FIRST PRIZE WINNER

In the early hours of the morning

I woke up at 6 AM sharp as usual.

My wife had already woken up 

and after her routine chores

she entered the kitchen

and prepared a cup of

hot black coffee

and brought it to me

I woke up from the bed and she

handed over the cup of black coffee.

Like a person sipping

liquor in an air-conditioned bar

I started sipping the

sweet black coffee

enjoying each sip 

praising my beloved wife

for preparing such

a nice cup of

coffee silently.

I threw my hands

in to the air followed

by a deep sigh of relief.

I unlocked the door to the verandah

where the  day’s newspapers

one in vernacular language

and the other in English were left behind

by the newspaper boy.

Picking up the newspapers

and reclining conveniently

in my easy chair

and began leafing thru the page.

Though  the newspapers

convey the news of tragedies

be them regional, national

and international

the newspapers have

already evolved into

opium  which easily enslaves us.

‘Hello good morning’

the lottery vendor Chakkappan

unexpectedly was standing

infront of me with folded hands.

‘Sir, have you kept the

lottery ticket safely

in your possession’?

- he was asking

‘Certainly’ – I answered him.

‘Then go through the paper

and verify your ticket

with that of the newspaper’ – he implored.

I went inside within no

time and brought the

ticket and verified my number

with that of the newspaper.

Overwhelmed with joy

and pleasant surprise

I glanced again and

again at the ticket

which has won first prize.

My joy knew no bounds

and felt like jumping

again and again and called 

my wife and divulged

the happy news of winning first  prize

amounting one crore rupees.

Chackappan too was delighted

and pleaded with me to

go to the bank with the

clock at the stroke of 10AM.

As told by Chackappan

to go straight to the bank

I rushed to the bank

where I had opened an

account a year back.

I went direct to the

cabin where the manager

was seated who looked

serious and on seeing me

and my wife he frowned

at us which we didn’t care. 

I took out the ticket

from my pocket.

‘Sir I am so and so

I have won one crore that

is the first prize’ and

handed it over to him for verification.

Manager shed his arrogance

and exasperation and glanced

at us respectfully.

He asked me to sign 

on the back of the

ticket and complied with his request. 

In the meanwhile

two cups full of

Nescafe, one for me

and one for my wife

I was wondering

whenever I came to

the bank in the past

he was not even willing to

even listen to

my grievances and one day

in the past he even went

to the extent of ordering

me to get out.

‘The same idiot is

full of smiles and

praises towards us’

Money is power, you know.