What according to you is the one gadget that todays youngsters just cant do without..that has to be there..wherever they are, whatever they do??? An i-pod..the current rage among youth?? umm... comes close. A laptop may be?? A DVD player??? Not quite... or is it the Mobile phone???

Nine out of ten will give the last option an emphatic YES!!! Indeed, the mobile phone has well and truly become an indispensable possession, especially for college goers ... So much so, that one may step outta the house without tying the shoe laces but not without carrying the mobile phone. And i wont be lying if i say that there are a few who amy even forget pulling up their trouser zips but not putting their mobiles in...

An interesting anecdote set me thinking on this topic... It was New years eve and I was on my way back home from Bangalore... In the bus, i was joined by a hilarious group of forty odd engineering students hailing from Chandigrah .. the mood was upbeat as all of them were singing and making mery in anticipation of the clock joining its hands to welcome 2006 .. the excitement and exuberance were palpable and it toook very little time for the other passangers to get invloved in the fun and frolic...

But the soaring decibel levels came to a screeching halt when we had discovered that something had gone missing. t turned out that one of the college girls couldnt find her 'MOST' precious belonging -- her cellphone!! As news spread pandemonium set in. A frantic search ensued.. All passengers were thoroughly checked but the exercise proved futile ... Scenes of utter chaos, confusion and commotion had to be seen to be belived!! Then it struck someone that it might be left behind at the road eatery where the bus had stopped about 20 mins earlier. the hapless driver had no option but to bow down to the vehment dmeands of the students.

The bus made its way back to the eatery. The moment it halted..the studnets burst out like the battalion of soldiers heading for a mission. After interrogating each and every soul present at the place, the group returned without tasting success . Dissappointment loomed large on their faces . the atmosphere... which not too long ago was abuzz with zealous chanting and cheering ... now wore a funeral look. Consoling words flowed for the GRIEF STRICKEN girl over the loss of her beloved cellphone. We were left wondering.. Is this punny object goin to gatecrash our celebrations for the night??? Are these gung-ho youngsters destined to kick start the New Year on suchha sad note?? ur thought process received a jolt when all of a sudden, like a bolt our of the blue someone yelled aloud and announced its recovery... Apparently, it was switched off and lying snugly amidst clothes in its owners very own baggage.

In a dramatic transition, the stony silence prevailing just moments ago was replaced by deafening roars and hurrahs and the celebrations resumed with renewed vigour How apt is the saying--Alls well that ends well!!!

For me though, one fact became clear ... that the mobile phone is not just another ordinary gadget. It has  this uncanny ability to weave its way into its owners heart creating for itself a larger then life status. And why not?? It does bring your dear ones much near when ur away from them.. Apart from that, some find it extremely usefull to ward off unwanted visitors anytime anywhere by just pretending to be engrossed over the cellphone. Few innovative and law flouting individuals feel that the best way to spice up a boring lecture is by playing a catchy ringtone at an opportune moment. For others who find it hard to keep themselves from dozing off during class hours , the cell phone has myriad things to offer. From addictive games, to witty messages , from latest news and sports updates to hot and crispy movie gossip .. you name it and ul get it!!!

But still, for how long can you stick with the same handset??? with newer, more tempting chic-looking brands flooding the market, over hyped cricketers and cine stars screaming out what facilities their new package provides it becomes impossible to resist the lure... In addition there is this over powering desire to go one up in the company of peers. So even before the next sunrise, out goes the old and in comes the new!!! Your once beloved possesion gets shorn off all the attention it had got used to.. thus it wont be wrong if i say that nowadays handsets are getting replaced just as frequently as footwear!!!

Needless to say, manufacturers of this wonder gadget are making brisk business the world over. The 'Mobile plague' has already gripped the young and old , the rich and poor alike ... With plummetting prices... It surely doesnt show signs of dying out anytime soon!!!