[This story is not entirely co-incidental, and may address someone, living or dead, and ...]
If you can find some time to observe the fundamentals of events happening around you, you shall feel them to be closely associated with you…as if they were exclusively meant for you! This piece shall take you through one such event or a series of events, which made me realize that Time can make the best fool out of you, and you shall be in a mess indecisive of whether you should react or respond!
Way back in 2017, I got the opportunity of joining one of the premiere institutes of the country for a teaching position! I was allotted a chamber in the department, and was supposed to take the keys from the office! On arriving at the office, I was greeted by two members of the staff, and the paperwork was processed.
After a major portion of the formalities was completed, I enquired of the key to my allotted chamber to one of the men. He looked somewhat confused, mumbled some numbers and then spoke, “Please wait, Sir. I need to check the bunch of keys. I am afraid it has been misplaced since the last time anyone heard of that key to Room No. 310.”
“Could you please check for the duplicate, if any?”
“Sir, there is no duplicate. However, sometimes, the door gets unlocked by another key. They are of the same make, you know! It’s not bizarre! You do not worry. I will check for the perfect key, and call you in the afternoon.”
I was relieved that at least I can settle down towards the end of the day, and thanking the fellow, I went for lunch.
I returned with great expectations. I approached the man in the office, and he sat there, seemed quite satisfied with life, his cheeks bulging to one side, his face on the verge of a smile. I interrupted his moments of nostalgia (perhaps), and smiled at him, in a way to remind him that I was the same idiot he had promised to about the key.
He stood, and acknowledged my presence, and without speaking a word, moved his swivel chair towards his desk, and from his drawer, pulled out a key. I felt joyous because this man was the answer to my ‘chamber-prayers’.
Pushing forth a big yawn, he spoke, “Sir, here is the key to your chamber. But there is a minor problem.”
I was so glad that I had not realized that the next few sentences shall make a great fool out of me.
He continued, “This key undoubtedly opens the door to your chamber. However, you cannot lock your room with it.”
“Then, what is the use of this key?” I was irritated!
“Sir, it can unlock”, he promptly replied. I felt that either I looked like an easy fool or he had extremely petty IQ values.
So, I explained, “If I unlock my door now, how am I supposed to lock it when I shall have a desire within my human mind to go back to my quarters?”
He understood the problem. He smiled, and said, “Oh! That’s not a problem at all, Sir! There is another key with Mr. Pinto who sits in the other corner of your floor. That key can lock your door! However, you will have to unlock your door with this key itself, because Mr. Pinto’s key cannot!”
…
…
For a moment, I felt he was high! But he looked ignorant, and assuming that ignorance is bliss, I took the key from him, and instead of explaining things to him, I moved back to my quarters with the intention of finding Mr. Pinto the next day to carry out the mutual agreement of ‘only’ locking my chamber!
I could not sleep the entire night!
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