BEGGING

By Rajkumar Raychaudhuri

One

The phone rang continuously but no one answered it. Vaishali tried calling again but her effort was lost in vain. A typical voice was heard as usual –“the number is not responding, please try after some time.” She was upset and displeasure was appeared on her face. She at once gazed at her mobile phone and thought to throw it out. Hadn’t there mobile phone, she won’t interact, chat and even send useless sms to Vinod. Every night before going to bed she would call -“Goodnight baby, I’m going to bed now and we will meet tomorrow again.” And now Vinod was not responding her! Strange! Vinod might have changed a lot.

Suddenly, she noticed that she was sitting on a standstill rickshaw at the crowdie road. It was not moving for a few minutes due to usual traffic jam.  She was very near to CISF camp, a connecting junction of Indirapuram, Ghaziabad and NH 24, on the way to her college. The rickshaw took a wrong route which was common in Ghaziabad to avoid jam but scenario remained same. Vaishali took her ear head to listen music from her mobile unknowingly and came quite after listening it. “Ah! It is a friend in deed. Otherwise who will give me comfort in this crowdie road?”- She murmured.

Vaishali is studying Management 1^St year at Jaypee College at Noida 62, UP. She stays at “Sipra Suncity” at Indirapuram, very near to her College. By nature she is very friendly, fun loving and can spend huge money for her friends. Hence, she got a friend circle at her college very soon. Vinod was one of them. Though he was not her college mate but he used to accompany at their gathering. She met Vinod first at that gathering.

Though he was not a trustworthy friend to others but Vaishali was pleased to him due to his figure, smartness and soft skill. Moreover, Vinod had zeal to prove himself every time to be correct however wrong he might be. That zeal of Vinod attracted her very much. And that attraction let her go to bar and smoke. They would dance at bar. Once Vinod hugged her passionately, kissed during dance and she accepted silently.

Having descended from the rickshaw, on the way to the College, Vaishali just enquired about Vinod at the known gathering but he was not there. She then again tried to catch him over phone. Luckily she was answered. She heard the voice:

-      Hello!

-      Where are you? Why didn’t pick up my phone? What the great job are you doing?  Huh?

Vaishali just burst out in anger. She threw pin pointed questions to him at once.

-      Sorry dear, I was just riding on bike, couldn’t pick up. Please don’t mind.

Vinod answered her coolly. The excuse was so hard that Vaishali couldn’t able to react anymore. She had to give a pause to think what to tell him next. By that time she heard;

-      Hello! Will you please lend me 5000 bucks?

-      5000! But why? What purpose? You already taken 2000 from me last month.

-      I’ve some work dear. Don’t worry I’ll pay you back next month.

Whole day Vaishali couldn’t do the class attentively. She couldn’t escape from Rs 5000 episode. Whenever she tried to forget it, she became more curious to know the fact. Last month she enjoyed a week end trip with Vinod in Delhi. They both stayed in a hotel. Though he bore the most of the expenses but she also gave him Rs 2000. How would she collect so huge amount within a short period?

She felt stress and couldn’t stop except lie down on bed at her home. Suddenly she noticed her laptop given by her father on her last year’s birthday was lying on the table. She surfed net whenever she felt stress and mood off. She could share her feelings to anyone of her unknown friends and relaxed herself. Someone would advise her good tips, someone provide sympathy and after logging out neither she bothered for others nor anyone would demand any explanation. So, laptop was her best friend next to mobile phone. She on the laptop and entered in yahoo chat having id ‘Vaishali_026’.

                                      Two

It was Saturday. Tanmoy had boarded on train from Balygaunj and heading towards Dum Dum. The local train was almost empty not only for Saturday but also it was a downstream train.  He was standing at the door step to take the fresh breeze. It was half day. So he left the office very quickly, at 3 o’clock.  Any other week days he generally left at 7 to 8 o’clock.  Tanmoy was very charmed. His family had gone to her native with their 2 yrs old child. So, he was alone at his home till family came at next week. “Long live Bachelor Life”-he was just thinking how he would enjoy every moment. He would prepare tea at home and take dinner from outside.  After that! He must spend huge time for entertainment of course. What type of entertainment would he do then? To have beer was a common thing. And what’s more? He was just in a deep thought to enlist his activities.

Suddenly, he felt a soft touch on his back. A beggar was asking money.  He refused to pay him but that action moulded his thought into another direction. Since early childhood he couldn’t find any answer of a simple question- whether let a beggar to pay. There were so many logics behind for and against of the debate. Recent news reports against the beggars forced him not to pay them. So he kept quiet when his mood was off and pay when he wished to do so.

Being refreshed at home Tanmoy entered in his room and felt pity to see his dusty laptop lying on the table for a long time. Since a long period he didn’t sit for meditation. ‘Meditation’- he termed net surfing by that. There is no time bound when he sits for net surfing. Practically there is little space for parents when they are occupied by their children. ‘Today is high time to sit for meditation’- he decided quickly.

Tanmoy entered in yahoo chat room with a chat id ‘Tanmoy_here_for _you’ and after passing through several chat rooms he finally met with ‘Vaishali_026’. When he pinged by hi, he was answered quickly;

-      Hi....asl?

Whenever Tanmoy sat for chat, he used to stay young. Otherwise young people would ignore him. Hence, he used the same trick here also. After completing the initial introduction no sooner Tanmoy thought to invite her either on cam or voice chat to check  actual identity, he saw a line appeared on the screen;

-      I’m in a problem. Can you help me out?

Human life is full of problems. Being helpful in nature he seldom could ignore someone who had asked for help. He asked;

-      What’s your problem? Will you explain me please?

-      I need 5000 bucks. Will you lend me?

Rs 5000/? How dared she? Tanmoy was just aback. He didn’t expect it at all. After a deep thought he again focused on chatting.

Three

The chatting was going smoothly and after having chat with Tanmoy for quite a long time Vaishali realised that she might share the problem with him and she did so. But Rs 5000/ was really a big amount and after requesting for lend she was asked about her location and the reason behind for asking a huge amount. She knew that those questions were obvious and she was prepared for that.

As Tanmoy was from Kolkata and she had gone there several times to her aunt’s house, she chose to write her home as south Kolkata. For the next question she answered that the huge amount was required for her private tuition fees.

Truth is simple but false is always complex. It always spreads its network like spider’s net. But Vaishali knew how to handle with complexity. With the help of her imagination mixing with some real facts  she kept on trying to convince her chat friend the reason behind asking about huge money. She told that her father was in Merchant Navy and had paid all the tuition fees in advance. She spent it with friends to make fun and for that reason the there were deficit in amount.  Had she confessed that at home, there might be a chance of unpleasant situation. She again assured him that the amount should be refundable.

Tanmoy had convinced little bit after hearing her excuse. He became nostalgic and recollected his college days-how he used to spent money unnecessarily.  Actually age did matter. To err was the common at that age. Suddenly he was confused-Rs 5000/ for private tuition fees at Kolkata? Was she crazy or she making him fool? He asked then;

-      A private tuition fees must not be Rs 5000/ at Kolkata. It should be within a limit of Rs 2000/. There must be any wrong.

Vaishali knew that Kolkata is a cheapest city in India but she had little idea about the tuition fees. Hence she had to confess the real fact. She answered that she was doing Management course in Delhi and had to pay the tuition fees there. As soon as she answered it was asked how she would refund the money. As a matter of fact she was unwilling to refund that amount but for courtesy she told that it would pay by next month when she would be at Kolkata. After telling several lies Vaishali became impatient and murmured-“it is just for you only; Vinod, and you won’t have any sympathy”.

Chatting did not move further. Both parties left with more unspoken words in their mind. Tanmoy was ambiguous about the story told by Vaishali. He had doubt about the refund of the amount. On the other hand, Vaishali was blaming her lack of knowledge and foolishness but praised herself for enlisting his name in her friend list. At least she could have caught him later cautiously.

On very next morning, Vaishali was surprised to see Vinod in front of the college gate. She was too confused to react or say something. He then quickly responded;

-      Have you bought the money for me?

That question made her furious. She understood that his presence was not for her but for the money. She then reacted coolly;

-      Why do you need the money?

-      I told you before that it was for my personal work.

-      What type of personal work?

-      That’s personal.  I must not tell you.

The last statement hurt Vaishali very much. She would lend him money and in lieu of that she won’t have permission to know his personal matter. She couldn’t stop her anger;

-      If you not eager to tell anything about your work I won’t lend you a single rupee note. Get lost from here!

Vinod didn’t expect such type of scream. He left the place with bloody eyes. Vaishali was trembling in anger. She was surprised to see her reaction on him. That was the first time she behaved rudely. She could not forget the matter and was very upset.

At night she again sat for surfing net to free her mind and discovered Tanmoy again. She ping him by saying hi and was responded casually. She did not require of that amount at that moment but unwilling to tell so. So she put the question open ended;

-         What have you thought about help?

Tanmoy had decided it very early that he won’t move further into that matter-‘Having paid such high amount to her implicates nothing except foolishness’. He wrote;

-         I won’t lend you. Sorry.

-         Why?

-         First, I can’t pay you such huge amount. Second, it is not clear whether the amount is refundable and third, who are you and why should I pay for you?

Tanmoy’s stand was valid. In fact those relevant questions were in her mind. But his approach hurt her sentiment and took it as a challenge to take money from him. It might not be for Vinod but for her only. She knew very well the weakness of the human world and played a trick on same track;

-         I’m answering you third question first. If you pay me I’m gonna CAM show for you and you could see me all in all. If you wish I’ll do it for you every day.

Was she crazy? How dared she do that! In fact, after having his child he was abstain from any kind of relationship for a long time. He was living like a monk. But her offer made him puzzled and put in a dilemma. He wrote;

-         Two questions are still left to answer.

-         I will pay you the whole amount by 5th of the next month. You will decide when and where to meet. Preferable south kol.

-         Ok. But I can’t lend you huge amount.

-         How much you can?

Rs 2000 was affordable to him. But he preferred  to start with Rs 1000.

-         1000/.

-         Give me half of total amount. I will manage the rest.

-         2000/ is fair enough. Don’t ask more than that.

Vaishali abided by his command without any further argument. She knew that her trick clicked very well.  She wrote again;

-         I will on the CAM after receiving money only and not before that.

-         Well but how will I pay you?

Vaishali informed her bank account and asked him to pay that through net and then signed off. She was feeling very relaxed. The important matter to her was not collecting money but making someone foolish. She was very proud of her skill.

Amount was transferred in to her account very shortly. She inspected that through the ATM in front of her College gate. She was so delighted that she decided to share that with Vinod. Alas! Where was he?  He was not present in the known gathering. She asked to her known friend of that gathering;

-         Hey! Where is Vinod?

-         Don’t ask me anything about him.

-         Why?

-         He is after a foreign lady and asking everyone to lend him to spend money for fun.

    It as if someone slapped her very rudely. She could not able to stand anymore except sit.

Four

Tanmoy knew that it might be happened what he had thought earlier accordingly. Before transferring the fund he used to get quick response from her and fixed the place of appointment but after transferring the amount he didn’t see her online. He was very upset for his lost money and confused about his next step.

As unfulfilled wishes ever die, after a deep thought he went to the fixed appointed place on 5th of next month. Alas! No one came to meet with him. After a long wait he decided to leave the place and suddenly he felt a soft touch on his back. He turned around and saw a lady beggar, wrapped with dusty sari, asking for some help. He smiled and felt relaxed. Without a second thought he opened his purse and put Rs 500/ on her hand and stepped out. The lady was aback and she just kept her eyes on the 500 rupee note and at his stepping.