As some of you may/may not be aware, I was pickpocketed on the way back from my TS at Vidyamandir on 10th Jan. According to me, that was just fate playing silly buggers with me. Let me tell you, the moment it dawned upon me, there was a deathly acceptance almost immediately.

After the paper, me and my little posse of friends got onto a 479 blueline, going from Punjabi Bagh to Badarpur. A lot of laughter and chatter ensued naturally, precisely the kind I hate coming from anybody else…:-P. Mom called when we were near Dhaula Kuan to ask where I was and how the paper was, which is when the b*****d probably noticed the phone. Anyway, I got up near my stop South Extension, and probably didn’t notice someone brushing past me, nicking my Nokia 3109c on the way, and nimbly stepping off the bus as soon as it slowed down. Obviously, I did conduct a preliminary search in the bus, with the help of my co-passengers, and friends. Shivek called up several times, but the phone just kept ringing, which was odd, because I expected the b******d to switch off the phone.

It probably helped that I had a security code which can’t be removed without flashing the phone’s firmware, a PIN code on my SIM, and the interface language set to French. Plus the fact that removing the back cover is generally an exercise in futility.

Anyway, a lot of searching later, I finally gave up, and got off the bus, crossed the road and got on a bus going the other way (back to South Ex, cause I had missed my stop searching for my mobile). It was around this time I started reminiscing about the phone. It was very plain Jane. No camera, not even dedicated music keys, no 3.5mm jack. But the fact that it supported .jar applications meant so much for me, especially since I started using it to read e-books. I had scuffed it quite badly on many occasions, but it always worked like a charm. Heck, it even worked after I dropped it into water!

Hint: Take out the battery, SIM and memory card, if any, and put everything in an airtight bag full of rice. Rice absorbs moisture, and helps dry the thing. Trust me, it works

Anyway I got home, called up Airtel and blocked my phone number. And yes, I do plan to block my IMEI number as soon as I get the time to go to Airtel.

Almost a week’s gone by, and I need another phone. Numerous recommendations have been pouring in from all directions. But I’d already made my decision – a Nokia 5230, failing which, a Nokia 5130 XpressMusic.

The Nokia 5230, in my opinion, is a real bargain. At an MRP of around Rs. 9,400, the value if offers is unparalleled. This is like a mini-5800, with a 3.2″ full touchscreen at a resolution of 360×640 or something, 3G, GPS, a 2.0 MP camera and much more. It has a big brother, the 5530 XpressMusic, but for some reason, it comes with a 2.9″ screen, has no 3G, but has WiFi! That’s for Rs. 14,000.

The Nokia 5130 is phone I’ve seen around and used on several occasions. It’s a decent little phone, although the keypad is a bit too cramped for my liking. Apart from that, it’s just a little bit slow, even when compared with my 3109c.

So, me and Dad went today to a Nokia Priority Dealer in Malviya Nagar. I made a beeline for the 5230, grabbed it from a sales lackey, and started fiddling with it. It is a very good touchscreen phone. There is no need to apply extra force, and it’s very responsive. The 5800 Aishwarya has is a bit sluggish, but not so in the case of the 5230, menus come up in a jiffy. And what’s more, the actual price they were selling it at turned out to be Rs 8,100. At that price it’s a bargain!

By that time, Dad had parked the car and reached the shop. He saw me fiddling with the 5230, and asked about the price. When the SL told him, if there was a hand railing nearby, he would’ve clutched it. I’m assuming he found it prohibitively expensive, especially for someone who’s most expensive phone cost around 5k.

He instantly went into a barrage of head shaking and muttering. He said that Mom and him had decided that I needed a very simple phone, just so that I could only stay in touch with Mom and him. They decided that I was spending too much time texting and calling. I was very much inclined to point out that no matter which phone they got me, I would still be able to call and text, but decided not to at the time. He instantly asked the SL what was the cheapest phone. SL just pointed him to the cheapest phone on the display range, which was for around Rs. 5,000. But Dad insisted on something cheaper, and we were taken to the back of the shop, where the little black and white, flashlight phones were kept.

To be honest I was feeling quite low by then. Especially after having used the 5230 with my own hands.

Finally Dad saw a 2700 and decided it was pretty decent, even though it had a camera (he for some reason was adamant on not having a camera). It was for around Rs. 4,200. And then he asked my what phone Karthick had.

Karthick…oh Karthick, why must my parents consider you the baseline for comparison of all things in the universe!

I told them he had a 5230 XpressMusic, and SL told him it was for around Rs.5,500. And his reaction was,

“Don’t get into this kind of a competition”

I can only assume he meant a struggle for recognition for having the best phone among my peers, which I consider a very trivial matter in life. I wanted that phone because I wanted it, not because I could flaunt it. I’ve never used anything touchscreen for longer than 15 minutes in my life, and had really taken to that phone, especially at that price.

But anyway, Dad could see that I was really bonding with the 5230, so he alternatively asked the best price and hollered about how a student didn’t need such a phone.

He does have a point there, to be honest, but the fact remains that it’s a really good buy. Texting on that phone is amazing. In normal portrait view, you have a full screen 12-key keypad with T9, which is a pleasure to work with.

So, in the end, we decided that we’d call Ed (Vineet), my brother, who’s currently working in Thane, for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals. He had just left the office, and since mobiles aren’t allowed inside his factory, we couldn’t reach him till he got home. So we decided that we’d return the next day i.e. today.

I have a VMC class today – ‘Liquids’ and have to go for Pallavi’s birthday after that, so I doubt if I will have the time to get a phone…:-(

I’ll post again in Part 2 on the outcome of all this…..