IGreying!

No I don't have grey hair and I don't intend to have them anytime later either.

I am talking of my IPhone - my one and only I-object.

The story begins in 2007, end September. I had just celebrated my two year relationship with my Motorola Flip Phone and in my thrifty mind, I was planning two more anniversaries. Before I knew it, tragedy pooped my party plans. My flip phone showed it's flip side. The video disppeared. I was rendered blind. I couldn't see whom I dialed. To make matters worse, the audio followed the video - mutely. Now I couldn't hear what the person had to say. Given my indomitable spirits, I worked with my phone to make the relationship last longer. I used speakers for listening and praying for dialing. It lasted a week. My friends gave up on me and hence I decided to part ways with my flip phone.

At that point in time when I was debating upon cheap phone options, Iphone had been launched at a discounted price of 399$. For those who have a sharp memory would remember that the initial price of Iphone was 599$. To all my friends, who wanted to play with the Iphone and didn't want to get it themselves, it was an "amazing deal". They pushed and pummeled me until I screechingly halted at the AT&T store. According to unanimous public opinion, getting the Iphone would be a decisive step towards acquiring the "cool babe" look that I never had. How a phone could overhaul my persona was never reasoned upon.

Holding the black luminescent box in my hands, I felt "cool". Flaunting something "touchy" as the Iphone would indeed make others take note of the phone, first and me, next! All those years of sitting and twiddling thumbs on the sidelines were going to end. As the Iphone acquired celebrity status, so would I , 'coz it's my-phone!

I bought it.

First two months, were pure stardom. Even my manager came by to take a look. I could stop people mid-work and click their photos for my contacts. No one minded- in fact colleagues posed. Friends who never called , started paying me a visit. The world was a wonderful place to dwell.

It's 2009 now. Iphone 3G-S has made an appearance and at this astonishing 199$ price.

As I sit and sigh with my Iphone 2G, others around me flaunt their superior speeds and spectacular Apps.

To top my woes, my Iphone suddenly showed creepy grey lines spreading across it's touchy screen. I was flabbergasted! I didn't think my phone had aged so quickly. Why, wasn't it just two years ago that it was born? Was two years such a long time in Iphone years? Even if I had been a little careless with it, might have bumped it about surfaces but that's just showing my "tough love!"

It all fell to deaf ears. I ran to the Apple Store and grabbed a genius at the "Genius Bar".

The genius, being the prodigy he is, took one look at the phone and uttered his prognosis.

" These are grey lines, probably dead pixels - I have seen them before. I don't know how they arise, how they spread and how to fix them."

That was indeed enlightening!

I stared at him for something more.

" Your phone is aged, there is no repair for this. We can give you the same Iphone 2G for 199$ but I would tell you to do nothing. This is your chance to be faithful to your phone. So what if it's ugly now, is your love only screen-deep?"

I thought about it. My love was screen deep but my love wasn't nutty. I wasn't going to spend 199$ to fix an old phone that functions even if it looks shitty.

I left the store- enriched and smiling. My phone looked back at me - I guess he wouldn't forgive me for all those bumps and scratches but haven't I just redeemed myself in his I-es?