The Ransom
There are lot of small mistake we make in our life for which a big ransom has to be paid. Sometimes, the ransom is very unfair.
When i was studying in a college back in my hometown, we were a gang of guys who could be termed as hooligans. We drink whenever we can and pick up fights (if the guy is a smaller fry than us!). And our friendships with all crazy guys made sure that no one with sense would pick a fight with us.
In our colleges, security guards are pretty amicable. they almost never sneak on you or bitch about what you are up to the principal or anyone who could screw your happiness. Thus, for us, security guards are someone you wouldn't mind sharing a drink or passing your cigs.
There was this security (X) guy who was in his mid 50s. (He is X not because i dont want to put his name here, but because i forgot his name.) as usual, he was pretty friendly and took care never to be overly so. he drinks with us, leaves when his quota was over.
Once, during a function at our college, we decided to stay back at college to do the basic arrangements. as usual, we pooled in money and started drinking. X joined us, had his two or three drinks and left for his small cabin inside the college premises.
Once we got drunk, we just started to take a walk around the campus. now, dont think it is some sprawling campus; it is just some land filled with concrete structures and we hated it for not having any greenery. anyway, we started to walk around the campus. made one camp fire in the basketball court and started dancing around it. yes, we were piss drunk.
One of my friend chucked a stone at one of the buildings, which happened to be the chemistry lab. it went through a window, breaking some of the pipetts or some other glass stuff inside. the sound of glass breaking takes you through a different trip. so all of us started to throw stones into it and celebrated each of the wonderful sounds.
From there, we moved on to each classrooms and departments. one guy who hated physics department broke a window and pissed on to the table and chair used by one of the most-hated profs. we had lost it. we broke every single window and window panes without exaggeration. then we broke the notice boards. then the water cooler. then even the nameplates. we completely lost it. by the time we came down from our high, there was nothing left.
By the first break of dawn, we were back to our senses and realised the seriousness of whatever we had done. but too late to do anything. we decided to leave before anyone sees us. i went home and by the time i returned to attend the function, the place was swarmed with police. as the institution is run by big shots, the biggest police man to the innumerable constables were there trying to find some clue as to who and why of the case. the media and a minister who was close to the management ensured that cops were on their toes.
Naturally, they summoned X and asked him who was at the college after the regular class hours. Since our college is frequented by almost everybody to play basketball, cricket, football or just to put a smoke and chat with friends, he said there were lots, but all of them, as usual, left by 8 p.m.
That reply didn't work as he is the watchman and it is his job to take care of the place. they told him so. they also told him they are not paying him for charity but for the service in which he failed now. they served him a memo and gave him two days to reply.
He came to us. told us he hasn't ditched us. not yet. you guys shouldn't have done that, he said and went away.
The first day passed and we were pretty tensed. on the second day evening, we realised that it was terrible on our part to do all that - not because of the destruction as such but because of the trouble we landed him in. we also realised that even if he names us, it was because he had to keep the job to feed his family. we were ready to face the music.
The day when he was supposed to reply to the memo, X didn't turn up. they went in search of him to his cabin in the campus. the door was locked.
The entire episode was so taxing on him and so painful that a blood vessel in his brain ruptured and he died of stroke that night.
Like i said, sometimes the ransom is very unfair..
When i was studying in a college back in my hometown, we were a gang of guys who could be termed as hooligans. We drink whenever we can and pick up fights (if the guy is a smaller fry than us!). And our friendships with all crazy guys made sure that no one with sense would pick a fight with us.
In our colleges, security guards are pretty amicable. they almost never sneak on you or bitch about what you are up to the principal or anyone who could screw your happiness. Thus, for us, security guards are someone you wouldn't mind sharing a drink or passing your cigs.
There was this security (X) guy who was in his mid 50s. (He is X not because i dont want to put his name here, but because i forgot his name.) as usual, he was pretty friendly and took care never to be overly so. he drinks with us, leaves when his quota was over.
Once, during a function at our college, we decided to stay back at college to do the basic arrangements. as usual, we pooled in money and started drinking. X joined us, had his two or three drinks and left for his small cabin inside the college premises.
Once we got drunk, we just started to take a walk around the campus. now, dont think it is some sprawling campus; it is just some land filled with concrete structures and we hated it for not having any greenery. anyway, we started to walk around the campus. made one camp fire in the basketball court and started dancing around it. yes, we were piss drunk.
One of my friend chucked a stone at one of the buildings, which happened to be the chemistry lab. it went through a window, breaking some of the pipetts or some other glass stuff inside. the sound of glass breaking takes you through a different trip. so all of us started to throw stones into it and celebrated each of the wonderful sounds.
From there, we moved on to each classrooms and departments. one guy who hated physics department broke a window and pissed on to the table and chair used by one of the most-hated profs. we had lost it. we broke every single window and window panes without exaggeration. then we broke the notice boards. then the water cooler. then even the nameplates. we completely lost it. by the time we came down from our high, there was nothing left.
By the first break of dawn, we were back to our senses and realised the seriousness of whatever we had done. but too late to do anything. we decided to leave before anyone sees us. i went home and by the time i returned to attend the function, the place was swarmed with police. as the institution is run by big shots, the biggest police man to the innumerable constables were there trying to find some clue as to who and why of the case. the media and a minister who was close to the management ensured that cops were on their toes.
Naturally, they summoned X and asked him who was at the college after the regular class hours. Since our college is frequented by almost everybody to play basketball, cricket, football or just to put a smoke and chat with friends, he said there were lots, but all of them, as usual, left by 8 p.m.
That reply didn't work as he is the watchman and it is his job to take care of the place. they told him so. they also told him they are not paying him for charity but for the service in which he failed now. they served him a memo and gave him two days to reply.
He came to us. told us he hasn't ditched us. not yet. you guys shouldn't have done that, he said and went away.
The first day passed and we were pretty tensed. on the second day evening, we realised that it was terrible on our part to do all that - not because of the destruction as such but because of the trouble we landed him in. we also realised that even if he names us, it was because he had to keep the job to feed his family. we were ready to face the music.
The day when he was supposed to reply to the memo, X didn't turn up. they went in search of him to his cabin in the campus. the door was locked.
The entire episode was so taxing on him and so painful that a blood vessel in his brain ruptured and he died of stroke that night.
Like i said, sometimes the ransom is very unfair..
posted by greyMatter at 10:49 AM
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