#LiveLodgyCal...the most happening event of the Blogosphere !!!

The announcement of #LiveLodgyCal event in GOA, sponsored by Renault India in collaboration with Blogadda brought a storm in the Blogosphere. All eyes were on the event, the 40 lucky bloggers who will be part of it and the various activities they would be involved it.

There was also a contest organized by Blogadda whose 5 winners were going to get the opportunity to be part of the 40 chosen ones. 

On a fine Tuesday morning, 3 days before the event I got the invite from Blogadda to be part of this awesomeness.
I was on cloud 9. Without wasting any time I filled the form to confirm my presence.

The event was scheduled from 19th to 21st June 15.  Next day I got my ticket which confirmed by presence at the event and also took my excitement to a new level.

Air India was our airline. Flight from Mumbai was scheduled to depart at 1 p.m. on Friday. 
In the meanwhile twitter was buzzing with the updates on #LiveLodgyCal event.

Everyone was eager to know what all is in store, when suddenly a tweet from Blogadda unveiled some of the suspense.

All the 40 bloggers were divided into a team of 4.
I was excited to know my team members.
The suspense was killing me; I was refreshing my mail box every 15 minutes when finally a mail from Blogadda brought a smile on my face.  It had the twitter handles of my team members.

Atul, Tanmay and Kunal were going to be my family in GOA.

We had to decide on our team name and announce the same to the world.
Finally #LodgyCool were all set to rock GOA.

Atul took the initiative to create the WhatsApp group for the team and also tweeted the banner announcing the team name.

Because of hectic office hours I couldn’t get time for packing so had to wake up early on Friday morning to get all the packing done. 
Finally I was all set for “Go, GOA, Gone”.

It was raining heavily in Mumbai so Blogadda advised us to reach airport early for a hassle free journey.
I reached airport by 11:30 a.m. and was excited to meet all my teammates in person.

Atul, the co-founder at eVeltio Education Consulting appeared to be a jolly person.

Tanmay seemed to a cool guy who was all set in the party mood.

Kunal, a college student looked quite studious. ..:P

There were other famous Mumbai bloggers too at the airport.

Deepak uncle, a very famous national level rider and photographer.

@rutaagayire , a hotelier, rider and founder of PhotoKhatta. She is an inspiration for many women riders.

It was an honor to meet them all.

Our flight got delayed by an hour because of the bad weather.
We landed at GOA airport around 4 p.m.
There was a coach to take us to the venue of the event, “Hotel Leela Palace”.
Bloggers from other places of India were also there to join us.

Everyone was damn hungry.

Finally after travelling for an hour we reached the venue.
Leela Staff welcomed us with a tilak and garland.

Leela Palace justifies its name making you feel like a king/queen.
It's like a kingdom where you will get everything you can imagine of.

On my next glance I could see the Blogadda team, all smiling and happy to see us.

They escorted us to the hall where snacks were served. After appeasing the hungry stomach we got the keys of our room and a baggage containing all the details of the schedule for the event.

Kunal my teammate was also now my roommate.

We were escorted to our rooms in a Baggi, you can call it a big golf car.

The rooms were high on luxury, space and facilities. Our room had classic interiors, a king sized bed and a large bath tub.
Balcony was its main attraction which had an awesome lake view.

After refreshing up a bit we were requested to gather at the Banquet Hall, Hampi, for the first set of activities and presentation.

RJ Archana from Radio Mirchi, Kasa Kai Mumbai was our host for the eve.

There were tables set for everyone to get settled.
All the bloggers were set in the GOA mood which was evident from their attire.
Atul had booked a table for our team, so we quickly grabbed our seats.

Finally the eve started with team introduction.
Each team was called on the stage and asked to reveal the team name with a brief introduction about each team member.

There were people from all walks of life.

We had an hotelier cum biker, an army man wife who was an author, an education consultant, a biker cum photographer who had travelled for 13000 km in one go that also at the age of 60+, a fulltime blogger, few tech bloggers who had their own startups, auto mainstream journalists and many more interesting profiles.

After the introduction we had the Renault team on the stage with their presentation.
For next half an hour we were briefed about Renault Lodgy , its presence in the market, comparison with other MPVs and reviews from automobile experts.

After the session got over we were asked to head over to “ The Restaurant” as dinner was served.

There were lots of new dishes to try out.

After having a sumptuous dinner we headed to our room to relax and prepare ourselves for the next day as we were going for the #LodgyDrive.

6:30 was the wakeup call as the drive was going to start from 9 a.m.
We had our breakfast and headed towards the lake side of the hotel for the flag off.

Atul was very excited to drive the new Lodgy so we took back seat to enjoy the view as our route had a beautiful GHAT section on the way.

Finally the drive started with all Lodgys in a queue following the one ahead of them.

Our destination was Hotel Lalit where we were supposed to have lunch.

As it was monsoon time we had an awesome view to capture in our DSLRs.

Full points to Lodgy in the space department.  There is ample of leg space available for the front and rear seats. Also among all MPVs it provides the maximum boot space.

The rear seats are flexible and can be easily folded to make enough space to accommodate even a cycle.

Music system is powerful and the quality of sound is superb. There is noise reduction mechanism which improves the clarity of sound and we are able to hear even the minute details.

The interiors are classy and stylish.

Lodgy has a superb pickup and provides a smooth driving experience.
Even on the curves in the GHAT section we don’t have to decrease the speed.

Btw we had a funny incident on our way to Lalit.

A person driving another car asked us to stop. We were a bit skeptical about his intensions so were cautious in talking to him. Next came the hilarious part of the story when he asked us to show the Lodgy we were driving as he too wanted to buy it…:P

We asked him to go to the showroom of Renault as we had to reach somewhere urgently.
After he went we kept on laughing till our stomach started to ache.

Finally we reached our destination which was Hotel Lalit.
There were huge lavish golf grounds on both sides of the road. I assumed it to be one of the most famous golf destinations in GOA.

The interiors of Lalit were not very glistening but sober and classy.

After having a sumptuous lunch at the “Canacona” we headed towards the private beach of Lalit.

It was a clean and beautiful beach which had an awesome panoramic view. 
The tides were high and a cool breeze was making our stay more pleasant.
After clicking a lot of selfies and pics we started for our return journey to Leela.

Some of the bloggers also had video bytes describing their Lodgy experience.

On the way to Leela I got the opportunity to drive and I was really satisfied by my overall Lodgy experience.

When we reached Leela, tea & coffee was served at Hampi.
As we were a bit tired so we quickly had our part and went to the room to relax a bit and also prepare ourselves for the impromptu sessions and activities which were going to happen next.

Around 7:15 p.m. everyone was at the Banquet hall dressed in their best.
The stage was all set for a rock band performance. I was super excited and eagerly waiting for the performance to start.

Meanwhile Blogadda marketing head, the gorgeous Ankita took the centre stage.

She called on stage some of the great personalities we had among us who had their success story to share.

After the impromptu sessions we had the panel discussion where 5 coveted bloggers were at the centre stage discussing about their experience as a blogger, how they got famous and what inspired them to become part of the blogging world.

With the end of panel discussion everyone’s eyes were set on stage as Goa’s one of the most famous band was ready to set the stage on fire. It was time to rock n roll.

Officially the bar was also open now so without wasting any time people quickly made their way to grab their favorite drink.

The band started with some famous English hits and then slowly paced their way towards Bollywood party numbers.
For the first 15-20 minutes everyone was at the bar or their seat, enjoying the show, but soon all the shy bloggers started getting the kick. In no time the dance floor was set ablaze with the thumkas of
rockstar bloggers.

After the dance party got over dinner was served.

I was too tired to eat so quickly had a bit and headed towards the room to have a good night sleep.

Next day morning we woke up a bit late.
12 p.m. was the time to check out of the hotel Leela.
Quickly we did our packing and headed towards “The Restaurant” to have our breakfast.

Finally it was time to say adieu to the fellow bloggers who were now more like friends and head towards the airport to return back to our respective destinations.

Many Many thanks to Blogadda and Renault for such an awesome experience.
Blogosphere has never witnessed such a phenomenal event where super heroes of the blogging fraternity are under a single roof. Not only I learned a lot but lived like a king for 2 days and also improved as a person. Memories of this event will always travel through my mind whenever I will remember my journey as a blogger.

I was a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive by BlogAdda.com in association with Renault India. 

My Last Valentine....

This was our first valentine together and I wanted to make it very special for her..

Nikita and I were into relationship from last 6 months and it was a smooth ride for both of us expect for some fights because of my stubble. I so loved it and she thought it to be a Junglee's Pride.

I was totally confused on what to plan and how..? As I opened Facebook, there was a contest by MTV :- "Dare to Love".

                         

It had 2 phases. In first phase the participant had to send his true love story to MTV and if they liked it then you will be shortlisted for the top 10 couples who were going to compete for a grand prize of 4 D/3N in Bali,Indonesia.

I was super excited as I knew that my love story was the most interesting of all I have known till date and we would definitely get selected for the 2nd phase...(Well my love story is too big..so may be in some other post I will narrate it in detail...:P)

Quickly I typed in the whole love drama of my life and mailed it to MTV.

Results were going to be announced in 2 days. I used to refresh my mail box N no of times everyday to check for a mail from MTV. Even I used to have hopes from my Spam box.

Finally on the 4th day results were declared and I was on cloud 9 to find our name in it.

I had kept this contest as a secret from Nikita , so now was the time to reveal it.

She had a big smile on her face when I told her about the contest, its prize and the fact that we were among the top 10 couple competing for it.

We are heading to GOA so pack your bags sweetheart.

She leaned forward to plant a kiss on my cheek...Ouch.!! she shouted in pain.

What happened baby? ,I asked. Damn, your stubble, it’s so rough and prickly.

I have told many times earlier too that I don’t like that stubble of yours. It feels so irritating just to touch your face. Why on the earth can’t you be clean shaven.

I hope this stubble doesn't ruin the fun we will be having in GOA.

Keeping stubble was in fashion. Gals used to go flat on celebrities like Brat Pitt, Abhishek Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan who kept a stubble. Even nikita considered them as sexy, than what was the problem with me; it was really hard to understand. 

It was 11^th Feb and we were off to Goa.

We reached around 11 a.m. on 12^th and as expected MTV had made a grand arrangement for us.

To our surprise the host for phase 2 was Yami Gautam. She was looking drop dead gorgeous in her black top and blue shorts.

She congratulated us for being selected as the top 10 couples who would now be competing for the ultimate grand prize.

Next she elaborated on the proceedings of the phase 2.

We will be having 3 rounds.

1.     Best you can do together

2.     Trust your partner

3.     Endure for your partner

In the 1^st round we will be having a dare where the couple has to perform together something, the best they can. Only 4 couples will go ahead.

Next round is called Trust your partner where u will be having a dare in which your compatibility and comfort with your partner will come handy.

And the final round is called Endure for your partner where one partner has to suffer the pain ,fear, anything terrifying till his/her partner completes the given task.

So guys get prepared for ultimate fun, adventure and of course pain. This is the test of your love, trust and compatibility with each other.

I will meet you right here in the “Love Battle Ground” after 5 hours. So get yourself prepared with the best you can show us.

We came to our room and started discussing on what all options we have in our kitty.

Dancing was a passion for both of us and hence we decided to do a salsa.

5 hours had gone and the stage was all set for the couples to rock.

Judges for the day were Diya Mirza, Arjun Rampal and Farah Khan.

We had some gr88 dance performances, heart touching duet songs, couple of stand up comedy acts and even delicious Italian and Mexican cuisine prepared by some.

Nikita and I gave our best and showed a gr88 level of comfort.

It was indeed a neck to neck competition. Results were announced after 2 hours and we nearly had a heart attack , when our named was announced as the last couple to be selected.

The feeling was awesome as we were just a step away from winning the grand prize.

There were no more eliminations now. The next round was on 13^th around 8 in the morning so we slept early to be fresh and ready for the dare.

All the 4 couples gathered in the “Love Battle Ground” for the next round

Trust your partner.

Yami as usual looked sensational in her red color one piece.

She greeted us and quickly briefed about the dare we will be performing in this round.

The dare was quite thrilling. We had to cling together and were tied by a rope which pulled us back. There was also a water canon which would bombard water missiles to keep us away. Once the couple got separated they were out of the dare. The couple who clung together the maximum amount of time, won. It looked like we were going to have tremendous fun.

I and Nikita were the 1^st couple to perform the dare. It demanded strong will power, tough bodies and trust on each other. We were quite sure of winning it as we had the above qualities.

The dare started very well and I thought it to be a cake walk. As the force of the pulling ropes increased we held each other tightly. I got lost in the fragrance of her body, the feel of her soft skin took me to a different world altogether.

I was brought to my senses by her loud scream...Ouch.!!!
She pulled herself away and unfortunately we were out of the dare...

She was hurt, but how? , what happened?

When I tried to ask her but she drew her hand away and ran.

I was awed by her reaction. I tried to contemplate what went wrong, some mistake from my side, but couldn't find any.

Other couples performed quite well. We were at the last position. I was very much upset and disappointed not only to find our name at the bottom of the list but also because of Nikita’s behavior. I went to my room to start a conversation but in vain, the door was shut and there was no response from her. It was 12 a.m. and the valentine day had already started , but still she didn't even care to talk to me. I was really agitated, but somehow managed to pacify myself as we had another round to go and our victory which was looking nearly impossible, depended completely on how we performed in it.

We had become friends with one of the couple, Ajay and Divya, so I went to their room. Nikita and Divya gelled well together, so I tried to ask her, if she knew what had happened?

She just told me one thing; take this Gillette shave gel and remove your stubble by tomorrow morning.

Suddenly the whole picture became quite clear to me. It was my stubble which has caused all the chaos. If I was clean shaven we could have won the round.

And the worst thing, it was because of this stubble I was craving for that valentine kiss, that warm hug, the touch of her soft skin and her love which I needed the most in my life.

It was valentine morning. All the couples were having a gr88 time except me who was paying the price for being so apathetic to her agitation, talks, advice and suggestion about my stubble.

I couldn't figure out what to do next and to add to my trouble the 3rd round was going to start at 3 p.m and it was already 1..Finally an idea stuck my mind.

I shaved, clicked a pic of mines and transferred it to Divya’s mobile.

Then I wrote a letter and requested her to forward both of them to Nikita. 

My Sweetheart Niks,

I would be the only BF in this world who is craving so much , just to even see his GF's face on this Valentine day.I know, I am an idiot who doesn't listen to your talks but now I have realized my mistake. I am really sorry for what all had happened and I promise to never let you down.

You are my soul and I can't live without it. I would die if I don't get a JADU KI JHAPPI from you in next 1 hour. I want to win this contest with you my angel, please come back baby..:(

Your Idiot

Ankit

I was standing at the door with Divya to see the response. Finally after 15 mins the door opened and Nikita came out with the letter. 

You know Mr Idiot, I will definitely kill you the next time,I see a stubble on that face. Saying that she hugged me so tightly that even air had no chance to pass. 

Both of ours eyes were wet.

When our eyes meet I could read this message in them..."I had to do this Ankit as it was the only way to make u understand the pain I feel, everytime I kiss that junglee area of yours. It was so difficult for me to even get close to you.." 

So finally everything was sorted out and we were all set for round 3.

At 3 p.m all the couples gathered for the last time in the “Love Battle Ground”.

For the first time I didn't even notice Yami as winning the contest was the only thing I had in my mind.

So guys are u ready for the final round, asked her. A loud cheer from all the couples was the response. Gr88, I am so happy to see your enthusiasm and that killer feeling to win the grand prize. So here is your dare. 

One of the partner has to solve a Jigsaw puzzle and the other partner will be put inside a glass box full of snakes  After 1 min more of these venomous creatures will be put in. There are 25 pieces in this Jigsaw puzzle , the couple which takes minimum time in solving it , wins.

Unfortunately this time too we were the first couple to compete.

I was terrified by seeing those deadly snakes but than I was determined to endure it for her.

Nikita was good at solving puzzles which was a bonus for us.

As the dare started I was made to lay inside the glass and Big pythons ,cobras and vipers were spread all over me. I kept my nerves and lay still. 

                          

To everyone's surprise Nikita solved it in just 4 mins. We were really happy by our performance. 

Next 2 couples were disqualified as they were too scared to try the dare and hence dropped out of the contest. Now it was left between us and our friends Ajay and Divya. 

Divya took 10 mins to solve the puzzle. As they came 3rd in the previous round , it was a tough call to choose the winner.

Finally the results came and Boy..O Boy...I jumped 5 feet in the air on listening it.

We were the winners...yes we were the winners of the grand prize, 4 D/3N in Bali,Indonesia.

I just did it for you , I told her. Before I could say anything else , her lips were on mines . I so so so badly wanted it..

It was 6 in the eve and the stubble of mines had made me crave for complete 18 hours of Valentine Day.

Four of us celebrated the win together in a nearby 5 star hotel. We ate,danced and got drunk for next 3 hours. The clock struck 10 and we were finally in our room. 

I undressed myself quickly, went to the bathroom and took the Gillette shave gel. As i was about to start shaving, there was a  knock at the door. Nikita was standing there in her sexiest black color nighty. She came in ,took the gel, slowly applied it to my face and moved the razor gently.

After the shaving session ended , it was time for............hmmm........well.........that's secret..:P

Nwys we had a great time together in the bathroom as well as on our trip to Bali...:)

From that day onward I have made it a rule to shave daily, even twice a day also.
Because now I have know the consequences, if she can make me crave on Valentine day, lets not talk about what she can do on normal days...

This post is part of the 'Shave or Crave' movement in association with Blogadda.com