitement to myself and uttered a silent prayer to let this happen this time....pls God...!!! just this time!!! I nodded at myself with a purpose...I was immensely proud of my decision to guard my little secret..and waited for the right moment to make this news public to the lesser mortals in office who were not nominated for this grand training!! :D :D Ohhhh how i smiled to myself in calculated measure :)))))))))!!! Hmmm..in the tea break at 11:30 in training, me will grab a walnut brownie in the Barrista in leela and after 5:30pm in the evening, may be I could go for bowling in Amoeba at Leela...he he he...life would be fun..thought my over-excited brain...!!

Next day at work, I enter my office cube with a spring at every step..drop my bag at the desk and open my mail, humming a cheerful bollywood number which lingered around in my brain after the morning FM.."Kachee kaliyaan naa todo....maalan dengi gaaliyaaaannnn :D laaaaaaa laaaaaa.......laaaaaahhhhhhh.....hhhhhHUUUUUUHHH"...my humming stopped midway...

"Namrata Gidra, this is to inform you that there is a change of venue for the RTOS Training...Kindly note the venue below: Gold Flinch, Race Course Road, Near Taj Residency"....

GoldFlinch what the hell is that???? the lovely melody of the hindi no in my mind was replaced with a mixed cacophony of shattered glass and screeching brakes.......SCREEEEEEEECHHH...No No No....Leela Palace was a blur now....But what is GoldFlinch..a training institute? A hotel? A what??? I typed GoldFlinch in the Google edit box andddddd.....lo! the results: "GoldFlinch...4-star boutique hotel..Race Course Road......" along with a lovely picture of the place on the left side....

The stone turned again...the dam re-opened!!!.......Hmm..Not bad at alll!!....a 4-star for a 5-star which I have already visited a million times...well GoldFlinch would be an even better experience, I decided....I have never been there before....well, my relentless excitement surged all over me again...and the rudely-interrupted-melody resumed..."Kacheeeee kaliyan hum naaaaaa tode, le jaaaaaayennnn pooora baaageechaaa..laaaa laaaaaaaa"....:D........

"Ok Giddy...Done..Confirmed..Sealed", I told myself...."now you have nothing to be scared of....". I called up Mummy back home in Siliguri and just thought how lucky she is to be the first one to hear about the GoldFlinch Plan...

Me : "Mummmmy Mummmieeeeeee sunooooo"...

Mummy : "Kya huaaaa!! Huaaaaaa kya beta????"

Me: "Mummie next week I am in a training in Goldflinch. Thats a 4 star boutique hotel Mammaaa...Imagine- I will be there for 4 days in that luxury..Such a change in my normal routine...Ohhh mummmmyyyyyyyy!!!!" I was scared I should not breakdown :(

Mummy: "Beta theek hai.....lekin isss main itnaa excited hone ki kya baaaat hai???? u are talking as if you have never been to a luxury hotel"

Me: "Please mummy, why dont u understand...to be there at your own expense on weekends and to be there for a training in weekdays with your colleagues is totally different!!!!!!!! Its a very big thingggggg!! Should I wear the black coat i bought last year??? I think it looks veryy formal!"

Mummy: "Its ok...I am very happy for you betaaa...keep me posted..Ok I am lil busy..Will hang up now"

Such a mild reaction from my Mom!!!She was always very enthusiastic about my achievements..She had always expressed her heartfelt happiness on every achievment of mine, however small it had been!! And this was Big..how could she dismiss it so matter-of-fact-ly. Anyways I had better things to occupy my mind...And I started vigorously planning!!!

Me: Amit, You know the training venue is confirmed....so excitttttting..GoldFlinch....

Amit: Ok..good for you...

Me : What nonsense! Such things dont happen everyday Amit!! Nothing doing!! I am dragging you to Adigas Delicacy for Breakfast now that I wont have to go to office premises for 4 days....and you should drop me to GoldFlinch in the morning..Its not far from your office"

Amit: Okkkk! Ok!

Me: "and listen!! I love the Idlis and Dosas in Adigas....I will carry a newspaper and we can spend around an hour there...It will be on the way to Goldflinch after all....andddd...you can join me for lunch there on the 3rd dayyy...please you are my esteemed guest there...i will pay for ur lunchhhh...listen!! you can pick me up from there in the evening...and we can go to some place closeby for dinner..and listen...we can also.... ---------!"

Amit: "Giddy please...please chilll..its just a training....if something happens and you are not able to go___"

Me : "How dare you say such things!! I always knew you would never be able to relate to my happiness..all you men are like that...and what did you say--- Its just a training???..it means a lottt to me OKKK..I dun go and stay in Hyaatt on every buisness trip like you do....I always knew you will not feel happy for my achievements...:( :( :( "

My mind was racing...Friends..what are friends for????? I immediately remembered Lipi and pinged her on Yahooo...

Me: Lipi Lippppyyyyy!!

Lipi: what happ Giddy?

Me: Lipi guess what?? I am going on a training on 4 days...

Lipi: thats nice where??

Me: Lipi, its Goldflinch 4-star boutique hotel. I just checled out their website...the conference room photos looked amazing there...I fancied myself there..I am planning to wear my black formals...

Lipi: WOOOOOOOOwwwieee..good giddy goooodd! i am so happy for you!!

Me : Thanks Lipi!!! you are a sweetheart..join me for lunch there..will be nice to see you in the lunch break!

Lipi: sure!! tuesday will come there...

Me: Fine!! Done then!!!

I always knew Lipi was one person who could always resonate my frequency...she is such a darlinggggggggg....she put so much of enthu..good goodd!!

Me to Mom-in-Law : Mummy, I am on a training for 4 days in 4star

Mummy: Thats great..betaaa...will be a good change for you....thats amazing newssss!!!

I beamed at her....she undertood...she understood....women always understand each other....

Tuesday my training would start.....and the weekend before I had good fun planning...the news spread far and wide..God knows how!! and the weekend flewww...
Monday Morning blues were no longer blue....the last day of office in this week yayy.. I happily told myself when i opened my Monday Morning Mail....

"Namrata Gidra, please note that due to some operational problems, the training will now be held in our office premises in Level 3 Training Room 3....Inconvenience caused is regretted.."