Two Cellphones

Sameer just managed to board the already moving train and gasped a bit. Then he went in and sat next to an old man. "Why do you take such a risk, young man?", the old one asked. Sameer wrinkled his nose in disgust and looked at him for a while. An old pant and a plain old yellow shirt with rolled up sleeves, having a small bag and wearing an old pair of slippers - he totally looked like a non-entity to Sameer.

He cursed his car mechanic one more time. "Had that bugger finished his job in time, I wouldn't even be here to hear such words from an unknown man", he thought. The old man seemed not to be offended by this, though he kept quiet. Sameer liked living big and was thinking so high of himself. After all, he was one of the youngest assistant managers in a company listed in Fortune 500. As the journey continued, Sameer took his latest model cellphone casually and tried sending a message to his new boss, about his delayed arrival.

Just then another cellphone rang. It was one of those earliest tones - loud and clear and only had a few notes to it. The old man opened his bag and took a pouch. "Thought so!", saying to himself, Sameer watched. The old man opened the pouch and took out a smaller pouch. "Come on! What's the point of giving it so much protection? After all, it would be the cheapest phone of little value", Sameer said to himself.

The old man finally took the phone out, from a new cover that looked familiar to Sameer. "Where have I seen this?", he was thinking hard when he saw the new fourth generation iPhone being taken out. Utterly bewildered, he just gaped at the old man. The old man spoke briefly and kept it back in the same fashion. Seeing Sameer, he let out a thin smile. Encouraged, Sameer asked him when he purchased that phone and where from. "I don't know Sir! my son came back from abroad yesterday. He plucked my old phone and gave me this. Also taught me how to operate. I told him, I don't need it. But he was adamant", he said.

"His son must have been one of those IT guys on a consulting assignment abroad! Ha! I should have preferred IT too!", he thought, as he got down. He saw a small note to go to his boss's cabin as soon as he was in. Just as he entered, his boss's cell rang.

It was the same tone that he heard in the train. And he was shocked even more after hearing and seeing what his new boss said and did.

"Just a minute Sameer! Its my dad!", he said, taking a very old cellphone out.

 

Thanks for your quick and appreciative feedback Sreema. -rgs

 

To be honest to you Sunitha, I enjoyed writing this. One of the benefits of my daily train journey - I should add. And your feedback was too good with the apt image [one of the best models of Nokia cellphone - Nokia 6610 - if I am right]. Thanks. -rgs

 

Thanks very much for your glowing feedback Raji. I take your advice. Someday I will publish my book. Already few kind IL's have suggested me to do so. -rgs

 

Yes Sunitha. You all have been very kind and benevolent to me. Thanks so much for that. If I were to do that, I will definitely go for your illustrations but. Right now, am a bit too busy in my career path and never considered writing seriously at all [even now]! -rgs