Revive Your friendship with Zee TV Yaaron Ki Baraat

Friendship is the sweetest of emotions. It is a bond, a relationship that is God sent. A relationship that is full of varying emotions and interesting anecdotes. An emotion that Zee TV will be soon bringing live on Television. Yes, Zee TV the path-breaking channel will be airing a Fun-filled Chat show "Yaaron Ki Baraat" co-powered by Amazon and Brooke Bond Red Label. It is the first of its kind on Indian Television. 

The show will be focusing on celebrity friendships and putting them to a fun-filled test through amazing challenges. I was watching the preview trailer on TV and it transported me to my past, reminding me of some fun-filled moments spent with my friends.

Today I am going to share some sweet anecdotes of a one-of-its-kind friendship that I shared with one of my classmates in school- All ears?

Lo-Cal lo Baat

It was in the late 90s when mobile phones were not invented and landlines were quite a luxury. We were in school and it was that dreadful year before the 10^th board exams that our parents got us a landline at home wherein we can make local calls. Yes, the landline was such a luxury in those days.

Ritya and I were class-fellows cum friends. We would spend hours of time chatting post-school and the installation of a phone was such a boon for both of us. We had a sturdy black and white telephone that was provided by our dad’s company but it was quite a pain to use. So when, the brand new, stylish, feature phone came we were just too excited. We would be hooked on it for hours talking about random things, pulling each other's legs, and crying over the absurdity of some of our not-so-notable teachers including our Hindi teacher and that Math sir who was known for his shrilling voice and non-amicable ways more than the lessons he taught.

We would be so engrossed in our talks that we won’t realize when the time would fly. However, one day an incident happened that put quite a stop to our long chatty chit-chat on phone.

It so happened that while we were talking on the phone, we were interrupted by a female voice. Hell, it was coming from the phone. Apparently, there was some kind of cross-connection that happened. While we were talking, the call landed at another number without us having a hint about it. No, three-way calling was non-existent those days. The female on the other side was this aunty from our colony who was patiently listening to our chat and when she could not further entertain it, she interrupted and told us- kitna baat karti ho tum dono…pause le lo. {how much do you two girls talk? Take a pause at least]. Man! We have ripped off our guts, scared as hell, and quickly put the receiver’s down.

Apparently, it was not a one-time incidence but learned that similar cross-connection happened with other people and continues to happen on the local phone. It was highly probable that anyone can butt in a conversation mostly by technical fault by mere dialing your number.

We were horrified as it was a straight infringement on our girly gossipy privacy. Imagine if that Commerce sir would have heard that how we make fun of his Nana Patekar entices, he would have avenged by failing both of us in the next test.

If you are thinking that we stopped chatting cause of those incidences, then you are highly mistaken. We were such a Velcro together. We did not cease chatting over the phone but our conversations got a new word- “Lo-Call Lo baat”!

Every time we may be about to mention a sensitive topic, one of us will remind the other by saying “Lo-call Lo Baat”…which would mean that this is a local phone and may run the risk of third-party intervention.

The term became quite popular and stayed with us even today. It has been years since that incident but whenever we talk about it, we still burst into ripples of laughter.

So next time when you need to signal your friend over the phone, say- Lo-Call Lo Baat!