YetToBeDotMom
Hi. This is YetToBeDotMom.
BigGeek
Sorry to keep you waiting. I was in the middle of something. Well, actually I was in the bathroom
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Hehehehe. What did I say. Well. He should know I did not call him.
YetToBeDotMom
No worries. You aunt called me. I really hate to intrude on a family Thanksgiving.
BigGeek
Not at all. Its just a lot of good food and drink and talk and good arguments. Did you have a good Thanksgiving?
YetToBeDotMom
Not too shabby. My cousin was visiting from California and we went to New York and watched a broadway show yesterday.
BigGeek
What did you see?
YetToBeDotMom
Le Miserables
BigGeek
I have seen Annie Get Your Gun. I would love to see the Phantom.
YetToBeDotMom
Me too! I booked these tickets two months ago and Phantom was still sold out. Can you believe it? Even the matinee.
Hi. This is YetToBeDotMom.
BigGeek
Sorry to keep you waiting. I was in the middle of something. Well, actually I was in the bathroom
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Hehehehe. What did I say. Well. He should know I did not call him.
YetToBeDotMom
No worries. You aunt called me. I really hate to intrude on a family Thanksgiving.
BigGeek
Not at all. Its just a lot of good food and drink and talk and good arguments. Did you have a good Thanksgiving?
YetToBeDotMom
Not too shabby. My cousin was visiting from California and we went to New York and watched a broadway show yesterday.
BigGeek
What did you see?
YetToBeDotMom
Le Miserables
BigGeek
I have seen Annie Get Your Gun. I would love to see the Phantom.
YetToBeDotMom
Me too! I booked these tickets two months ago and Phantom was still sold out. Can you believe it? Even the matinee.
Montage: BigGeek and YetToBeDotMom talking. Clock shows time.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
And so it started. He was so easy to talk to. He asked me what I was reading and I told him I was reading Godel, Escher Bach and was finding it quite daunting. He told me he had written to Hofstadter about a mistake in his book Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies. Hofstadter had written back to him and had sent his student’s thesis. We both loved StarTrek and science fiction. We both loved freshly ground coffee. He was a metalhead, I wasn’t. I liked literary fiction, he didn’t.
BigGeek
So what courses are you taking this semester?
YetToBeDotMom
A couple of independent studies, advanced screen writing and artificial intelligence.
BigGeek
Quite an interesting mix. Doing the AI stuff in LISP?
YetToBeDotMom
Yeah, lots of parens.
A kid is heard in the background
He is still on the phone! He is still on the phone!
YetToBeDotMom
Are you driving back to Virginia today? You better get going. It will be past midnight by the time you get home.
BigGeek
Well..atleast there won’t be much traffic. Hey listen. Do you have any plans for Friday evening?
YetToBeDotMom
Not really.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
I can’t believe I said that. He sounds nice though.
BigGeek
Great. I can drive down to Philly. Anyway, we can figure out the logistics during the week. I’ll send you an email.
YetToBeDotMom
Ok. Sounds good. Drive safe.
3. INT. Fade to YetToBeDotMom’s office on campus. DAY
She is looking at an email that has arrived 1:30 am.
BigGeek Voiceover
Had a great time talking to you. Here is the email conversation between me and Hofstadter. Also attaching the thesis he sent me. Quite interesting. Send me directions/address when you get a chance.
4. EXT- Road at University Campus. –EVENING
YetToBeDotMom is crossing the road. She is in all black. Black sweater and black slacks. She crosses the road doing a small wave and peers through the window of a car parked outside.
YetToBeDotMom
(sitting inside the car) Hi!
BigGeek
Hi!
YetToBeDotMom
Had trouble getting here?
BigGeek
No, not really.
YetToBeDotMom
Let me get us to a parking lot and then I can show you around the campus.
BigGeek drives and pulls into a parking garage. They get out. It’s still quite windy. They get out and walk over the campus.
YetToBeDotMom VoiceOver
We went around the campus. He asked me if he could see some of my films sometime. I just laughed. I wasn’t enjoying the filmmaking so much at that point. The real reason for me taking a course in AI. It felt good to be in the quantifiable world again. I told him that.
Montage ends with BigGeek and DotMom in DotMom’s editing studio.
BigGeek
I know this great Thai place if you wanna catch dinner.
YetToBeDotMom
You know more about Philly than I do!
BigGeek
Actually the restaurant is in Arlington. Just outside DC. We can drive up there. It’s only a couple of hours. I can drive you back if you want.
YetToBeDotMomVoiceOver
Is he crazy? There are perfectly nice places to eat dinner in Philly. He doesn’t look like a playa’. Maybe he is? I better find out.
YetToBeDotMom
Actually I have a friend who lives in Fairfax. Let me call her and ask her if she and her husband can join us for dinner tonight. And can I give her your cell number? I disconnected mine this week since I am leaving on Thursday.
BigGeek
Ummm. Sure.
YetToBeDotMom disappears into another studio across the hall and dials her friend.
YetToBeDotMom
Hey.
N
Hey you! Didn’t you have a date today?
YetToBeDotMom
Yeah. Listen. He wants to eat dinner in Arlington. And I want you and R to join us.
N
Are you insane? Your date will murder me.
YetToBeDotMom
Pleaseeee. I told him it will be a double date.
N
Are you sure?
YetToBeDotMom
We are leaving now. Meet you at 8-ish? Here is his cell#.
N
Ok. Make that 8:30. R is flying in from Boston today. His flight gets in at 7:30.
YetToBeDotMom
OK. 8:30 then. Bye. Thanks. I owe you one.
N
Yes. You do.
YetToBeDotMom walks back to BigGeek.
YetToBeDotMom
OK. All done. We have a double date at 8:30 at ThaiPlace. R is flying in from Boston today.
BigGeek
Well.. they don’t have to come. I am not an axe-murderer you know (smiling)
YetToBeDotMom
Ofcourse not. I would not be in a car with you for two hours if I suspected so.
BigGeek and DotMom sit in the car and drive. Arial shots of highways, signs pointing to Washington DC. In car.
YetToBeDotMom Voice Over
Politics, gay rights, music, physics, filmmaking, hallmark holidays, video encoding algorithms, recreational drugs, Star Trek, movies, his job, the downturn.
BigGeek
It’s the same thing everywhere. Not very different where I work. My own job has a questionable future.
YetToBeDotMom
Friends I know are getting laid off right left and center. What will you do?
BigGeek
Don’t worry. Most people out there have just a skill to sell. I got talent.
DotMomVoiceOver
Either he is really stoic, or a complete dumbass who has no sense of reality. The market was quite bad. It was not easy to get a job in the biggest market downturn.
BigGeek
I have a couple of things lined up.
DotMomVoiceOver
It turned out to be such a short drive. But N did not call. We were near NiceThaiPlace and still no call from N.
YetToBeDotMom
Mind if I use your phone? Don’t know why N is not here yet.
BigGeek
Sure.
YetToBeDotMom
(dials. into the phone)
Where are you?
N
YetToBeDotMom! R’s flight got delayed. The tracker said 8:00, then 8:30 now it says 9:00. I would have come by myself if I did not have to go pick him up.
YetToBeDotMom
Why didn’t you call me before?
N
I did. Twice. Went to his voice mail. Didn’t want to leave a message. Why don’t you eat dinner and come spend the night with us?
YetToBeDotMom
OK. See you in a while.
YetToBeDotMom turns to BigGeek.
YetToBeDotMom
She said she called twice. R’s flight is delayed. Did you hear it ring?
BigGeek
Really? Let’s see. Oh! It was on vibrate and it was in the little pocket in the car door. That’s why we didn’t hear it. Sorry.
YetToBeDotMom
That’s ok. You will drop me to her apartment afterwards?
BigGeek
Absolutely.
DotMomVoiceOver
And so we ate and talked some. I wished him good luck on the job front. He dropped me off at N’s place. He called me on Tuesday while I was at my grad office.
BigGeek
(on phone)
I have some bad news. I just got laid off.
YetToBeDotMom
I am so sorry. You doing OK?
BigGeek
Yeah. It was sort of expected.
YetToBeDotMom
What will you do now?
BigGeek
I am going to go to a Steely Dan concert.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Is this guy really insane? Is he not the least bit stressed?
YetToBeDotMom
I meant about your job
BigGeek
Don’t worry. I’ll have a job before you get back. And not just any job.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
I had friends who were unable to find a job for a few months. He was crazy.
YetToBeDotMom
Ok. Good luck.
BigGeek
Do you need a ride to the airport on Thursday? I can drive up and take you. It’s not like I have anything to do (chuckling)
YetToBeDotMom
No, don’t worry. A friend will give me a ride.
BigGeek
Are you sure? Call me if the friend can’t make it.
YetToBeDotMom
Yeah. Yeah. You take care. Call you later today.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
And so I left on Thursday. To go to India. BigGeek was a nice guy. The lack of his job did not bother me one bit, his lack of anxiety did though. When I reached Poona, my mom quizzed me about BigGeek. She obviously had a bunch of six-figure incomes and BMWs lined up for me. But I refused to meet any.
5. INT. YetToBeDotMom’s house in Poona. – Day
YetToBeDotMom's Mom
Just meet them.
YetToBeDotMom
No! I am not the three week wonder wedding type girl. I don’t understand such marriages.
YetToBeDotMom's Mom
Just meet them. They are all nice guys
YetToBeDotMom
I am sure they are, but I am not meeting them.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
And so the days passed. I wrote my exams, talked/IMed/emailed BigGeek. His old boss, a few friends and he had started a startup. And the time came for me to get back to Philly. My mom was disappointed that I had refused to meet a singe eligible bachelor. All her hopes I suppose were pinned on BigGeek now. But I wasn’t talking marriage. Finally on Jan 26 I landed in a snowy Philly. My friends had come to pick me up and it felt good to be with them. BigGeek was going to drive down for the weekend to visit. I had offered to ask my friend if he could crash in at her house, but he had declined. He had made reservations at a hotel downtown.
6. EXT. In car – Day.
BigGeek
No goodies for me from India?
YetToBeDotMom
Yikes. I am not unpacked yet. Need to find an apartment first.
BigGeek
You got a list of places you wanna see?
YetToBeDotMom
Yes.
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Much of Saturday was spent in hunting for a new apartment for me. Tired, we were wondering where to eat dinner, circling the City hall yet another time.
YetToBeDotMom
Need to go to the restroom
BigGeek
Ok. Lets go to the hotel. Atleast I’ll find parking there.
Turns to go into the hotel.
7. INT. Downtown Fancy Hotel – Evening
YetToBeDotMom
Let me ask the front desk
BigGeek
Just come up
YetToBeDotMom
Ok. Hope you are not on the thousandth floor
BigGeek
16th
8. Elevator door opens. BigGeek and DotMom walk towards BigGeek’s hotel room. BigGeek opens door.
9. BigGeek’s fancy Hotel Room – Evening
YetToBeDotMom comes out from the rest room.
YetToBeDotMom
Nice view you got there (looking at the skyline)
BigGeek
Yes, pretty isn’t it. (points to a chair). Sit.
YetToBeDotMom sits down. BigGeek sits close to her, on the bed. Freeze Frame.
YetToBeDotMom Voice over
Since this is a G-rated (not even PG-13 movie) I am not going to tell you what happened (no, it is not that). Suffice to say he said these words.
BigGeek
I know this is a little early, but will you marry me?
YetToBeDotMom
Yes!
Silence.
YetToBeDotMom
Where is the ring?
YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
The nice sized double brilliant diamond came three wakes later. And replaced the yellow elastic band I wore on my ring finger to tease him. On Valentines Day. But at midnight, as I was dead tired and ready to go to bed. Cranky because he had not made reservations anywhere and we had ended up eating a sandwich at Panera. He was trying to beat the Hallmark Holiday which he hated (and give me the ring on the 15th) and still does. But there were flowers and chocolates. And a proper proposal made down on one knee.
--------------------
And so ends the movie. Tell me who you think should play BigGeek and YetToBeDotMom. How about Hugh Jackman and Monica Bellucci? :)
Posts
39 comments:
OMG!!! Loved it! Thanks so much for taking the time to honor my tag request and do such a nice job...the narrative was great.
He must have floored you at the first instant - you refused to meet anyone else and you just casually said "Yes" like you always knew! What a great story!!
Oh, I miss the winters for the romantic mood it sets in such instances! :)
Awwwwww.How romantic!!
Immensely enjoyed this and the last post :-)
You know most people ask me how I knew I was in love and how I knew that M was THE one.And all I can say in return is that I just knew!
So much mush going all around!!!
:) well told! you guys are up-ping the standard :( I still have to do this tag!
WHOA!!! after all that build up, you made a pretty quick decision. just like that. think there was a lot of subconscious thinking, huh? long live MSN! :)
and few questions:
1. advanced screen writing???
2. so he did have a plum job by the time you were back, or how could he afford a fancy hotel in dntn philly?
3. of the two of you, who is the bigger geek? ;)
you wont believe it, panera is associated with engagement for us too...tho I missed out that detail in my story. loved every bit DotMom - esp the kid in the bg ("he's still talking!"), 2hr drive on first date, and all the geek talk!
noon: yeah.. i guess i did know..me too. i miss winters too.. he did floor me, although i refused to admit it :) he is just a very level headed guy.
i love lucy: did you do your story? i am going to tag you :) with all the mush going around, we can publish harlequin series.
orchid: thanks.. can't wait to read your story.
kodi's mom: I suppose there was. I had dated my fair share of Mr.Wrongs and so had he(Ms.Wrongs), so we were looking to something more than casual dating, I guess. Answering you questions.
1. advanced screen writing???
--Gotcha :) You would not be surprised if you knew what my independent studies were. One was Interactive Media and the other was Song and Dance in Indian Film. I have a graduate degree (M.F.A.) in Film and Media Arts.
2. so he did have a plum job by the time you were back, or how could he afford a fancy hotel in dntn philly?
--Points. Marriott points. He (now we) never stays anywhere else. but he did have a nice job too.
3. of the two of you, who is the bigger geek? ;)
--hahahaha. good one. I say he is. he thinks i am just a big geek as he, its applied differently.
kodi's mom you need to do your engagement story. i know your blog is all about kodi, but kodi would not exist if it were not for...
And I would love to print it on my blog, if it goes againt your principles :)
thanks for your compliments. "He is still on the phone" has become a HUGE family joke now. The story has to be remembered by his aunt every thanksgiving.
Wow. That's one hell of a story Dotmom. Awesome narration. Painstakingly typed out, I am sure. And it had the desired effect, for I felt like I was really wacthing it on screen.
Its so interesting to learn this little story and glean a little bit more about you.
Btw, silly as it sounds, what is the INT and EXT stand for?
Hey! That was such an awesome post! It sounds so romantic and so super sweet!
We never forget any bit of details from such romantic escapades..do we? :D
LOL! Who would've guessed? You netted BigRomanticGeek :-D Lovely story!
Well who else could play you two but you two? So I vote for BigGeek and DotMom :D
Lovely story!!
Great story - superb narration. Beetr than any romantic flick I have watched save perhaps "Before sunrise".
And then every one lived happily including the eager readers. lol
brilliant brilliant narration... could picture evry bit of it!!
Phew...finally I have it out of my system and can settle down to some work :)
So long, DM and I am a vegetarian so thanks for all the spice!
Ooooooh !! This was such an interesting read ! Amazingly narrated and so geeky-romantic.
Totally worth the wait.
tharini: well.. it just sounds that way :) gosh. yes. it was painstakingly typed out. lost patience at the end of it. thanks..maybe you will do your own?
and no, its not sillt at all. it stands for INTerior and EXTerior. Its useful while shooting the movie. Its standard scriptspeak.
~nm: so true.. every bit is etched in my mind like it happened yesterday.
moppet's mom: lol. now the only romantic thing we do together is play flight sim(he plays, he makes me watch)
gtn: there! BigGeek was so happt that Monica Belluci was playing DotMom :P
usha: LOL. before sunrise? hmm.. need to watch it now.
anon: thanks.
parul: yay! another Adams groupie.
poppins: geek romance, I think we have a new genre there. sure beats Napolean Dynamite:D
WOWW! That was one lovvvvely story, rather movie. You have taken lot of effort to write the way you have. Beautiful!
thanks Anitha. It was one long story wasn't it. thank god I omitted all the little side stories :)
I love geeky romance
mumbaigirl: thanks for visiting!
OMG! What a beautiful romantic movie.. err.. story. I almost put an ad to sell of my TV and DVD player.. Then I read you have a degree in Film and Media Arts. So decided to wait for the High Definition full screen version of the story.. starring The Big Geek and Dot Mom!
I have to ask - Who is the bigger geek? And what are your tea time talks with chip?
hahaha. don't sell of your TV and DVD player just yet. This ex-filmmaker had a hard time finding a (nice) job.
answers. BigGeek is the nigger geek. but i suppose I am a bit of geel too :)
Tea time talks with Chip? Hmm.. they are long and of the soul not quite dark yet :P
oh gosh.. so i did! just added you! very well written.
What a romantic story! And very well narrated. Of course one wouldn't have expected any less from a filmmaker. May BigGeek and Dotmom live happily ever after.
LOL. I am a royal member of thesulk club as you may know! My account would also fit into comment space just like UTBT!
Wow!that was some superb narration of a lovely romantic story. Looks like Valentine's day has come early in the blogsphere:) You even remember the exact dialogues *scratches head to remember hers and gives up* seriously loved it!!
that was awesomely narrated!
did you say you like to read science fiction?! whoa! we need to talk lady! i can write a thesis on asimov!
If you are married to anybody who looks like Hugh Jackman I for one am very jealous....
tha madmomma: friends again :)
nainaashley: why thanks! Haven't being doing anything rilmmaking for a while though :(
tharini: See, i refuse to buy that. Why him and not anyone else? There maynot be a tangible expression, but there is romance in the mind, no?
fuzzylogic: thanks for visiting. i like your blog. thanks for your compliments!!
choxbox: thanks. Now this sounds strange, but me not like asimov very much. ok. now don't give me any c**p about it. I get enough of it from BigGeek about not being into asimov.
sue: hahaha. look at orkut and decide for yourself!
Finally!!! I can think about other things now :). Sigh, so romantic....
squiggles mom: thanks mucho!
Dotmom,
That was a wonderful romantic story! I was reading bits and pieces of it during the week and had to come back again to read it fully :)
not into asimov? oh well.. would love to hear why though, just so it gives me another perspective.
mnamma: thanks for taking the time to come back and read it :)
choxbox: now I have a new subject to do a post :)
Awwwwww that is so romantic!you kept us all hooked,didnt ya? Lovely story,beautifully narrated!
And funny as it may sound, when I was reading,I kept feeling that the story was set up in Philly..turned out I was right! And another coincidence..DH also wanted to beat the hallmark holiday and asked me out at 12.00 on the feb 14th..and so now we keep arguing about the date!
great great read :)
Awwww! What a cool story and it's celluloid ready ! ;)
Ahhhh...fabulous story and fabulously written. Big screen stuff anyday.
trishna: philly has a vibe, doesn't it! Were BigGeek and your DH mele main khoye bhai?
big zed: hahaha. thanks.
karmic kids: lol. thanks!
hahaha i wont be surprised..He is Geeky in his own cute way too :D
Perrr-fectly written! Enjoyed reading it.
Lovely Story And Lots Of Patience.
btw, have you read GEB ? I borrowed it but returned without turning a page. I badly wanted to, tho. Now that its mentioned in your post, i am going to make sometime to go through it. What are you reading lately, and you have to make a hold on Boy Next Door by Meggin Cabot and have to listen to it, promise ? :) And then tell me the honest truth, nothing but truth, truth as you hear it :)
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