Redefining Absentism

How absent minded have you been?

Beat this one :)

Project over and after obtaining a release, I was clearly pleased and the excitement was evident on my face. Getting back to the city which I have grown to love, was definitely something to look forward for.

Chatting with my friend over dinner, we set out to the station to catch the 21:30 train to Bangalore. Discussion was on the current Wall Street collapse and effect it will have on us!

Almost at the station, I had a sudden revelation, something which was probably lingering in my sub-conscience, it popped up - poof. Where is my train ticket. Aaaaaugh, I checked my large plastic bag I was carrying that contained some books and large envelopes having my transcripts. Bah! I remembered giving a print out, and had forgotten to collect it, and that's what was hidden within the deep realms of my conscience, which decided to come out only when I am at the station.

Another neural surge and I remembered reading at the irctc website that failure to carry ticket would involve a fine of only Rs. 50/-, if you had your identification. My pal was still saying something about getting a print from a nearby browsing center.

I was still in the process of searching - since I remember having taken another copy earlier and probably hid it somewhere in the middle of tons of sheets which I was carrying, when another surge suggested, to look in my luggage. LUGGAGE?

Where is my god damn luggage. With a sinking feeling I swept the back of the Auto. No bag. It was peacefully resting in the luggage room back at office. I swore. Asked the Auto champ if it is possible to go and come back in time for the train. He looked at me incredulously, sensing that he was dealing with a mad person, and I was pretty sure he would say - 'Yeah sure, not to the Station but to the mental asylum'. When he realized that I had left the luggage at the office, his doubt vanished and he definitely knew he was dealing with a nitwit - 'You left your luggage? Hold on, you mean are you the one who is traveling and you left your luggage, even a fool will know he has to carry something when he is traveling'. I wished I could explain to him, that well the luggage was not with me, but in the luggage room and after dinner, I was so damn deep in discussion with my friend, that we just got out of office, walked up to the Auto Stand and pronto here we were!! But I knew no explanation would edge that disbelief he had on his face.

Well that's what happened, I walked out of our office to get to the station, left my ticket and luggage and very nonchalantly reached the station to catch the train.

Picture it and damn I still get the laughs when I think about it. ROFL.