Talking on Cellphone in an ATM could be fatal to your monetary health. It could easily cheat your thoughts and free you off your savings. And sharing an ATM centre with such people could be dangerous too and my story will substantiate this point.

I was busy begging some money to one of the money telling machines kept at the famous Powai Galleria branch of ICICI Bank. Then this 'lady on phone' entered with so much to talk and conclude with no more minutes to spare. She kept on talking while the machine ate her card, chewed it and finally excreted the money she demanded. Since she was too busy or such over-confident that the machine wouldn't make a mistake in counting, she did not even count the notes and left the Machine like a ball bounced back.

After a second's silence, the machine started screaming as if something got stuck in its stomach. I looked back and saw her card not taken back by her and thus the machine was angrily screaming. Without thinking much, I took the card out and flung to look for her. But she had disappeared.

I proceeded to the bank branch attached to the ATM centre and gave the card to one of the senior executives. He offered me a seat and asked my name. Respectfully, he then sped up the little banking I had to do.

While coming out of the bank, a chill struck my thoughts and I asked myself, what if this bank executive wouldn't handover the card to its owner? What proof I have that I handed over the card to the bank? One thing was obvious; the machine had captured my face, while I took the card out. And what if it never reaches its owner? Who will stand chargeable?

I walked back to the bank and confirmed with the man whether he could give me some declaration that I had handed the card over to the bank. He said, he had already informed the card owner and she was rushing back. Another executive came and thanked for what I did.

While walking back with the peace I acquired, a sad fact came into my thoughts. Today, we barely trust any one. Rather we can't. A wholehearted help to the other could land you up in pitiful trouble. In the drought of truth and wholeheartedness, our minds have dried up to a materialistic desert full of greed and self-importance.

And another truth revealed itself as the moral of the story. I realized that even I had done this mistake by talking on phone while attending the ATM machine. It was indeed a great lesson, why I shouldn't do it again.

Overheard this funny news. A colleague of mine had gone proudly to test drive one of those luxurious BMW Cars (Costing around 70 lakh Rupees).

They asked him not his driving licence or identity proof, but the salary slip. Having no such document in hand, he then revealed them what is salary was.

They showed him the door politely.

We had a narrow escape.

I had told about this Gun I purchased from Mount Abu. It was a Toy Gun, only good for aiming, but looked almost like a BAP.

We had come to Ahmedabad and thought of visiting the famous Kankaria Carnival. We came to the entrance and got stumbled by the heavy pack of Police officers at the gate with tight security practices. Without having the Gun floating on my thought-ripples, I tried to enter though the man's gate, but they dissuaded me saying I would not be allowed to get inside carrying a trolley. They also mentioned that if I were accompanied by a lady, then the luggage could be brought inside through the woman's gate. Ebie was looking at me from the other side and came out to me.

Ebie took the trolley and walked into her check in gate. At once I thought of the Gun and got a daunting blow in mind like a shot being fired right onto my head. I had come inside and this girl was being screened by a couple of officers.


Ebie was asked to show her handbag. Next, they would open the trolley, I thought. I took out the gun's bill and stood ready to intervene. But she was cool and smilingly showed the bag and told them why she had to come with a bag and trolley. They found some clothes and fruits in her handbag and they were pleased. And her smile did the rest of the job.

By now, the handbag was checked completely. And Ebie played her trick at the right time. Humbly, she put forward the trolley and showed that she was going to open it.

They stopped her! I was looking at these from a distance and from their body language I could guess the entire twist in the story! A smile broadened my face.

So nice of a lady, they asked her to withdraw from being checked and proceed to the Carnival! She was too trustworthy to be screened! Talent show, isn't it?

I am now thinking about the bad time I took to meet this great actress, during my consequential Kerala journey by train. I could have had an easy evasion.

Straight to the point; Wishing all who read this, a Grand, Phenomenal New Year with astonishing things all around through out the year! I'm sure, this will be a remarkable year in your wonderful life!

Last year, I have had a merry-ride through out the night, with 3G, (our Sreeji) on my Bike's back seat. We went almost till Bandra, landed up at St. Andrew's Church and thus could attend the New Year Mass, and continued to roam around the place till early morning having multiple Masala teas. We wanted to have a fun-raid alongside the Juhu shores, but there was some riot going on during those wee hours and hence we dissuaded the plan. The next day, papers showed the news of two young women who got molested at Juhu by a group of men and that had caused the riot-like situation. A large number of men had been arrested.

The year before that, I have had a New Year toast with my Aunty and Uncle at Kalina. We have always shared a toast for all major occasions and Aunty had a special charm to 'Okay' my toast plans for New Year, as she would get new Glass tumblers from the wine-shop as gift on New Year sale.

This year, I'm with Ebie, which is something I never thought of an Year before. We went for New Year Mass together, came back and watched the Fireworks at Skyline Villa, where are staying temporarily. We invited 3G for today's lunch. Ebie cooked one of the tastiest Prawns curries I ever had and later we watched a movie, Kanchipurathe Kalyanam, which turned out to be stupid time pass.

The New Year celebrations are over, but not the New Year. Most of it is still there and we are only at it's tooth's side. So let's take it to heart and treat all the days in this new year as New Year Days. Lets celebrate each day.

One more point. A New Year is, was and has been expected, but not all the happenings in it. There would be goods and bads. There might be be all nights and no days. There could be rivers stop flowing and mountains dancing. But let's be cool and be prepared. Lets be strong in mind, but easy in demeanor.