When it became a big deal

This is a true story: It might happen to anyone

Reading horoscope!! Some, like me, read for the fun of it but others, like Sanjally, to know the future. A day, week or month which has yet not begun, but predicted!! Where is our free will? I think we always have a choice, but thats not the point. Funny and coincidental as it is, that day both of us read our respective sign predictions, hor(ror)oscope

It was getting dark. The road was wet and slippery. Driving back towards the city seemed a never ending journey. With this task at hand we couldn’t have proceed anywhere else. Finally, we reached the building. Took it out of the car and went inside. It was cold and quite. Now, they wanted us to put it in a bag. It was taken to an underground dungeon, where it was covered in a white cloth. With red stains gleaming all around the body we careful took it outside, lest something breaks.

My mobile phone rang constantly, trying to know our where abouts and what was happening? A bit irritated and a bit nervous I borrowed a pen from a stranger, my hands shaky as I wrote on the white sheet. Finally, it was placed on the weighing machine. With a sheepish smile the clerk behind the desk looked at me and said, "Char So Bees. Hmmm. Char So Bees." Then checking his computer he finally said, "Rs.640". I gave my debit card and he pointed to the board in front of him – Cash Only.

Digging into our pockets we collected every single penny, but it was not enough. My friend Sanjally, said, “I knew this was going to happen. I have to take the final note out. My horoscope is always right.” Digging into the deepest pocket of her purse, she gave me 100 rupee note. I gave all, the 1 & 5 rupee coins and soiled notes (not to forget a 100 rupee note feeling a king amongst them), to the clerk. He looked at me and as I was contemplating whether I too should start taking my horoscope a little more seriously, he started counting the money and said, “It will take a maximum of 7 day for this courier to reach Australia”. What’s that!! I thought, there is a minimum time period for such services. But this was the Indian Postal Services. One of the worlds most trusted and respected postal services.

So, that's how I spent the eve of 31st Dec’08. After picking up two friends from Sukhna Lake (one end of the town) had to go and join some more friends for a party at the other end of the town. In between was the whole drama, of sending a parcel to a friend. Sanjally had read she would need to reach her deepest pocket that day and she did. So call it the premonition of the astrologer or call it her will to prove it, she did put the money in the deepest pocket and we did dig it out. Finally we reached sector 37 for the party which none of us had read about in the prediction.

Good Night and Good Luck.