Sunday, January 14, 2007

Getting caught...



Well, it always is an interesting thing to think about the crimes one could have committed and gotten away with. However, thinking the number of ways we could get caught when innocuous is not an activity that grants us equal amounts of pleasure. I think that is the reason why we don't do it all that often. The aftermath follows...

Kunal Singhal, and I were short of a CRO (Cathode Ray Oscilloscope) for the E-Club to work on a small project for the IITB TechFest. So we thought we will work in the Electronics Lab while it is free. When we asked Dr. Mazahri for a slot where we could work in the labs, he had a more radical idea of sorts which was lending us a CRO form the lab. Now we had absolutely no reason why we would not want that, you know, in accordance to the 'Dopeler' effect (the tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly -- Terry B. Jones) . After all, working in the club admits to odd working hours as well as a more homely feel. How much that adds to the productivity is a debatable issue, which none of us thought worthy of bringing up at the right moments. :)

We went into the lab, tested a CRO which had been discarded, happily took it, and started walking back to our hostels. We talked about the reservations concession forms for the whole IITK contingent going to Bombay. We had taken up the responsibility of getting them verified, and were carrying them and the related documents along. It was quite a sight seeing Kunal ludicrously managing the CRO and me walking alongside (ahem) laughing at him while both of us intermittently having "moments of epiphanies" when we suddenly thought of a brand new unexplored way of laying off responsibilities.

Somehow we got to the gate of the academic area. And then lo...

The guard noticed us carrying "something" which he was sure we did not bring 'in' as had we brought it, then he, or someone else, would have noticed it and informed him. He waited understandingly for a long while as we slowly approached him. He stopped us and asked for a gate pass. Unfortunately, we did not have one. In fact, we were not even aware of its existence in the abstract world of ideas; this being the first time we were taking something out which we could not conceal from the guard. Well, when we disclosed the same to him, I still think I noticed a knowing wink in his eyes, which somehow did not seem to be the best of the reactions in the present situation. Was he thinking we were pilferers? He immediately asked for our ID cards and then it happened...

I opened my bag. I took out a brown bag. I surreptitiously stole a look at Kunal. Kunal raised his eyebrows while the sides of his lips twitched into a hardly perceptible smile. And then I took out the contents of the bag.

First came a wad of notes... Rs. 16,500 in all. The guard looked interested...

Then came the ID Cards. Thirty five in number. The furrows on the guard's forehead deepened a bit and a chuckle almost escaped Kunal. I continued as if nothing odd had happened and started searching for Kunal's and my ID card. The guard waited for a while, took a look at the money, then me, then ID cards, then Kunal, then the CRO and then, shaking his head in resignation, called the security office ....

;-)

--
Musically yours,
Ut.