Since I did not have my pair of walking shoes, the walk was a non starter. I'd got up a trifle late and was generally going about my morning chores.
Earlier, on getting up, I'd told myself that today was the first of April and the telephone calls that came by were to be analysed before jumping to conclusions and gearing up for action that wasn't warranted. And without much ado, came a phone call that an assignment had fetched up at the transshipment container terminal and that I was to take action forthwith, to avoid delay of any sort to avoid consequential penalties!
I was puzzled, all right, as to why such an alert had come on my residential telephone as these were usually conveyed through well established, official channels. But the clincher was when the caller made the error(?) of calling up again to find out as to whether actions had been initiated. Identifying the caller, I told him to give another try at the effort with more authentic ones!
It was then that the calling bell announced its existence and on opening the door, I found that it was Majid, the garbage collector. He'd earlier, almost a couple of months back, asked for a loan of Rs. 20 grand for acquiring water connection for his house and I'd then told him that his case could be considered only in the next financial year as he'd already availed of the facility(for electricity connection) once, in the ongoing year.
I was pretty surprised to see Majid in front of my door, pronto, on the very first day of the new financial year, obviously to remind me of my promise. Hats off to his meticulousness! So, I told him that he'd to put up his application to the caretaker who'd process the case as per 'standard operating procedures' and had almost closed my door when he muttered, "Sir, Kanak, the security guy, had told me that I was to meet you urgently. That's why I've come". He seemed to be relieved when I told him that I hadn't called and it was only then that he'd grinned - from ear to ear - and said, "Sir, my loan".
I got my eventual surprise from Kanak, the security guy on duty at that time. On asking him as to why he'd sent Majid when I'd not called him, he said, "Sir, I was making him an April fool".
Tailpiece.
What neither Kanak nor Majid, perhaps, didn't realise was that in the process, the real April fool was none other than your's truly!
Earlier, on getting up, I'd told myself that today was the first of April and the telephone calls that came by were to be analysed before jumping to conclusions and gearing up for action that wasn't warranted. And without much ado, came a phone call that an assignment had fetched up at the transshipment container terminal and that I was to take action forthwith, to avoid delay of any sort to avoid consequential penalties!
I was puzzled, all right, as to why such an alert had come on my residential telephone as these were usually conveyed through well established, official channels. But the clincher was when the caller made the error(?) of calling up again to find out as to whether actions had been initiated. Identifying the caller, I told him to give another try at the effort with more authentic ones!
It was then that the calling bell announced its existence and on opening the door, I found that it was Majid, the garbage collector. He'd earlier, almost a couple of months back, asked for a loan of Rs. 20 grand for acquiring water connection for his house and I'd then told him that his case could be considered only in the next financial year as he'd already availed of the facility(for electricity connection) once, in the ongoing year.
I was pretty surprised to see Majid in front of my door, pronto, on the very first day of the new financial year, obviously to remind me of my promise. Hats off to his meticulousness! So, I told him that he'd to put up his application to the caretaker who'd process the case as per 'standard operating procedures' and had almost closed my door when he muttered, "Sir, Kanak, the security guy, had told me that I was to meet you urgently. That's why I've come". He seemed to be relieved when I told him that I hadn't called and it was only then that he'd grinned - from ear to ear - and said, "Sir, my loan".
I got my eventual surprise from Kanak, the security guy on duty at that time. On asking him as to why he'd sent Majid when I'd not called him, he said, "Sir, I was making him an April fool".
Tailpiece.
What neither Kanak nor Majid, perhaps, didn't realise was that in the process, the real April fool was none other than your's truly!
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