The summer heat can take a hell out of you. Specially, during the noon when it’s scorching. It was one of those bad days, when everything goes wrong, as if you are wearing a jinx. Woke up late, had a quarrel with girl-friend (even I had a girl-friend!), a fight with an intimate friend and adding salt to the wound, received a letter of short attendance from the college.
I decided to go for a tea (we call it the “national drink”), checked my wallet, it had only a ten rupee note. Then I made up my mind to go to a friend’s place. I approached an ATM machine, the display said-“Out of order!” Holy shit the other ATM is about 1 km away. It was about 11 in the noon; I walked to the other ATM. After doing all the insertions and button pressing, all I found out was-“Enter the amount in multiples of RS 500!” I had only 700 in the account. After pondering long enough, I took 500 out of it.
“A chilled appy fizz and I will have the change”, that was the first thought that struck my mind! I went to the shop, but the shopkeeper denied giving the change. I didn’t have any balance in my cell as well, “a mini top-up and I will have the change”, but even this plot ended in smoke. Then, I decided to buy a book, walked about 400 meters to the book shop but the shop was closed.
I was standing under a tree, extremely tired and frustrated. Suddenly, I saw a ray of hope. It was a “mobile van ATM” or some call it “ATM on wheels”, I ran behind it and asked the technician, whether it had Rupees 100 notes or not! He replied in positive, in a jiffy I inserted my card again. As they say, “hurry spoils the curry!”, the machine was a faulty one. I didn’t get any money; instead I lost all my balance as well. All I got was a receipt, but no money! I was so damnation frustrated, hungry, thirsty and tired. “Oh Money……..honey you run away so fast!” I went to the bank (again had to walk a hell lot in the heat!), the officer gave me the toughest form of my life to fill up! I gave that idea up pretty soon, took a bus and left for my friend’s place. The conductor gave me the change easily, without any fuss! I was livid with myself. “I am such a fool, such an idiot!”, I thought.
Sometimes, the things we desire and want in life are so close to us that we end up overlooking them. We make things complex, things by themselves are all very simple. The best things in life are free and most of the situations in life are easy and manageable. I learnt a lot from that incident. But it has become our tendency to make things difficult and complex. So, “Keep it simple silly!”
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