A Ten Rupee Note

After wasting an entire night sitting in front of a laptop with a copy and pen, the clock ticked four and I heard birds chirping outside the balcony and the pleasant sound of gentle cool wind which carried a message that winter has finally come. I went to the bathroom and emptied my bladder and felt a great relief. This process of releasing liquid waste is perhaps the best feeling in the world. It gives you satisfaction that even having sex cannot provide... Entered into my kitchen with a false hope to get something to eat because I was literally hungry like a dog and found nothing there. Came back to room and thought of going out for tea. Other two roommates were also busy with their laptop's, one busy with studies and the other was perhaps downloading pink films. Asked them about the morning tea and instantly both of them got ready. One of them was scratching his balls and I kicked his ass and then finally he stopped and we came out of the house. I was in shorts and full t-shirt. The breeze was indeed pinching but we proceeded and reached the first shop which was our registered morning tea shop but unfortunately it was closed. The roomie who was scratching his balls gave him superb Hindi abuses one amongst them was new for me as well.. We kept on walking in search of a tea shop which also sold cigarette.

I personally love this point of time the short time in between the darkness and the light."The dawn" Has a very broad meaning. The roaring of fast moving trucks, the busses ready for their passengers and the most pious sound the temple bell and sometimes the 4am Namaaz which is offered by our Muslim brothers to their one and only "ALLAH" or GOD or BHAGWAAN. While on way we spotted a pigeon lying on road that was unable to fly surrounded by crows and dogs. One of my roomie ran and picked the poor bird and found that she had wounded her legs. He kept her in his hand and after a while we reached a tea shop but cigarette was not available with him. They both needed it urgently. Just then, the pigeon tried to fly but she failed and he again took her in his hands. I told him to let her go and then we kept it at a safe height from where she could fly once she recovers.. We then procceded to our house but on the way our plan changed and we reserved an auto and asked him to take us to any place where we could get good tea and cigarette. He charged us thirty bucks and dropped us in front of Jadavpur university gate No. 3. By the time there were lights all around and the silent morning was looking very beautiful. We spotted a shop and went there to purchase cigarettes. A girl in her late twenties fair in complexion and with a simple face wrapped in a sheet was sitting at the counter.. That pervert roomie asked for the thing and she nodded in a yes. There happend some sort of conversation one which she smiled and I loved that smile. I mean it was cute and adorable. We then returned to the place we were dropped exchanging views about the girl. The kind of conversation one would have after scanning a pretty girl - So did you like her? Her smile was cute? And all sorts of boyish talk but definitely nothing bad or cheap. We ordered tea and one bread omelette. While we were waiting for our order to come I got a naughty idea. I told them let's write our phone number on a ten rupees note and purchase something from that shop again. I had a useless phone number and I wrote the number on the note. I know it is'nt correct to write anything on a note as it becomes valueless once it gets to bank. But I did it on impulse not thinking much about country's sinking economy. After we were done with the tea and snacks, we made payment and proceeded towards the shop. I was a little scared because I had not done these kinds of stuff earlier so I handed the note to the third roomie who was bold enough to go and purchase stuffs and also indirectly told her about the number written on the note and even she showed ample interest and kept smiling during the whole transaction and conversation.It was six am and streets got busy with milk vans, flower sellers, maids who go to houses to work and many things.. We took an auto again and came back to our flat and I switched on the number which I had written in the note and then all three of us went to sleep... Woke up late and checked that phone but no missed call or messages appeared and we got busy in our routine work. In the evening I casually checked that phone and was excited to see seven missed calls and two new messages. I checked the call log and saw an unknown number and I was pretty sure that she was the one. I went into the inbox and found messages from the same number.. Opened the message and it read like :

 Why did you write the number on that note? What was the purpose?

I replied. Who are you.?

 Reply came instantly..

The one you sent the note with your number on it.

I was taken aback, and certainly felt the excitment, and replied..

So you finally found time to get in touch with me?

 She replied. Yes, my work kept me busy the entire day.

 I asked her name in my next message

 And she replied : I'll inform my Abbu, why do you want to know my name?

 I replied:No bad intentions, just that I loved your smile and wanted to befriend you

She replied. Sana is my name.

I replied: Nice name.

Sana replied: Ammi is calling me in the kitchen, need to go now, talk to you later. Khuda hafiz.. Again a message came. Unless I message you, please do not message me. I replied: Sure. Khuda Hafiz..

After that day no phone calls or messages came. I kept my number switched on in a hope to receive a message from her.

Then one day perhaps after fifteen days my phone rang and it flashed on the screen, SANA Calling. This was not at all expected I thought the chapter was over. Initially I got a little scared but picked up and said hello..

At the other end was a broad heavy masculine voice on phone

"Hello who is this"?

I had nothing to speak because that voice scared the hell out of me 

I managed to speak in a meek voice

"I am Pratap"

"Our daughter informed us that someone had given her a ten rupee note with a number written on it and handed us the ten rupee note. Why was the number given to her?" the man on the other side spoke.

I thought not to be plain and honest with him because I generally do not get into a situation like this because I do not like nuisance like these, but that day was a matter of one’s pride so we did this.

So I told him the same thing

"That day, we friends had played a game amongst ourselves, kindly do not mind, it was done without any bad intentions." I explained.

He said “Sure son, once I hand over the number to the police, the game will become even more interesting.”

I pleaded “No Sir kindly do not do this, we did not have any bad intentions”

"The way you speak, makes me feel you belong to a good family, but is this all that you are capable of?" he asked

I pleaded again "Sir kindly pardon us, we wont ever do this again".

He said "Am in a good mood today, since its Sana's birthday. I pardon you, but beware, never to do this again"

I said."Never, Never will I do this again".

He said: "If you want to come over for Sana's birthday, you can do so, the venue is near the shop".

I politely refused.

He said "As you wish, but keep in mind, never to call back again", and he disconnected.

I felt relieved after the conversation.

Both my roommates were sitting beside me and listening to my conversation.

After the phone got disconnected first of all both of them laughed like monsters for at least five minutes, and then mocked at me.

I was very angry on them because they were making fun of me being best friends but then I controlled my anger.

After a month of this episode

I went to the same shop only because I was unable to find my brand of cigarette in any nearby shop.

I went on the counter and asked for a packed of classic regular

Sana was sitting there and was looking even more pure and blissful that day.

I gave no expressions as if I never knew her and even she did the same.

The transaction took place and I gave a hundred rupees not and she returned me the change.

I came out of the shop and was counting the returned money just then I found something written on two of the TEN RUPEE NOTE.

Perhaps she had written this note on a ten rupee not long time back and maybe she was sure that I will visit her someday.

I kept all the money in my pocket expect those two and started reading what was written on the note.

The message was written in the SMS language..

"Sorry. i informed my father about the ten rupee note and the number."

I turned the note to find whether something else is on the other side and It was..

"I am mute, I cannot speak since childhood, because I am beautiful, Abba makes me sit in the shop, so that customers get attracted and come to our shop for purchase; just the way you did........"

I felt pity for her after knowing her inability to speak but I was helpless. I was filled with anger towards her father.

I then opened the second note, and the message continued…

"This prank of passing on the number on a note, is not new to me, many have done this before, but I have always ignored it. But this time it was different, for I too loved your smile."

I smiled after reading that line and turned the note again also I felt bad because she categorized me the group of such people. I was one of them in that situation but inside I wasn’t.

"I informed my father, so that you wouldnt keep waiting for me. I knew my father would pardon you as it was my birthday that day. My brother had thought me how to message using a cell phone."

That was it..

I loved the way she had replied the same manner by writing on the note.

She replied me the way I tried to contact her. This was very beautiful.

Just as I was folding the note to keep it in my wallet I found something else also written.

"Do keep coming to my shop".

This line made me sure that the girl was also interested in me but due to her muteness she didnt want to take the relation further.

Ironically this was written very small just below the note number in the upper right corner of the note.

I took an auto from there straight to my flat came home and relaxed.

She was a good girl though I thought various things about her when I got a call from her father but now I knew the reality. May God bless her always.

Meanwhile I’ll keep visiting her, in her shop from time to time, sometimes just to catch a glance of her and sometimes to buy something or the other.