It was 7.30 am — nearly four hours until the doors open — but the die-hards were undeterred. There was an air of electric anticipation in the air as the Mumbai Apple faithful queued up outside Apple BKC, the company first flagship store in India, waiting to become among the first to set foot inside once the doors would open at 11 am.
Neither the increasing heat nor the humidity deterred them as they waited their turn with a mixture of patience and enthusiasm. Some were there to buy a new product, while others were there just for bragging rights. But they were all there for the classic Apple Store experience, something hitherto unseen in the country.
Eleven am on the dot, Apple CEO Tim Cook threw open the doors and welcomed the first wave of enthralled visitors. He shook hands, took selfies, and even signed some vintage Apple products cherished by their owners for a decade or in one case, nearly four.
In one heartfelt moment, a little girl walked up to Cook and handed him a little gift — it was a handmade card and a diary, and Cook’s grin lit up the little girl’s face. As far as she was concerned, she had given Cook something more valuable than his entire company!
Among the happy fans was Sajid, an Apple fan who became popular on Twitter after bringing his old 1984 Macintosh Apple computer to the company's BKC shop in the hopes of getting it signed by Tim Cook. And his wish came true.
Meanwhile, another fan who brought his 10-year-old iPod to Apple BKC too hoped to get Cook to autograph it.
And Cook didn't disappoint. He signed the iPod and everyone went home happy.
Traditionally, serpentine lines form outside Apple Stores throughout the world — especially at the time of a product launch — with buyers hoping to be among the first to bag a purchase, particularly from a new Apple Store. We expect the same level of enthusiasm when Apple Saket throws its doors open on Thursday.