A lot can happen over coffee!

It was three in the evening. I was there at my work desk. Fighting hard I was, the recently
occurring daily 3pm headaches. This was a self created problem. The reason was that I swore
sometime back not to touch the coffee @ office.
Nishanth, my manager comes hard at me. Especially, very hard after my 3pm coffee.
I took to no taking coffee @ work place after observing the sequence of my coffee-intake and run-ins with Nishanth. Atleast i wanted to stop this recurrence and there-by reduce my budding inert bad-blood and silent swearing against Nishanth. To certain extent Nishanth's behavior mellowed a bit in past two weeks , thanks to my coffee "sacrifice". Over all I was happy.

It was strange decision, looking back now. Why should Nishanth's whippings and my coffee drinks connect ? Two distinct and separate dots frankly. Yet these two dots theory connected. Through an invisible sequence connecting them in either straight or curves or circle!!, for which even now i dont have an answer! I now realize that there is an undercurrent third dot, which seems to connect these as well!! Simply blame it on Chaos theory!
The free running speaker inner voice was asking me "Pattu, tell me why this all of a sudden? For past twenty five years, you are used to this drink. The system is adapted to it. Why No to it now? I was Silent. This was the polite reply from me to the free running speaker inner voice.
The headache was un-bearable. It lasted for at least half an hour. I realized it and knew it for sometime .I had become an addict. A coffee addict, to be very specific. For i did not only avoid the 3pm coffee, but abstained from coffee completely now. I renounced coffee for the sake of my job. It was NO Coffee surrender and penance to the Almighty. My body was starving for its daily drug dose. It has been slowly abused un-knowingly. I was struggling. It was becoming hard as the days progressed, and I was angry at my own foolish decision.
It was that week's Saturday, I chanced to go to a social gathering nearby. A passer-by onlooker, who was an elderly person came to me. We never knew each other. Few minutes passed by in silence. He made a casual but straight specific remark looking at me "Don’t avoid the coffee. May be add some more sugar to it"! I was there smiling at him and at his remarks. A mind reader?! Well i dont know. I moved away from that place.
Back home, i asked my mom to get me a strong cup of caffeine. It was new day after all and also a Sunday. I am supported by that noble soul as well. I now have got a strong excuse to hook to my coffee habit once again. Casually i looked at the newspaper. The Page III was full of TV channels and the programs listed for the day. I was looking into each of them gingerly.

My wife came to me taking the empty coffee tumbler away. "We need new TV". The statement was short but seemed decisive and final! I was amused, "Well has this one gone bad? Its only 4 months old? I blurted out.
There was exchange of glances between us. My inner voice also smiled sheepishly. It knew the reason, and i knew that too. The new TV in the living room was hale and healthy. There was resource constraint not at office but :-) @ home ! There was one TV and this thing was brewing for some time now.
The scope of this one resource among three equally powerful mangers was the problem. This curious “tripartite” case was evenly contested by my parents on one side, my wife & kid on side two, the third side from my brother, sister. The cabinet met over again and again and the "resolution" was finally passed. This resolution was for one more TV! and hence the RFQ was raised for purchase by home minister.
Already with enough on plates, the poor finance minister who was not even part of that cabinet meeting , i was wondering how to make the ends meet for this new purchase! Nishanth will throw me out to sea , if i ask for a pay rise for a tv!! A TV became a villan!! Iam happy that God has been very kind to me so far. I hope HE is also kind to Nishanth as well giving him lot of energy to deal with his dull sub-ordinate. Getting a new job now is the last straw that i would pray for. After being in the same project for years, iam out of touch with the outside world!
But, every-one in home feigned deaf. "Poor guy you cannot be good to all! My free running speaker spoke up.
A Divine intervention!! There was knock at the door. I opened , and in came a person who is
popular in our locality . He is the familiar face of locally favored political Party. "Sir please take this coupon and come to the Public Distribution Unit at our locality this Wednesday. This government has kept its promise, you see."
Though i don’t align with any party at all, i found that "this promise" was too much!
Nevertheless, i silently received it, signed an acknowledgement slip and gave him back. I scanned the receipt. "Color TV Distribution Scheme" The message was loud and clear. I took it and kept it on the shelf of the living room.
Still mulling on how to purchase a tv, i was staring at the tv buy options in my internet browser.
There was a discussion and cheerful giggles around. How did the gloomy day go bright? I looked into the corner from which the noise came. It was my mom, wife and sister together.
"Oh what a tight corner?!" I thought.
My wife came to me smiling. "Well did you keep that coupon on shelf ? I nodded.
My mother joined, "You see just yesterday we were discussing on to get a new tv. Today we have got one coupon". With my sister joining the group , all three echoed "God has answered our prayers"
I got wild with that last statement!"God answered our prayer"? I told them straight "Look, we may need to buy one , but i am not going to use that coupon". God agreed with me. It was not his answer at all to my tv problem. It was a cross talk and outside noise that came home in the form of a coupon!
It was like one ball bowled and three wickets! Yes all three were hurt and out!
Then the bold one among them started "Look, we need one more tv, thats all i can say. We need it"

Back to square one, Monday morning , It was coffee time. I told my wife "Padma, We should not use that coupon". It was Quizzical session.
"Why"?
"It was not meant for us actually. This scheme was started for people below poverty"
"So"?
"So it is not morally right to make use of that." She turned a parrot, nose as red as chillies.
Quiz ended with two short questions? No. No.
Enter my father. Round two.
"Ennda Narendra when is that TV coupon due date?"
"Wednesday pa, but he says he is not going to get it". Replied Padma embolden with new support from father.
I started "Illa appa, you see this coupon is not for us, it was started for BPL".
"BPL or Onida or Philips why bother about the brand just get it da?" My unassuming father retorted.
"Haiooo, BPL I mean its Below Poverty Line pa" I gave him gyan!
"Oh hoo.. ennada nee" my father broke into smile. "When Government itself has announced it you should make use of it. That’s all i can say"
Round Three. Krish, my brother entered.
"Why are you saying no?" My brother started briskly Sehwag style, sipping his coffee.
"Krishna , what are you saying? The government is meant for providing the basics at least. The basics are yet to be covered. How do you people the so called literates and responsible ones accept this?
"Basics?! What basics? you mean" Replied Krishna.
"Food, job, infrastructure, health care, education, administration" I gave a burst reply.
"My bike got punctured for fourth time yesterday in one month" A startling statement from my bro, made me laugh.
"Do you expect government to correct your puncture?" With my laugh controlled i asked him. I was happy in assuming that i am winning this round.
In came a reply as a straight drive from Krish, as straight as master blaster’s trade mark!
"This government or any government is not doing anything, what i mean is the so called road outside our apartment was naturally formed because of our own transport movement , wear and tear"
"Over hundred representations for laying road have gone to dustbins". My tax money and your tax money has got into scams. You cannot stop that. Can you? No bus, no transport infrastructure, no 24Hr electricity, water, nothing. So just agree to the good what we get. If you dont get this, Some other "Narendra" will sign for and get it in your name "
My mother , came in. "Paaru da kanna, Now going for a new tv purchase is not needed. Its
waste of money isnt? Dont think too much". I was happy that i found one able soul to support my case that morning. She continued. "You see even Dr.Natesan and advocate Dass have applied. Their wives told me. This is correct. What we do is our right only!"Wednesday is good day also. "Pon Kadaichalum Budhan Kadaikadhu..so lets get it" She ended.
My last hope found was a mirage!! I fumbled even more! "Duty! Right! Citizen right?! My God”.
This is truely new age definition of freedom and rights of citizen!

The end was fast coming. I sensed it. My mom, bro, sis, wife and father on one side of the table. Other side it was a solo performance.Truth as it may be, the jury asked me "Tell us one thing. Do you say that you shall wait for the good things to happen your way? or accept the the single good thing that comes our way? The about to be made judgment was very legibly written. I resigned and accepted to taste success gracefully.

After all, Iam utilizing the right given to the citizen. After all, I am helping the government to
fulfill its promise. After all, the size of hole in my pay-packet stayed the same. After all, Nishanth will be happy if no pay rise question is triggered now. After all, the resource constraint @ home was resolved amicably and everyone is happy.
The TV was innocently showing the movie channel. Times's rating "All time best hundred
movies of the century" was the show's name. "Naalu peru Nalla irukanum'na edhuvume thappu illa" The famous immortalized character’s dialog was broadcast there by giving me clarity. I realized this decision was doing good to more than four people! I got a head start to my week's office work. The new tv was sanctified to enter home.

To continue.