Episode 140 : Effects of bacchanalia

Last night, five of us met at a bar for drinks. Alcohol flowed for over two hours. It would have made Bacchus smile.

We trooped out of the bar at around 10.30pm. All of us were mildly high. High enough to feel the influence of alcohol, but not so high that it could prevent us from riding without mishaps.

We started our bikes and rode to a street off Hosur Road. I don't know what the plan was, but as I dismounted I realised I did not have my mobile phone with me.

I patted the pockets of my jacket and jeans, but couldn't feel the reassuring shape of a phone. I was horrified. Sobriety hit me instantly.

'I think I left my phone in the bar' I said sombrely.

'Where?!' one asked.

'In the bar' I repeated, as I checked my pockets again.

'Your phone is ringing da, but no one is answering' KJ said.

Darn! I had set the phone to be silent!

'You go to the bar, I'll call and tell the owner about your phone' KJ advised.

So KD accompanied me to the bar; my bits-and-pieces Kannada will not help. KD was still a little high; the loss of the phone had sobered down the rest of us.

We reached the bar, to find it in the final stages of shutting down for the night. Explaining the situation to the guard, KD entered the bar.

A few minutes later (could have been half a minute too), he came out.

'I am not able to find it; what is the model of your phone?' he asked, gesturing me to enter.

'A Nokia 3125' I said as I walked to the table where we sat.

I looked under the table and the chairs, but found nothing. The owner sympathised with us and offered to dial the number.

But it was no use, I told him. I had switched the phone to silent mode.

I began recalling all models I had seen earlier. Perhaps it is time to move to an MP3 and camera equipped phone? But before that I had to call Customer Service and block my number before the phone gets abused.

But KD had a job to do. Walking to the gent at the next table, he began apologising profusely.

Apparently, he saw the gent's phone ringing when he dialled my number and instantly took him to task for taking my phone. Only when he saw that the gent was getting a call from his home, did KD let him go.

He was lucky not to get beaten up.

We returned to the street off Hosur Road. KD was still high, and began wishing me a happy birthday. The purchase of a new mobile phone is supposed to be a present to myself!

'It is ok da. We have lost so many phones this way. You have learnt now, you will not be so careless next time'

Cowboy sympathised with me saying he felt bad that the bill was only a tenth of the cost of my phone. The bugger!

Ravi somehow managed to get to Customer Service and got them to block my number. Now I have to get another phone.

It was close to midnight when we started towards home. I stuck between KD and Cowboy as we rode down Hosur Road. I did not want to get stuck anywhere and there was no way I could call anyone to help.

The guys saw me home. Once inside, I peeled off my jacket, still wondering which phone model to buy.

I pulled out a blue-grey object as I emptied the contents of my shirt pocket.

And grinned as I read the line "14 missed calls" on its screen. I looked at the object again... just to make sure.

My phone was in the pocket of my shirt all the time!