The almost missed articles: 379

Imaginch was pretty upset after a heated argument with a friend on some inconsequential news item. But such news items were meant to start and end in such an inconsequential outcome except that it always left both huffing and puffing away the excess emotions they managed to stir up. In this agitated state, Imaginch remembered the chore of visiting a ATM, face it and punch the numbers and wait for the outcome- one comes on the screen and another through its mouth (He had often times discussed why a hand like appendage cannot disburse the currency notes!).

At these times, he momentarily lapses into another dimension (he calls daydreaming as an event in another dimension) to imagine what would happen if the ATM had two handlike appendages and in case a person tries to enter the PIN a couple of times how the machine will distinguish a genuine forgetfulness or the wrong person is trying to manipulate it? How would it react? Will it stop further attempts to prevent usage of card for 24 hours by physically obstructing the slot that receives the card? Or, will it catch hold of the person as an imposter and sound suitable alarms?

If you had met him on normal days, he would come across as an erudite, conscientious and ultra-careful person.  For this story, his logic circuit has been taken down for upgradation leaving him day dreaming and there lies the plot of the story!

Carried away by these thoughts, Imaginch approached the first ATM and methodically, without missing any step completed the number punching and waited. He was sure of a +ve outcome as the screen showed currencies in two denominations. The card safely with in its grip, the machine switched over to another screen and started selling that particular bank’s financial instruments. His second attempt met with a stiff message “unable to read”. He wiped the card clean and then tried once again and at that moment the security person gently parted with the information the ATM is out of cash and suggested another ATM within 50 meters. Imaginch, though wanted to but could not quarrel with the machine why it did not say so?

The other ATM might have received the news about this failed attempt, took it upon itself to accept the card, numbers and whirred softly after asking him to collect the card and wait for the cash with winking green light. This winking green light made him furious as the other machine also blinked green but did not dispense cash. He mentally modified the next gen ATMs with two handlike appendages and green and yellow and red winking lights to alert the card user. Green for “collect”, yellow for “nearing lockout” and red for “Xaction locked” or “alarm raised”. While at it, he also wanted the machines all weather visibility to read the card.

With such collection of innovative ideas, Imaginch kept the cash and the card on the jacket’s right-side pocket and holding his cellphone in his left hand, started walking back home. The traffic signal must have been green and vehicle after vehicle sped past offering no chance to crossover from the right-hand side of the road to the left. The U turn where he was aiming to accomplish the crossing looked more busier as vehicles tried to turn from this side to that side and vice versa and as a result Imaginch switched gear to day dreaming to solve these traffic woes for the pedestrians with a sky elevator and a moving belt.

Finally, somewhere the frustrating traffic light switched to red and after a brief interval he found the opportunity to amble through the U turn, reaching the other side. From now on or so he thought it would be a home run.

In the meanwhile, the clouds must have decided enough is enough of the dust and traffic noise and decided to move away. As he took the right turn, little did he realise, anticipate or expect that he was about to walk down and experience a 50-meter-long path of luck. With the sun beating down on his bald pate, he felt a little flushed and decided to open up zipper to get relief from the warmth building up. Carefully he (so he thought) removed the right hand from the pocket and pulled down the zipper while continuing the walk. 

A few paces afterwards, he heard someone calling repeatedly calling “Sir… Sir”. For some unknown reason (he never obliges to such calls) he turned back and saw a bike borne man was frantically signaling him to look at the road. Puzzled, he did so and to his dismay saw the ATM card having a dust bath. Retracing his steps, he scooped up the card, blew the dust off and thanked the good Samaritan and resumed his walk after making a mental note to be careful.

What would have happened if it was not for the good Samaritan? Few more meters with self-tutoring on how he should be careful in future when carrying the ATM card and cash. He chided himself for not staying long enough to profusely thank that kind act. Then he decided to keep the phone safely in the left side pocket of the jacket, which had started to flap in a gust of dust like the sail of a boat, compliments from the nearby construction site contributing the dust and an omni bus with a company decal ferrying employees blowing the dust laden breeze. For some inexplicable reason, he came to a standstill and waited for the dust storm to clear before stowing the cellphone into the pocket.

Normally he would pat-down to ensure, but his attention had strayed over to the persons, a few meters ahead of him, and engaged in a conversation standing near a parked cab. He walked on, after passing the conversationalists, failing to realise the weightlessness of the open jacket merrily flapping in tune with the gentle wind.

Seeing but registering, feeling but not reacting, he trudged on for some more distance. He knew something was amiss but was unable to put a finger on it or keep his hands inside the pockets supposedly occupied by ATM card and cellphone.  A loud horn made him to turn back and saw the two conversationalists were waving their hands vigorously at him. By this time, he had also sensed that his cellphone was not in the jacket’s pocket.

He stood transfixed at his foolishness and carelessness. One of the persons came over with his cellphone, covered in dust. Imaginch was about to open his mouth to express his gratitude, but the person after handing over the phone said, “Sir, we recognised you immediately as we have often seen you walking by. A few moments ago, we saw the bikewallah alerting you about the card that had fallen from your pocket. I and my friend did not expect something like this to happen. Here you are, a lucky man having recovered valuable articles within a few paces. This may not happen the next time. Kindly be careful.”

Imaginch stood speechless forgetting his plan to thank their kindness and for invoking familiarity. He wondered how in the dusty road, I have failed to notice these friends?