I was really really excited when I woke up at 5am this morning. In an hour, I was supposed to be at the Chepauk Stadium to stand in queue for the Daily Tickets. I knew this would be a pretty long wait and I wasn't wrong when I landed up there at 620ish. There were atleast a 100 people in front of Rapecase. I joined him and his friends there and to my surprise, Auditor Sir was also standing there along with Streekanth and Bottle. After some really unneeded Intervention by the Police, we were about 10 places behind where we were standing in the first place. A bit later I told to Rape- "Dude, I'll paint my face if you paint yours, I'll sponsor yours too!" He was game enough. 15 mins later our faces were painted with the Tricolour and we were Very proud to have it on. Unfortunately, in the chaos that followed, we couldn't take any pics. The counters were supposed to Open at 8am. It was around 820 when we all realized the counters weren't yet open and that it wasn't moving either. Asking the Policemen there didn't help. Finally around 830ish, Another Policeman Drove up to where the queue was and Announced "Tickets will not be issued here in this counter. If you need tickets, you have to go to the Counter at Bells Road". Wtf? We just spent 2 hours standing in a queue that was apparently useless!
It was a mad rush to the other counter and by the time we had finished cursing the Police for the Absolutely Crappy Organising, the queue disappeared and reformed at the Counter in Bells Road and we had no idea where the other guys were. There was just Rape, a friend of his and me. Some calls and SMSs later, we came to know that each person was in a different queue! There were atleast 500 people in the Bells Road queue and it was atleast a 1km long. We knew that there was absolutely no way we could get tickets if we were to wait in that Counter. So we made up our minds and walked all the way around the Stadium to get to the 300 Rs counter. We stood behind a really Optimistic Man who started belting out stats about the availability of tickets and the number of people and with some really complex equation, he was sure that he and his son were gonna be inside the Stadium in no less than 45 mins. To his disappointment and definitely to ours, this counter was Closed Too!!! We decided that we had had enough of this and we rushed back to Rape's place all the way in Besant Nagar to watch Sehwag belt the bowlers.
As soon as we reached there, He got Out. Out for 318. Mammoth score. Wickets started to tumble and we were really not interested in watching the match after Sachin got out. We had heard the Policeman say that the Counters will be open for the next day's tickets at 5 in the evening. So we planned to watch a movie at Satyam and then head back to the Stadium for the Tickets. But I was feeling really really sleepy and post lunch, I headed back home. Rape, Siva and me went for a short drive and he dropped me at Madhya Kailash Bus Stop at around 1145.
I was waiting for a 5E when I saw a 47A. I knew this would go to Valluvar Kottam and boarded it and bought the Ticket and settled myself in those Cushion Seats. Come Anna Univ and I dozed off. I woke up I don't know how much later to Comfortably Numb (was listening to music) and I noticed that I was in South Boag Road and that I can afford to nap for another 5 mins. I finally woke up 30 mins later to find myself in a totally different place. It looked nothing like Valluvar Kottam. Thanks to the Advertised Cell Phone shop name boards, I came to know that I was in Anna Nagar 3rd Main Road!!!!! I had never been outside the city that far. So I got out of the bus still very sleepy in the next stop. I crossed the road and stood in the Opposite Bus Stop (Aminjikarai Police Station).
I used some Common Sense and decided to wait for 47A itself, so that I could get to Valluvar Kottam finally. 3 mins later, one of the famous Share Autos of Anna Nagar came up and there was a board that said T Nagar Terminus in it. I flagged it down and asked him if he went to Valluvar Kottam (I was so tired of asking people if I could go there that I was actually thinking of Hanging a Sign on myself and pointing to it). Thankfully, 15 mins later, I found myself at, yes, Valluvar Kottam. Yay!!!! And ten mins later, I was resting on the Couch with a bottle of water, under the fan!.
Phew, I'm positively tired!!
