Wish me a Happy New Year

“You don’t have sufficient fund” – spat the monitor of the ATM machine right across my face.
What???I dont even have 300 rupees in my account?

I entered 200 rupees. After a long counting sound ATM machine puked two hundred rupee notes. Thank God .Hope salary will be credited tomorrow in first half. I will be able to last tonight out with this two hundred : 50 rupees Old Monk rum.100 rupees food. Ekdum perfect New Year!! and 50 rupees will be in my pocket after that…Waah savings of this year! ( I usually talk to myself when I am alone.)

I looked at the watch. 6 PM. I need to hurry, otherwise will get stuck in Bangalore’s corporate traffic. No one use public vehicles here (thanks to the privates banks and sales guys)…

“Hey Asan, Thank God I met you” – Balasubramaniam T Kuppuswamy took a deep breath and said.

“Its Hashan”- Sometimes Krantiveer’s Nana Patekar wakes up in me if someone mis-pronounces my name.
“Hey what happened da” I unlocked the helmet from my bike and said.

“My ATM card is locked. I don’t have a single rupee in my pocket. Could you lend me 100 bucks, I’ll return it tomorrow”

“Well Bala..um…actually..um..*cough*…*long sniff*…ok da.. ..Take”– I gave him 100 bucks” Duhh have to compromise with food…45 rupees ka egg biriyani”

I kickstarted my bike. It will take an hour to reach home. But as luck would have it, my driving was comparatively slow and I was still on the road for quite some time.
The weather was much colder that day…the wind somehow found a way to enter into my pullover and was beginning to chip into my bone.

When I took a left turn a police appeared in front of me blowing his irritating whistle.
“Stop … Stop”

“You need a ride?” –I stopped my bike and asked.

“Show me your DL.”

“Why? What happened officer?”- I showed him my DL and said.

“Insurance and emission?”

“They are under my seat. What happened sir?”

“You broke the signal. There is no free left…300 rupees fine.”
He started writing my name from my DL on a pad.

” I did not realize that it’s not a free left turn.So many bikes and cars just passed this way before me. Why didn’t you catch them? ”
He did not give a damn to that.

“I don’t have 300 rupees sir.”

“How much you can give?”

“50 rupees”
“Give 200 rupees and go.”

“I have only 100 rupees in my wallet.”
“Okay … Give, don’t break traffic rules. They are made for your safety and convenience only.”

I gave him hundred rupees and started my bike. God…Enough. I don’t want any more happenings for today. Ticket koyi bhi khareedey,Lottery toh humesha apni he nikalti hai. I wonder why???

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