Chai-Paise

“Life in the city is pretty busy. And in hitec city it is obnoxious. “….thought the morning sun as it tried desperately to wake up the entire city but the tall building with even taller shadows frustrated it. The early morning smog that hung over the city had cast a grey shadow over the landscape. And the little house on chadhar ghat wasn’t a mismatch. The quaint blue gate lost most of the paint and looked more like the entrance of a junkyard. Ileana looked sizzling’ly amazing in her Barbie costume on the inside of my door. My Desktop and laptop lying beside my bed and the posters plastered across the wall added life to the room.

As alarm went off , the blanket came down and a hand searched for the source of the sound. The sleepy eyes glanced at the clock and returned inside the blanket. “My God!, its 4:30 already”, I shouted again. May be, this was my way of saying a very good morning to myself. I got up, wrapped myself in a towel and rushed to bathroom. After taking bath I realized I have to shave. I again forgot. No problem, at least I am taking bath. Whatever be my condition, I always make sure to dress well J . Combing my hair, arranging my bag, I stood before the little idol which I keep in my room and started praying, “God, please , PLEASE make sure that at least this day is DIFFERENT. I am bugged with my routine life and need a change desperately. People seek millions of dollars, scholarships, promotions, hikes and even pretty girls. All I am asking is for a slightly different day.. Ok God, got to run, see you tomorrow, same place , same time, until then take care and have fun” And thus I depart my home.

Then I hurriedly ran to same station, to board the same train, same coach and same seat. And I just parked my bike and noticed the same security guard. But, for the first time I observed something different today. I just thanked god that I could at least sense something not usual. It is that, the security guard in a well-disposed manner came to me and enquired about my well being and praised me that I am very much disciplined. I was just flattered and I thanked him and was just about to leave then he asked me “Saab, kuch CHAI-PAISE? “…..I for some reason just gave him a ten rupee note and left the place.

Next in the train, I daily see a same old man sitting beside me. The worst thing is that he smokes and that too in train and that too daily. I don’t smoke and hate the very smell of tobacco. So, I daily try staying calm for sometime but after few min I can’t take it and will say the routine dialogue ” Excuse me Sir, it’s wrong to smoke inside train, would you be kind enough to put out the cigarette as it is making me uncomfortable?” This old man doesn’t even look at me, but everyday he takes a really BIG puff and to my relief will threw it out of window. And I thank myself.

That day just about a minute had passed, this old man pulls out another cigarette and lights it. I seriously don’t know what to do , but before my brain could pass the order I start raising my voice and just then this old man gives a stern look and says ”I wonder where you people get such habits from? You could have simply asked me to stop smoking? You young people , won’t go for.”

I simply gaped at him. “But sir, I did tell you and you even threw out previous one.” The man replied “I never threw out any pamphlet, in the first case when did you offer me any pamphlet?” Now I understood the situation. one more case of acute deafness. I just cursed myself and tried enjoying rest of my train journey“

And suddenly I realized that I forgot my mobile in my bike, GOD! It was a new one with touch screen and I recently purchased it. I just cannot afford to lose it. Not that I have that many people calling me, but I just realized how much I used it for other than phone calls. How can I stay up to date? When it comes lunch time, how am I gonna text the fellow co-workers to rally on a spot to eat lunch? I do miss the little vibration when I get a call. Oh no!!!!!! How am I gonna survive today???? Now, I understand how a person can have a conversation and be connected. I feel so unconnected and vulnerable now.

Losing a cell phone and that too in a station means it is gone for sure shot. I tried to ask that old man if he has a phone, in turn he said me that he stopped smoking long back…..i again cursed myself and just waited till secunderabad station. Finally when I reached this station, I got down , rammed into a public booth and called my dad so that he could pick up the phone from my bike which is parked at station. But he didn’t pick up the phone and it kept on ringing and ringing. Also, unfortunately I missed my train too. GOSH! Then I went to the station guy to let him know of my dilemma.

He asked which train and I told him it was the one that just left the platform. He looked at his train schedule and said "OK, it was the 05:22 from Falaknuma to Lingampally. What’s your bike number and any identification ?"

After letting him know some details, he called somebody at my station and instructed security guard to look for my poor phone on that station at the carriage location that I described. .

He hung up the phone and got a call a few mins later - the security guard at my station had intercepted my phone. I went to that station immediately and upon arrival they asked me to describe the bag and the contents to make sure I was the owner.

Upon regaining contact with my new phone, I was having a few mins of disbelief about me getting my phone back. Then silently that station master asked “ Sir, CHAI PAISE?” I gave him a hundred rupee note. I could see his joy on face. But for me nothing mattered more then my cell phone. Then I thanked the security guard too J. Again I just wondered if it is not for Chai Paisa, it would have been sayonara to new phone.

Then I ended up late in my office again with same severity 1 issues, same highly escalated issues, the only difference being I got assigned with 3 issues rather then 2 (which happens generally to me…so I extra issue today)

After the tiring day I went to home and first thing I did is, that I asked god never to make my day “DIFFERENT” and thanked Chai Paise for saving my day.

Guys, never confuse God by saying generic terms, be SPECIFIC on what you want J.

Have you lost anything in your region and were you able to recover it? Are people good about handing things in?