“May I have your attention please?!! Train no 99835 Lonavala to Pune is departing shortly from Platform no. 2!!” My friends and I were trying to make our way to Lonavala railway station after having the most disastrous trek of our life when this announcement came up. We ran through the entrance of the station along the platform trying to get inside this last train of the day. We rushed and rushed and Phew!!! Finally we all could board the train.
We searched our compartment and took our seats when we were drenched completely in sweat. There was this old man and a lady sitting by the window seat staring at us. They saw our physical and mental plight and were quick to ask the reason behind it. Reluctant at first, we all six strugglers looked at each other, and I started sharing the tale with these experienced folks.
"So, we six best friends had planned a trek to Rajmachi fort near Lonavala in Pune. A day before, we all went to Pantaloons and shopped for this exciting day. We gathered at Pune railway station the next day, without carrying our phones as per our friendship trip pact. Then, we boarded the train to our destination and our trip began! We reached Lonavala around 11 am in morning and started the trek. We reached at top around 3 pm. We then enjoyed the snacks and canned soft drinks which we had bought from the More store. We were so mesmerized and lost in the sightseeing that we didn’t realize it was 6 pm. We had to traverse the way down the fort which was more difficult than the way up. We realized it was too late to ponder and hence started the downward journey. It started getting dark faster than usual as it was mid-December. The entire pathway was through a lush green forest without a single streetlight anywhere. It was 7 pm and the entire forest sank into sea of darkness. While the four girls of our group were completely exhausted due to the difficulty level of trek, the guy friend stumbled on the way and injured his knee badly. So, now the entire onus of getting everyone safe out of the situation naturally came on me. Thus, the mesmerizing experience of first half of the trip had already started getting scarier. Drops of sweat came sliding down my forehead which were more because of the challenge I was facing than the physical exertion. I decided to somehow manage the group to get to the halfway mark from where we can call the jeep driver to take us down. We struggled but eventually managed to get there. So now, we had to call a jeep driver and the work was done. But! We were carrying no phones. Hence we started seeing if we can find any villager going the opposite way. We finally found two villagers and asked them if we could make a call from their phones. They were helpful and so, we took one of their phones and tried calling the driver. His phone had two sim cards of two different companies, but to our dismay, none had the network. The dreadful experience was turning out to be more disastrous and we all were dejected. Just when we were losing all hopes, the other villager took out his phone and had a bright smile on his face. While we were totally confused, he just handed over his phone to me. And to my surprise, his sim card had full network and so I could call the jeep driver to pick us up.
While I was thanking him and returning back his phone, he said, “Bhaiyya, ye IDEA ka network hai. Aap kahi bhi jao, ye kabhi aapka saath nahi chodega.” His words had a deep impact on all of us. We realized the value ABG has created over these years. The trust that ABG has built in its customers is unparalleled. Having all these thoughts running into our heads, we got into the jeep and rushed to the Lonavala railway station."
The old man and his wife were attentively listening to the challenge that we experienced and had a content smile on their face. Just out of curiosity, I asked them why. The lady then told that her husband has worked at Hindalco Industries for 30 years and retired. She added that the job satisfaction and the parental treatment this organization gave their family is incomparable. She also added all the happiness that ABG has filled in their lives.
Throughout this experience, the one biggest thing which I realized was the importance of ABG in every one of our lives. Looking back at the disastrous trekking challenge I faced, I am sure that if it wasn’t ABG’s product, it would have been very difficult for us to get out of it. Also, the experiences people shared, time and again proved what ABG means to the common man. Knowingly or unknowingly, ABG has impacted almost everyone through their diverse range of products and 150+ years of legacy. They have already reached the sun of their customer’s heart through their service and I wish they keep on doing that for millennium to come.
Thank You Aditya Birla Group (ABG) for everything!!!
