Trilogy has been Interrupted...

A recent newspaper headline reminded me of this incident...

Year 2005
The usual proceedings , during diwali.. wake up early in the morning... attend the aarti ..and hit the bed, try to force yourself back to sleep but those loud and noisy crackers just wont let you.. drag your lazy ass to the bathroom. Later hog on the diwali delicacies prepared by mum.

Immediately after the sumptuous brunch grab your wallet and keep it on stadby for the deployment of bakshish... a few mins later

KRRRRRIIIINGGG...
Its the milkman..
Wish him happy diwali.. go through the bakshish list ... look for the lowest amount given .. then quickly scan through for the highest amount.. then quickly try and figure out the mode value.. and pay him.. I call this the "standard bakshish giving procedure"... shut the door.. go back to the sofa still clutching on the wallet which is still on stadby for bakshish deployment..

a few mins later...Krrinnng.. its the cleaner, the watchman, the dhobi..

But 2005 was different and special in a way..

Just as I was getting ready for my siesta... the postman comes looking for his share of diwali bakshish..

I walk up to the door...and perform the standard bakshish giving procedure and we exchange diwali greetings and he hands over the mail..... The mail consists the usual .... greeting cards from relatives.. "exciting" citibank offers but a postcard catches my eye... I check it out it... and its turns out it is for me...

A post card written to me by someone.. in 2005...whatever happened to e-mails and sms' did the global e-communication industry just become too erratic and undependable for someone to communicate via postcard... Neways I check it, It is from my cousin....... in goa.. Initially I think he was just being nice and nostalgic , cause when we were kids we used to write to each other quite often...

I read it... "Hi Suhas, we have just finished our exams and when will you been done with yous. We are really looking forward for your trip to Goa. Get Suma along as you had promised in your earlier letter..."

I was like.. WHAT... I glanced back to the top of the post card... It was dated 6/4/94... It took the Indian Postal Department 11 years to deliver a post card. Talk about efficiency....

Now.. with the recent move by the government to sqash the 50% of the 4000 crore private courier business by transfering the sole rights to deliver documents below 500 gms you can expect the unexpected...

An efficient and thriving industry has been stabbed in the back. and the Indian Postal Department gears up to meet this new opportunity with its inefficiency. So if I want to courier any document I will have to walk to the nearest post office.. only to find that the post babu is not on his seat and has gone for his customary tea break or to find that the counter is closed... No more walking to DHL/ARAMEX/Sri Satya Sai couriers at 4:00pm on a sunday to post that all important document....

I guess the courier industry and the stationery industry will get together and invest in inventing a new brand of heavy printing paper so that even a single page document weighs more than 500 gms...!!!