Friday Night

08:02 PM, 31 March 2006  Mumbai

 

It was a long week for Kesav as the financial year just closed. He planned for a party but Ragini, Pankaj  and  Roshan said that they are busy and wont be able to come while Sanjay is not picking phone.

 

“Hallo !”

 

“Hallo Sanjay, what about party today. Its only me and you as RPR are too busy. Bastards!”

 

 No was the reply from Sanjay also as he got stuck in some meeting in office and wont be able to leave before midnight.

 

Kesav is a party freak and in normal circumstances he always reaches home at wee morning hours after partying long on Friday nights with his four loving friends – RPRS.

 

It took him around one hour and he reached Juhu Beach just to enjoy his evening alone today. He was missing company of his friends but thought to enjoy in a different way today.  

Young couples doing their normal stuff and intimate things at public place sounds too irritating to Kesav. He went to a silent place on beach after walking few miles away from crowd.

 

Dear Mr. Lucky,

 

Congratulations !!!

 

Life is never so good and not for everyone as it is today  for you. Here comes your way to win 25 lakhs rupees. Just follow the instructions mentioned below and withing next 2 hours you may have 25 lakhs in Cash.

 

Note – You may not believe it. So just to make you believe, token money is here for you. Open the lock with password – 172.

 

Shocked, when he saw a bundle of 1000 Rs. notes having brand new 100 notes. First when he saw the bag on the beach he thought some one forgot it here but he found no one near by. Although he was a self claimed brave man and always used to bet with RPRS that he never fears anything but seeing a unknown bag at such a place sounds little fearful specially after those serial blasts and terror attacks.

 

After reading the letter and finding 1 lakhs cash there were so many questions in his mind. Lets leave the bag here and take 1 lakh home, it’s a big amount. What if he can get 25 also as easily as he got this much, there may be some risk involved and may be some police problem. Finally money pulled him in to it and he read the letter further. 

 

Bandra terminal was around 30 minutes drive from Juhu beach. As per instructions Kesav has to collect one more bag from cloak room of this station for further instructions and some more money. His heart beat is fast then normal when he gave the slip to the incharge there. Here comes another bag with almost similar looks and with similar letter in left pocket.

 

Dear Mr. Lucky.

 

Congratulations again !!!

 

So, you reached the second stage. Brave man.

 

Only one more stage left and you will be a rich man. Don’t be nervous. Just follow instructions as you did till now.

 

Note – One more similar bundle as another token money amount  is there for you in bag. Open the lock  with password – 282.

 

Curious, puzzled and now frightened Kesav was standing with 2 lakhs cash with him which he got in last 1 hour and don’t know from where. Fear is haunting the brave man with no clues of what is happening with him. It is better to go home now as the money is enough to enjoy Friday parties for few months. He is too confused to decide what to do next and thought to call any one of RPRS. Greed - insatiable desire for wealth. Kesav decided to follow instructions for the last time as he felt that it is easy to follow instructions since he is only asked to go to some public places and to collect some small bags.

 

11:46 PM, CHHATRPATI SHIVAJI TERMINAL

 

It was still crowded at CST when he reached platform no. 1. After searching cloak room for few minutes finally he collected the bag and came to a less crowded place.

 

And the last letter he started to read.

 

Dear Mr. Unlucky.

 

It is really damn easy to find fools in India even in big cities like Mumbai. How one can think of getting 25 lakhs just here and there in few hours. Loosers.

 

Although you have 200 notes with you but all that is fake currency. And thanks for carrying all those bags to this station. It would have been  difficult for  our people to carry these three bags to one location but you made our work pretty easy and did it with perfection.

 

All these three bags contain time bombs and timer has already started. It will take only few seconds to explode. Hope you can’t run away now.

 

Alvida

 

BEEP ……BEEPPPP …..BEEPPPPPPPP

 

9 …….8 ……..7…….

 

His mind stopped thinking and he is sweating like anything, his heart came to his mouth and he bent down on his knees with all his body wet with sweat and some drops falling from his forehead.

 

……..1 ……BEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

 

They burst in to laugther. RPRS were just behind him and they went crazy looking at Kesav.

 

That was the first time Kesav lost a bet.

 

After years of struggle RPRS made him scare finally. They won the bet, in fact “The April Fool bet”.