"Aaaaa...." I heard a girl screaming at the top of her voice outside my room. I opened my eyes wide and sat still on the bed wondering if I was dreaming. But all I could hear and see in that darkness was my roommate who was fast asleep and snoring.

I thought a sip of water will do the needful and put me to rest again but to my surprise I hear the screaming again and this time even louder. Somehow I gathered my guts and decided to take a walk outside my room at 1:30 am to check what had gone wrong in a hotel like Taj where we felt most secure and safe. I managed to dig my cold feet into the room slippers and went out strutting in my red pajamas and grey sweatshirt.

Since we were put up on the third floor I could get a good view from the top of the lobby area and coffee shop. But all I saw was many eyes staring right back at me from the first and second floor.
Then I realised they were the security guards and commandos for the Indian and Pakistani cricketers who were staying with us in the same hotel in Kolkata. Media people, inspectors, army men with their rifles and guns and so on, occupied much more space than the total number of players.

I just ignored their suspicious looks and walked towards the lift where I could see a hotel security guard talking on the wireless. Digging my palms into my sweatshirt, I went there running to ask him if everything was all right. He was quite surprised to see me come out of my room like that in the middle of the night and talk to him. But after blabbering something on his wireless, he moved his attention towards me and told me that our captain Mr Dhoni and heartthrob John Abraham had walked into the hotel together to which the fans had started yelling.

It took me five seconds to analyse what he was actually saying and then out of excitement, even I started inquiring about their room numbers. The guard mentioned to me that it was the same floor but he wasn't sure about the room.

I pleaded with him to find out the room for me, as I too wanted to have a sneak peak at the two hotties! He took me outside Room No. 349, a few blocks away from my room, but there was this huge fat commando with a wireless in his hand who did not look that friendly to me.

I thought I would go back and just doze off to sleep because the room was shut and this hulk wouldn't let me even stand there, forget knocking at the door. A few seconds later the door opened and John himself walked out of the room.

For a minute, I could not believe my eyes and out of sheer joy screamed, running towards him like a die-hard fan. I spoke to him, hugged him, smiled at him and don't know what, but there was so much happening within me at that point of time that I wanted to make the most of it. November 29, 1:30 am, I will always remember this day, I told myself! Thinking about John was all I could do and hence I couldn't go back to sleep.

I woke up my senior colleague Pooja and convinced her to come out in her shorts to meet John. This time I took my cell phone along with the hope of clicking pictures with my Johnny dearest. We both stood outside '349' like statues hoping to get lucky. Pooja still thought I was kidding and was about to turn back, just then we heard a few people laughing and the door opened. We gave each other wide glances and saw John, Dhoni and a few others walk out.

I smiled with all my 32 teeth popping out and requested John for a snap which obviously he didn't deny, no wonder they say he is so down to earth! After posing with John for the snap, I hugged him again and gave him a peck on his cheek. His eyes seemed so mesmerising and his smile so eternal that I wished I could admire him for some more time. But unfortunately, he had to leave and so did I. Pooja and me walked back to our respective rooms, way too happy to say anything. I hit the bed and tried to catch some sleep since I had my flight early next day.

It was indeed a very memorable day, or should I say memorable night of my life to have met John coincidentally like this. So, for all you crazy fans out there don’t forget to sleep in a good set of pajamas when you’re residing in a hotel and always rush out immediately whenever you hear someone scream, because you never know when you might get lucky!

Posted by Rashna Khanna