Dream to meet yet again Preface:
Thanks to Mods for letting me be a part of Team BHP.
Thanks to the organizers of the meet to have provided me an opportunity to meet Team BHPians.
Thanks to all BHPians for giving me a chance to know you guys.
Thanks to Krishna for having us and providing us such a great meal.
Thanks to the staff of Hadippa for serving us with patience.
I've met too many BHPians today and couldn't memorize all the names. I apologize if I have got your names wrong in the post.
Chapter 1: The call
My mobile started ringing loudly at 10:49 AM. My workplace is quiet I got stared by a dozen software engineers. I saw the screen had "Bajaj saab" flashing on it. We had a call yesterday and decided to carpool to the venue. I quickly got up and walked towards the elevators. Since there are too many people working around, I do not take calls sitting at my desk. The call was to inform that we would be starting 15 minutes early than the decided time.
Chapter 2: The walk to the pick up point
I wanted to make sure I do not make Mr.Bajaj or saikatmandal04 wait for me. I reached the pick up point, Whitehouse gate, at 11:50 AM.
I was browsing on my mobile while keeping a lookout for a car with Team BHP stickers all around it (that was the secrete code). I was looking at my profile in Team BHP (iPhone App) and throughly enjoying the change of Membership level from "Newbie" to "BHPian".
I was preparing myself for the meet. There were questions running in my mind. How would they greet? Will this be a formal meet? Will they say "Hi Xydon, how much do you know about the Internal Combustion Engine?"? or will they say "Simple question, name all the parts in the car". I was prepared to say that the car has a steering, tires, engine, HU, speakers, seats, AC, doors etc and I thought I better note them down before I forget.
Chapter 3: Voice of God?
I heard an enthusiastic voice calling my name out loud. I looked around and my mind started flooding with thoughts. "Is it god? I thought I would live here for 50 years; is my business in this world ended? I just became a Team BHPinan and got the access to PM people. I didn't send a single PM yet", "I've just memorized the parts of car!!". My thoughts broke when I heard the voice calling my name again. I looked around and it was our own Mr.Bajaj waving at me from the other side of the road with a smile as broad as possible. I gave a sigh of relief and crossed the road with utmost care.
Hopped into Mr.Bajaj's car and we greeted each other. Fresh smell of a new car hit my Olfactory receptors! We picked up saikatmandal04 from his office near Varun motors, Begumpet and started our ~ 25 KM drive. Journey feels short if we are traveling with a friend and I was traveling with 2.
Chapter 4: Anxious Xydon
We were the first to reach and were welcomed by, I guess the owner of the resto. We went in and started checking out the dishes.
People started pouring in. I was enthusiastically waiting to meet all BHPians. But I wanted to meet three guys in particular. Mr.Bajaj (we spoke over phone and he taught me the DO's and Dont's and I felt really good), Avi (My dear friend and mentor who taught me how to control the flow of "emotions" (also called smileys) in the posts), and my one and only dear buddy Nikhil (you rock bro).
I met Rajesh Rawal. It was a surprise to know that we already met and he is my wifey's colleague. Rajesh, careful. Do not let out our secretes;
Team BHP drive meet for me could be an Over Time at office for my wifey .
I met the Vespa/FIAT king Mr.hillram. All he spoke about was FIATS, FIATS and ya I forgot, FIATS. I would love to hear more about the Fiats from you Mr.hillram. Tough I was not participating, I was keenly listening to your discussions.
During the discussions, before the lunch started, I saw this guy with a blue shirt. I introduced myself to him as Hemanth and he said "Hi" and didn't introduce himself. I was waiting for Avi and Nikki. I saw Nikki's profile pic so I could recognize him from the first look.
The food lover and most active member on A Guide: Eating out in Hyderabad/Secunderabad thread. I didn't want to bother him as he was busy with the arrangements.
Chapter 5: Infractions- The lessons learnt
I turned to Fordmanchau and pointed the blue shirt guy and asked who he was. Fordmanchau quickly answered back saying "He is Mobike008". So here he was, the guy who gave me a very warm welcome to Team BHP, the guy who warned me about the rules and also the same guy who gave me infractions for using excessive smilies.
I reintroduced myself to Mobike008 as Xydon and in the next PICO second, there was a smile on his face and the next dialogue was "We need to talk!". I knew it was about the infractions. We talked. I loved the way he explained things with firm voice. No doubt he is chosen as a moderator. It was a brief discussion and I'm looking forward to talk to you more
Avi bhai! Chapter 6: My dear buddy
While I was getting bashed by Avi, the one guy who had a smile on his face was my dear buddy Nikki. He was calling his neighboring BHPians and showing what was happening. I was already famous for my lengthy posts and early Infractions! Did I need so much attention in the very first meet?
Chapter 7: Unity in diversity- BHPians
Like most of us, I was in hadippa not for the food but for my first Team BHP meet. Initially, though I was exited, I had a little out of place feel within. I knew that everyone there had one common interest and that was
"ANYTHING THAT HAS AN ENGINE". Having said that, there were people with varied knowledge levels; right from someone like and not limited to, Avi/Wasim/Mr.Bajaj/Ram (hillram)/Sparsh/Shyamal/norules/ctrlalt, to someone as naive as me. I was here to listen to people rather than talk and I enjoyed it the most.
Chapter 7: Quick Talk
After lunch, while Nikki was still busy settling the bill, we were standing outside the resto and discussing about r4raghav's 125 KM per day drive to work in his Ritz. Then arrived the last person who didn't have time to meet the newbie, traveloholic AKA Nikhil. While we were still greeting each other yet again, he jumped into the elevator before someone could force him to get down the stairs!
Chapter 7: Blue beauty
While we were still waving bye to each other, my eyes couldn't stop staring at Neilguy's car. Just like his handle, the beauty was "blue" with I guess 205/55/R15's (Correct me if I'm wrong), a fantabulous spoiler. I couldn't get a chance to see the other mods or the ICE. But still, awesome. Surely a head turner.
Chapter 7: Journey with dreams continue
Waving good bye to all BHPians, we started our journey back to office. Mr.Bajaj kindly dropped me at the drop point and I, whole heartedly and proudly said, "Nice meeting all
fellow BHPians".
With a fully loaded stomach and dreams to have a drive meet soon, we all departed to
meet yet again.
P.S: Avi bhai, did you observe? I used only 2 smilies in the entire post. I'm a law abiding member.