An Indian Bank

It was a pleasant morning for others, but for me, I never woke up in the mornings. My grandma used to say," Waking early ensures very good health", but I was one of that obstinate ones who never agreed to the will of others. I woke up at ten-thirty, my usual time.

It was time to brush and get ready and do all those nonsense chores- bathing, brushing, etc. I was ready and then was handed to me a cup of tea, without a word. I knew what this meant. There was some household work for me. I knew it would be long and exhausting.

After drinking the tea, mom said, "Yash, you have a long list of works to do today. Firstly go to the bank on the Balkan road and then to the SBI bank and to the ATM in this Bank..."AND I was paying attention without being attended.

It was around eleven-thirty when I left for the bank on the Balkan road. It took me some minutes, almost ten to reach the bank. The bank was on the first floor. As I began ascending the stairs, I saw a poster with the bank name and written,' India's no 1 Bank'.

This created a sense of pride for me to go to the back and the next moment when I turned to get up to the bank. Behold! There was around a score of people already waiting to enter the bank.

My eyes flurred to watch. I, too lined up to enter the bank. It was very much boring to see such a long line. I was standing there and just staring at the poster which had this inscribed on it.

'INDIA'S NO 1 BANK.'

These words were giving me a spark of anger flames. Although these flames were not bursting out but were controlled. There was one uncle ahead of me. He seemed to be more irritated and frustrated than me. He was constantly talking to someone on the phone saying," The queue is too long. I am here for around 15 minutes. I can no longer stand this."

His voice irritated me and broke my concentration which I was applying to the poster. He was sweating and his face seemed to be in a hurry.

Other people who came after us, got indirectly but when we knocked at the door, they said, "It is too congested in."

After 15 minutes, there was a lady ahead of us. Her turn came and she entered. It was 30 more minutes when I reached the first position in the queue. It was then when the lady got out.

I realised something. It took thirty minutes for the lady to come out. Was there really some chap out? When my turn came, the guard asked," What are you here for?"

I said," I need to update my mom's passbook." He looked back and told me," See, there is too much crowd at that section. Please wait."

Did I wait an hour for these words? Was this for which I was waiting so long in such a weather? Really? I was too much annoyed by this and my flames were bursting slowly.

Anybody who asked me," How much time will it take?". I replied," No! I don't know. The bank's full."

It took 15 more minutes when I was finally called in. The bank seemed like a supermarket from the inside. People were running and walking and talking. People were walking in such a manner that chaos was reigning and everything was in Chaos. I didn't know where to go? What for I was here? I was completely muzzled. I was a poster in the bank by the tag, "India's No 1 Bank." Was it all worth my one hour and fifteen minutes of stay outside the bank?

Finally, I reached the section where the passbook was to be updated. The banker was missing there. There was another long man in front of me. He was there to close his account in the bank.

After a 15-minute talk with the man, I saw the banker, at another end of the bank, talking and laughing to someone on the phone. Really? For what purpose?" May God bless the bank." I said this at that moment.

When the banker came, I knew that he was actually talking to a customer, who was a friend of the man in front of me. It was more than 15 minutes when the talk ended and finally, after many difficulties, the passbook was updated. I got such a good feeling at that moment as if, I climbed Mount Everest within a day. Wow! I was so happy. So delighted.

Finally, I got out and had a cold soft drink, which I think probably relieved me of the fact that the bank I went into was none other than ' India's No 1 Bank.'

     —— INSPIRED BY A REAL STORY.