One Night Story
It was saturday nite. The temperature was hovering around 15 degree Celsius. I was alone in the apartment. Food was ready.
It all started with my idea of doing laundry. The time was around 11 o clock in the nite. I got ready to visit the community laundry room. Locked up my apartment and carried the clothes to ground floor laundry room.
Spotting a free washer, i dumped my clothes in it and added the detergent. Took out four quarters and dropped them into the slot. The digital display said "35 mins remaining".
I put my hand into my pocket to take out the keys for my apartment and voila ................ "I did not have the keys".
The reality hit me like a bullet!!! I had forgotten to take the keys of my apt ... the keys were inside, i was outside and the door was locked. This was the situation that i found myself in, on a particular night in US.
Before i go ahead with my story, let me provide a bit of background. All this happened, when i was in US for the third time. I was staying alone in the company apartment coz, there weren't any other bachelors from RelQ in Los Angeles. I used to cook myself and spend most of the time in front of my laptop.
I was on the top floor in the apartment block... that is third floor. All the other Relqites stayed in a different apartment with their families. It was a good 10 minute from my apartment to theirs. Doing laundry in the middle of the nite was my usual routine.
On that particular nite, i prepared food and left the apartment in a T shirt and track pant with the clothes to be washed. I left the balcony door open, expecting to be back in 10 mins. I left my mobile and wallet behind. I only had 8 quarters for the wash. In a hurry i forgot the apt keys and had locked the door.
I was in a real fix. I couldn't call anyone, because my mobile phone was inside. I did not even have a penny with me, everything had gone for the wash. I couldn't go to the other RelQites house, becoz it was past 11 in the nite. All i said to myself was "I am fcuked up!!!"
I went back to my apartment .. saw the locked door and tried to force the door open. it did not work. i thought of kicking out the lock, but the country being America, i would have had the cops at my back in 5 mins. So, very quietly, i tried to pick the lock.
I had never picked a lock in my life. I just knew the basics of it. I probably would have succeeded, if i had good lock picking tools. I just had a plastic stick that would bend with the slightest pressure. After 10 mins, i finally gave it up.
The next brainwave was to break the lock without making much noise. I tried standing on the lock and breaking it with my weight. Alas, the lock was sturdy enuf to withstand 70 kgs.
After about half hour, i got the biggest brainwave.
I rushed upto the terrace and came to the place, where the terrace overlooks my balcony. The balcony door was open. So, if i jumped to the balcony, i could get into the apartment.
The only problem was, i had to jump 15 feet. There was no place, where i could hold my hands and lower myself. If i missed the balcony, i would drop down 4 floors. Two problems were looking straight into me.
1. What if i missed the balcony? A four floor drop wouldn't kill me, but it would surely break a few things.
2. What if someone sees me and calls the police, thinking that i am a robber? This was far worser than dropping 4 floors.
After contemplating all this, i decided to go ahead with it. I started slowly lowering myself.
That was when i realized that, i not only had to jump 15 feet, but, i would have to do it standing reverse. More like a blindfold jump. There was no way, i could have done that. But, the balcony looked so tantalizingly close.
No!!!! I did not take the jump. My courage failed me ..... i stayed on the terrace for nearly half hour, trying to come up with a viable solution for the jump. Alas, none seemed feasible.
I arrived back at my door and cursed my stupidity to the fullest. But, doors don't open for any amount of cursing. Once i realized this, my legs found the path back to the laundry room. The wash was done by then. I transferred the clothes to the dryer and spent the next 45 mins in the laundry room. Sitting on a ledge in the laundry room, i thought of all the possible places where i could spend the nite. None of the ideas seemed tantalizing enough.
This was when i heard loud noises coming from the nearby club room. It was a group of desi's celebrating their weekend. I thought, i was saved. But, upon closer inspection, i found that all of them were getting drunk by the minute. What can i expect from a bunch of drunkards? And the worst thing is, i couldn't join them in their drinking. I never got that habit :-)
Feeling frustrated, i pushed myself into the gym. I used to work out for half hour, twice or thrice in a week. But, the situation was entirely different .... i worked out for nearly 3 hours. I know, i know, most of you will not believe me.
The best thing about the gym was, the presence of a TV. So, the next three hours was happy TV watching time. By the end of three hours, i was feeling hungry and drowsy. There was nothing that i could do about my hunger, so, i tried to sleep on some of the gym equipments ..... i will tell you one thing, it wasn't the most comfortable sleep.
Half way through my sleep, the desi's finished their party and made their way to their individual apartments. one group came through the Gym room, and found me sleeping on a weight machine. This is what followed,
Desi 1: Arrey dekho yaar, koi soraha hai
Desi 2: Arrey!!! yeh tho desi hai
Desi 3: Looks like the guy slept while doing the exercises
A chorus of laughter
Desi 2: Koi utav usse
Desi 3: nahi yaar!!! chalo chalte hai
Mixed voices: lets wake him ....
Finally, one desi made up his mind and came towards my sleeping form "Hello", "Excuse me" ...... to be honest, i was awake the whole time and listening to their conversation. When the desi called me, i woke up as if i was rudely awaken. The Desi suddenly said "Sorry!!!" and everyone departed from that place.
The worst thing is, i don't like to ask for help. I like to manage things on my own. Only when, all the doors are closed, would i think about taking help from a stranger. So, i was left alone for the night.
My back started paining and i was not getting any sleep. I looked around, nothing looked comfortable. I maid my way to the now empty clubroom.
Luckily, i found a few high backed chairs without arm rests. I arranged four of them in a row and voila!!! i had a bed..... I spent the rest of the nite on this makeshift bed.
Woke up around 6:30 AM ... no one was around. Everyone was still in Sleep mode. I went around to the apartment office to find the timings board. The board read "Sunday: 10 AM - 5 PM" ...... "Gosh!!! i am stuck for the next 3 and odd hours. What do i do?"
The only logical idea was to go back to the Gym room and while away the next three hours. And, that is what i did.
I had been running on the tread mill for nearly half hour, when i spotted one of the apartment workers. I was not sure, whether he would be able to help me. The guy was a burly mexican with a big mustache. I approached him and told him my predicament. He listened to the whole story and says "I not understand" ..... I was like "WHY THE HELL IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME" ..... I tried again, speaking slowly and making all kinds of weird hand motions. He finally got the idea and says "U need key?", "Wat apartment" .. i told him my apartment number and he told me to wait for 5 mins. I waited in the gym for 15 mins, before the guy re-appeared. He came to me asked the apartment number again. I had to wait another 10 mins before he came with a set of keys.
We came to my apartment number and he started trying the keys one by one. After trying four keys, my hopes went down.
The lock opened with the sixth key!!!! I was so happy, that i was ready to kiss the guy. I thanked the guy, so many times that he turned red.
The whole thing now, sounds funny ...... but, it wasn't so enjoyable at that time.