A month of despair. I already termed it. My education loan payment, Chit fund installment, insurance due, to add on to the existing woes my new car’s installment, petrol charges, another big spend at the gym for fees and on nutrition supplements. That was not all for the month, Geetha’s wedding at Hyderabad, travel costs and wedding gift. Already the list was long enough to dig a hole in my pocket and flow through my pant. I knew well that salary credit was well short by at least a 10% of my budget planning. I thought of squeezing in money from somewhere to manage. With unexpected expenses like fifty bucks for a car wash and twenty bucks tip to the waiter for a two hundred bucks billing at a restaurant for treating friends it was going beyond control. What should I say? I also signaled my mother early about my precarious situation seeking her help from her saving incase I fall short, which was sure to happen.
While I was browsing through some web pages, I saw a HSBC banner flashing at me. I started to daydream my days at HSBC and drawn into nostalgia. Suddenly it struck me that I had some un-withdrawn Three Thousand bucks in my HSBC account. I was elated. My mind immediately started re-calculating the budget for the month. That also increased my confidence level to push through the month without the help of my mother’s bucks. I quickly stepped down to the ATM at my office to withdraw the amount even before HSBC could levy some charges on my Balance maintenance and block the funds. Within a jiffy I was at the ATM with my friend and inserted the card. My mind suggested me to press the ‘Withdrawal’ key while my heart stopped and forced my mind to check for the exact ‘Balance’. I followed my heart and then what I saw on the screen was amazing. A whopping twenty three thousand rupees flashed on the screen. I felt Vegas in India, ‘How can this be?’ asked my friend in surprise. He knew my affairs of the month well. It was quiet common for me. With HSBC around one can expect the unexpected. I once got cash credited of seventeen thousand with a narration ‘incentives earned for the month’ that I had no clue about. I also received a bonus of sixteen thousand six hundred and sixteen in yet another tough month. Not to mention about my final settlement that came about in the most difficult tax months. For a moment I wondered, God answered my call, yet again in HSBC’c avatar.
Shiva gave a hi-fi in excitement and I receipted it with a smile flashing my steel braces and its reflections all over. My first agenda was to cancel the train ticket to the wedding at Hyderabad and book fly. I also thought of adding an exaggerated party shirt to my Hyderabad bag and leave back the old clothes. I thought I will surprise Reema by paying off a very old debt which she almost considered written off.’ Oh! Shit, am still left with a twelve k buddy’. I thought to myself. All these were planned in not more than five seconds while our big daddy cool friend – Shiva, shattered my dream style spending plans. He said, Bajji ‘put this money into fixed deposit in your bank. HSBC may claim it at anytime if they get to know if it was a wrong credit” talked as if he was a liberated soul. I felt like stubbing a five hundred rupee note into his mouth to end his flow of uninteresting ideas. The next move was to withdraw all the funds so that HSBC does not further create a hold in the account. Before they could find their fault there would be no money in the account. Good, we withdrew cash at mad’s pace as if we found a card on the road with the PIN attached to it and moved out of the ATM like burglars.
My wallet was now heavy of course with forty- five hundred Rupee notes and 10 notes of Hundreds. Mahatma Gandhi and I shared few….no….lots of smiles. I was back at the work desk and sat on the chair. I was feeling uncomfortable with a bulge on my butt; I put my wallet in my pant’s back pocket. All the more I was uncomfortable of the thought that I had so much of money to expend.
I first called up my dentist. I had a long check pending. Every time the receptionist called me to inform about an appointment I act to be busy only to avoid paying the last installment which was a solid ten thousand rupees. Now I thought I was rich enough to face it. I called the dentist on a high tone and said, ‘do you guys remember me at all, and am Badri your customer. It has been ages since you called me’, the sad girl was stammering in fear and said a sorry, I will definitely arrange for a visit with doctor today. She said at 6Pm and I hung up in all pride.
I also messaged Geetha, ‘ buddy if you are falling short of money for your wedding do let me know, I can send you some quick buck, will a 10 k do for you?’. Yea, now that sounded like an eligible bachelor wasn’t it?
I rushed to my bank to deposit the money into my account and my dad called me on my mobile. ‘Badri, where are you?’, ‘am at HDFC pa – I said’. Dad: ‘Very good’ he doesn’t appreciate unnecessarily. why should he do it this time, I was wondering for a moment. He said ‘I forgot to call you as soon as I deposited the money, good that you exactly knew what to do with the money. Deposit into your account the 20000 that I have sent you and send my friend Rajagopal a cheque of 20850’ and hung the phone.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, what the hell? My flight tickets, my party shirt idea, swathi’s pay back all gone for a toss. Worst was my hyperbolic reaction at the dentist, how shall I pay him now, with appointment at 6PM? Worst of worst is I have an additional burden of eight fifty rupees on my restricted budget. Thanks pa.
