Land-marking...

If you have been a Bangalorean for more than a year, chances are that you've been to the Landmark at the Forum mall, even if you have no reading habit at all. If you are reading this now, it means that you have friends like me. Ergo, you have been at least dragged in there.

Now that my book-writing hormones are at an all time high, efficiently preventing me from doing anything else at college how much ever I try, I'm actually feeling quite low about my decision to enter a college that would keep me from working on the book idea for even a few hours without any disturbance. So, anyways, to cheer myself up, I went to the aforementioned Landmark yesterday to check out which part of it would house my future book (Yes, I know. I am pathetic!) and was I in for a shock!

I've never looked at the place this way before, so it was kinda unnerving at first to see the hundred plus books (stopped counting after 40) in the new arrivals right at the door in the first floor. Where'd my book go? Would it get noticed? If I were a random visitor, would I pick it up? Boy, it gave me the creeps. I walked in silent fear to the 'Indian Writing' section. A few major houses like Penguin, Hachette and the new-to-me Westland group hogged the place with about 20 copies of each of its books there. I could've comforted myself at the presence of so many other publishers but somehow that only told me that there was heavy competition there as well. I walked on to see more and more books amidst which mine can get lost, if published. Then, I faced my second worst fear in the book-writing sense (first being not getting my book published).

There, in front of me, were some new books scattered among old, used books at the 3 for 99 sale. What if mine gets published only to reach this place? God, I hope not! That would be even worse than not getting published. At least, in the event of not publishing it, people wouldn't be able to prove that my book wouldn't sell. Damn!

Oh wait, did I miss another quiz typing this?

Me: Drat.
Another part of me: As if you didn't plan that, mister.
Me: Ssshhhh...

Be (a)Ware !

The Landmark Book store at Forum, Bangalore. I was there recently with a few friends, and i was rummaging through a pile of books that were on a discount sale in the Non-fiction section. (If you'd be curious, one of my friends was reading the Calvin & Hobbes book there, waiting for us to move to the DVD section.. one more wondering if a Management book would be a good buy, one more undecided on buying a Wodehouse collection, and another in the Matthew Reilly section..) So, there i was, lost among the titles, looking for a book i had decided to buy the last time i was there.

"Are you looking for some specific book?", asked a voice from nowhere. I looked up. It was a total stranger. "No... Just looking through if i can find anything interesting", i said and went back into the books, without a bit of courtesy. "Oh.. You come here often?", teh guy continued and proceeded to introduce himself as a Chip Design Engineer from a reputed MNC in Bangalore, despite a glaring, should i say, 'blatant' show of disinterestedness from my end. He would not rest till he knew about me. After a few questions from him, i said 'Bye' and went back to work. So, he said,"Okay, let's keep in touch. Can i have your number?" I did not want to give my number to a total stranger. I said some bullshit about me going to change my number in a week and got his number instead, promising i'd tell him my new number after i get it. But he felt it was alright to have my current number for this week. :o I gave my number, not wanting to hurt someone i didn't even know by giving some wrong number.

It might have been anyone, from a genuine book lover who wanted to increase the circle of book-readers he knew, to a terrorist who was on a recruitment spree, what with all this news about Radically-inclined-Software-Engineers in Bangalore! I was confused, as i walked on, only to be surprised by the fact that the Matthew Reilly guy among my roomies also had to give his number to another stranger who picked up a conversation out of nowhere and claiming to be a Software Engineer! Come on, like, is this a gang operating or what???? Getting the contacts of people who run around in malls and book stores.. And for what?

I am not sure what's going on. If these guys are terrorists or just a bunch of guys who are trying to improve their socialising skills or maybe, the-guys-spelt-with-an-'a' :P I got a call from that guy yest afternoon, but i din't pick it up, just in case.

Whoever they may be, You guys refrain from giving your numbers to strangers, however business-like or high-profiled they may look.

No idea what will become of my number, but chal, it doesn't matter.. i can't think of any situation where he can misuse it. :)