Oh What A Falling There Was!

I can't believe it's all over. All the planning, all that stress, all my frantic attempts at reassuring Weed that all would go well...but twas all so completely worth it!

The Event was marvellous! From our waltzing into Pizza Hut wearing robes, to the Router and I sitting on tnt steps acting drunk at 5:45 am, to us leaping up and down outside $%(^$^#$(&#$ showing off our fresh, new copies of HP before theirs had come...twas a night of madness!

The venue looked great thanks to Ninad's brilliance and Weed's lovely lovely posters. The participants were bubbling with enthusiasm...the Router and Shri-Can't had us rolling all over in Elocution and JAM. You guys were really really great!
I was totally impressed by how well-informed the kids were! The Group Discussion would probably never have ended had we not stopped it. Our Petites team tnt-ians were adorable in Gryffindor robes and enjoyed themselves thoroughly, despite having but the barest idea of HP World.
The Quiz went off wonderfully.(yes Nahar, I know I've told you that about twenty times, but so what!) Again, the participants were impressive. Tis amazing how deep theý have entered into Potter World. The Router reprised his role as Quizmaster, with the result that most women over twenty-five( and a few below 25 who kept quiet!) were raving over him before the first round of questions was over! Twas a clear, well-organized, totally committed effort. Pat on the back to you :)
Once the Event was over, we started pushing Boss to get to the distributors already! Finally managed to get her going and we all went back to tnt to open the Store and set up for a long day. Sat about in various stages of drowsiness, till at 6:15, the Qualis drew up...and we all jumped up and started screaming and shoving each other about trying to get to the boxes in the back.
Tape was hacked at, flaps wrenched open...and suddenly....it was the Moment!
Black-and-red, about 600 pages, hardbound, glowing with newness and holding a million secrets!
More impatience ensued. We grabbed a copy each, gazed, hugged, kissed the cover and got ourselves billed.
THEN...sleeplessness and euphoria having mingled and risen to dangerous levels, we jumped into the Qualis, ULM at the wheel and drove to that-bookshop-which shall-never-be-named-on-this-blog.
It was barely open, people wating outside for their HP's. We got off, jumped up and down outside showing off our new books...much to the chagrin of the poor watchman who ran towards us, then halted confusedly, not sure if he wanted to take on this bunch of wild-eyed hooligans! Damage done, we came back to tnt.
Many thanks to ULM for being the Greatest Sport ever!


....and so we transformed one room in a nearby club into a new world and made magic and madness such as Rowling herself would've been proud of.
I love the book. To quote the Router, 'I loved it before it had even released!'
But the build-up was just as amazing.
And this kind of crazed love and enthusiasm is what keeps tnt going...
Thank you, all the witches and wizards, the pixies and elves...all with your own unique magic, your love for tnt and Harry Potter, for creating this night.

Welcome Poorva and Rupa ! Join the gang !

And you what ? Rupa's daughter is Harini !

I have been talking about twistntales a lot in the past one week. First, to the press, then to a few freinds... now past couple of days to couple of new employees... It is leaving me emotionally drained.

I realise that i have given my all in the making of this place and folks who love it - tell me time and again that they are glad we created it ... but we need to get so many things in place.... so much work and so little time to do it.

We have so far got a few things right ... branding, positioning, our books, and our people - both in terms of customers and employees. But we have lots to do..

We do not yet have a billing and inventory solution. Our software on that has to be up and running quickly. Our website has to be up and smooth. Identifying suitable vendors who will sync with us in our thinking and work to our obsessive standards of perfection is a trying task.

Our sourcing needs to get better. We need to stock better ... more variety ... in subjects displayed and sold. Space is becoming a constraint.

Can we withstand more competition ? We seem to have created a niche for ourselves, but we have to sharpen up to face the future. A couple of quick innovative events can catch imagination ... and we have newer and newer walk-ins. We need to capitalise on that. Constantly on our toes, we need to get supply chain better oiled and sourcing more systematic, rather than sporadic.

With availability of office space in a couple of months time, and Rupa joining us to help with shoper and website, are we seeing light ? If operationally, one can free up time, sourcing can start getting refined.

Thanks tia for putting up the teamwork blog in time. Absolutely super ! i am extremely proud of each one of you, who have worked your days and nights in getting this up and running. I think in the end we put up a fantastic show, probably unmatched anywhere else in the world, both in concept and execution. We are way way above doing events with tattoo artists and providing free merchandise!

I think what we have given to the true Harry Potter fan is priceless. Thanks Akshay and Harikrishna and of course kaushik, tejas, rohin, jay, pallavi, shravani, yash ... not to miss, shilpa...Yes thanks for your very active participation and helping us make this mad event an absolute super duper success.

Yesterday, being monday, in my comteplative mood, i messaged everybody on how proud i was, of all of them. Aakash being aakash, called back, "hey u r ok, na ? Not depressed or something ?" !!!!

And i need to specially mention Jahnavi and Aditya. Thankyou jahnavi for pulling that extra energy this month and helping us do this and making it happen both operationally and creatively.

Aditya, you handled the quiz like a stalwart ... this time you have designed, executed the quiz completely independently and all watching eyes/ears were impressed. And you revealed true calling in JAM and extempore with RJ shrikant, making it completely entertaining for all. I have not in recent times laughed as much as i did that night at Anandban.

Yes Shibs u r right. Tnt is being loved and nurtured and it is in good hands !

Remembering 22nd July 2007

Dear Shama.
Hope your birthday was amazing! Stay cool and chalu, always :)
Love from all of us at tnt.

Going back....

I went back. To tnt, its books and its pretty pixies, to J and her home. I was revisiting many special memories. I hoped and hoped and hoped that they will be just as wonderful as they were when I packed them into soft cotton and stored them away in a warm, cozy corner in my head when I left a little over two years ago.

It can’t be easy to keep a fireplace warm all the time. Sometimes cold winds blow, sometimes promises of firewood aren’t kept, sometimes other hearths beckon. But, not here, no. tnt is the little wonder that it always was. J’s energy, darling N & S’s love and support, the pixies’ enthusiasm, the people who the books choose – all nurture and love tnt beyond belief.

I loved being back. And, like always, didn’t want to leave. tnt is always going to be just as perfect. Thank you, tnt.

We've done it again!

Congratulations tnt-ians! We had an amazing show! May our crazy enthusiasm never wane...

Ninad's vision

Quidditch anyone??









The Firebolt at tnt!







I haven't officially met Ninad, but I see him at tnt every day I'm there. His dedication...and its results are overwhelming!
How does he do it???

Nice. thankyou Nandini.

Its cute and touching.

This Harry Potter enthu and energy. Ninad just appeared out of the blue on Sun as we were closing. A student of aircraft maintenance engg., Ninad is a good craftsman. He has created the "Firebolt" complete with welded parts and maroon and gold paint
on the famous broomstick. And has created a Quidditch pitch.

The Firebolt is on display in tnt. Sumitra and me went shopping in Aundh gaon for material to stitch costumes for the event. Top secret. Names registering for quiz going up .. as many adults as kids ! waiting to see how its all shaping up. Mrs. Uma Sarathchandran wrote to entire team tnt praising efforts and enthu. Nice nice feel. Nandita, Manu, Kallappa came... and vernen called ... all offering help !

Come one, come all

twistntales presents...


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!
Join us in an all-night vigil as we count down to the most eagerly awaited HP book yet.
Quiz, debate, trivia and more. Book the 7th book with us and join in the fun!
Call us at the Store for details.

twistntales
Gaikwad Nagar
Ph:25881465/25899745

Selfishness: Part II

When I read you
I will cringe if you lie
I will impound you, if I could.
But, mostly, I will be sad
For you are the wrong page
And you picked me
To read words
I do not believe.

Selfishness: Part I

I can’t tell the entire truth.
Did you know that?

To write a sentence
is to live a precious moment
In a life filled
with words that I know.
With a full stop that brings up walls
with a question mark that contemplates bringing them down
With a comma that keeps me undecided
with quotation marks that make somebody else’s choices
Yet, complete, pure, sacrosanct.

That’s why I write verse.
Because I can tell half-truths.

Anushree's gone :(

Shama's joined :)

Harry Potter draws closer :) :) :) :)