13. Phone-a-Friend

It was post noon and I was attending my SOM class, the lecture was nearing to a close. The attendance was about fifty percent; and by now I had already received three missed calls from Tazzy and my phone was ringing for the fourth time. I couldn’t pick up the phone because of the professor and didn’t want to reply by sms because I didn’t want to waste two precious rupees. I was just praying for the lecture to get over and meanwhile wondering what Tazzy was calling me for. Just as the lecture got over I was in time to pick up the sixth call,
“Hello Tazzy”
“Yaar where are you?”
“I am in the department”
“Yaar toon jaldi hostel aja”
“Why, what happened”
“Don’t ask, bus toon jaldi aja”
“Ok I’ll just be there”

I didn’t know what the matter was, but his voice appeared as if there was some fun waiting in the hostel and Tazzy wanted me to be a part of it. I stepped out of the department and walked briskly towards the hostel through the light drizzle breeze, it fell like weightless cotton strand on my face and all over. I walked the road, pec market to my right and cca on the left, towards the hostel. Just as I entered the hostel, Tazzy called again.
“Yaar where are you?”
“Almost there” I said climbing up the stairs. I rushed towards his room and to my surprise it was locked. I gave him a missed call and he called back.
“Yaar, your room is locked, where are you?” I enquired.
“Turn back, come towards the stairs” he said and I obeyed. Reaching there,
“Yes I am there”
“Turn left”
“Yes”
“Now turn right”
“But this is the washroom!” I said a bit confused.
“Yes, I am inside”
“What? What are you doing in there?”
“What do you think I am doing in here?”
“Okay… then… what am I doing here?” I asked even more confused. There was a bit of silence, some hesitation before he revealed,
“I have NO WATER”
I was silent…
I didn’t know how to react whether to laugh or sympathise. I tried but couldn’t help laughing. I tried containing it but in vain.
“So you are laughing?”
“No, no” I denied and continued laughing holding my stomach.
“Will you do something?” he asked earnestly from behind one of those dozen doors.
“Yes of course, just hold on” I said and went about looking for means to help him. Some time later he stood there in great relief and some kind of a worry.
“Yaar” he said very sincerely, and I was paying attention.
“Don’t tell anyone about this, okay.”
“Absolutely not”
“Swear”
“I swear” I said knowing well I couldn’t keep the secret for long. I let it out to Bhupi and Depesh that evening and Bhupi went crazy laughing and rolling… Tazzy chased me for telling his secret.
Some days later I was in that same place, as I sat down my eyes caught this note pasted on the back of the door, it read,

“Please check the availability of water before you start; if you have already started god bless you. If nothing works there is still a lifeline, ‘phone a friend’…”

A well wisher