Story of a "Draft"

Living in Bangalore, Delhi or some other metropolitan, how long do you think it will take to get a draft issued from a bank? I dont think it should take more than an hour, that too when its a bad day for you!!

But the same draft can take as long as 2 days in a government bank situated in a small town. Well! it took me two days!!

To get all the things done as early as possible i was in front of the "Punjab National Bank" of "Hapur" sharp at 10:15 am. My first mistake was that instead of a 2 wheeler i went in my father's car and it took me 15 minutes to find a parking place, park the car there and walk down to the bank.

If the reader of this blog doesnt know, i will like to tell him that to get a draft issued you need to fill a form. And to fill a form you need to get or to be more appropriate "Find" the form. But how to find THE form when the box which is supposed to have different bank forms has everything from a torn application to a Biscuit rapper but the draft form.I tried looking for the the Inquiry Counter but instead of an assistant i found 2 inches of dust on the table and the chair, as if, even by mistake no one in the past decade has rambled towards this corner of the bank.

Seeing around, i went to the first bank employee(FBE). He appeared to be a gentleman. With an immaculate hair do, fair complexion and thick specs. He was updating the Bank Passbooks for account holders.
me: "Sir, ek draft ka form chahiye" (Sir, i need one draft form")
He didnt respond, i thought he dint hear.
me(again): "Sir, ek draft ka form chahiye" (Sir, i need one draft form")
Without looking at me, he responded
FBE: "Main to form rakhta nahin hun!!" (I dont keep forms!!)

And at that very moment, hearing his reply and seeing him poking his nose, his gentleman image flew away from my mind.
I asked him
me:"Sir, to kahaan se milenge form" (Sir, where from i can get the forms)
Again without looking at me and without saying anything he pointed towards an empty chair near him.

I kept staring at the empty chair for the next 10 minutes in hope that someone will come and provide me the forms. By this time the clock showed 11:30!! Giving up my hope i started looking here and there and then i saw some papers scattered on the floor behind FBE. To my luck, there was one draft form in that!!

It was my luck that i got one form but then there was no scope of mistake in filling that ONE form. With utmost care i filled the form quickly and kept the Bank's commission column blank to know the commission from the Accountant. Then I queued myself for the deposit counter which is open till 2:00 PM on weekdays. There were some 10 people ahead of me. I was happy thinking that the queue will be over in another 15 minutes but then to my dismay it took me one hour to reach in front.

I gave my form and the money(55k) to the Accountant(Acctnt)
Acctnt: "Isme commission kaun likhega?" (Who will write commission?)
me: "Sir, aapse poochne ke liye choda tha" (Sir, i kept it blank to confirm from you)
Acctnt: "Commission udhar jaakar poocho aur poora form bhar kar laao" (Go there to ask commission and bring the completely filled form)

Seeing my watch which was showing 12:45 pm by that time i went to the Second Bank Employee, waited for 10 minutes for my turn.

me: "Sir, Draft ki commission ke baare mein pata karna tha" (sir, i wanted to know about the commission for a draft)
SBE: "Draft kitne ka hai" (How much is the draft for)
me: "Sir, 55k"
SBE: "Cash ya Account se?" (Through cash or through account?)
me: "Sir, Cash"
SBE: "Hmmm, it would be 200"

I want you to note that this guy asked me through cash or through account and i told him its through cash.

Completing the form i rushed towards the deposit counter queue, now there were 15 ppl in the queue. There was no chance i could reach the counter before 2:00pm if this samaritan seeing my plight wouldnt have allowed me before himself and i reached the counter 15 minutes before its closing time.

Giving the form and money to the accountant
me: "Sir, commission bhar di hai" (Sir, i have filled commission)
Accountant seeing the form winced at me like i am the biggest dumb and said
Accnt:"Ye draft nahin ban sakta!!" (This draft cant be issued)
Standing Shocked i asked
me: "Sir, par kyon?" ("Sir, but why?)
His voice became loud and he told
Accnt: "RBI ki guidelines ke anusaar 50k se uppar ka koi bhi draft cash se issue nahin ho sakta. Account se banwaana padega!!" (As per RBI guidelines, any draft over 50 k cant be issued through cash. You need to go through account)

I couldnt react!! The day was past and i had to restart again the next day!!

Learner's to Driver's

Life after marriage or after having a girlfriend changes a lot, and it changes Lot"est" when your wife/girlfriend doesnt know driving. Before writing this blog i had to think twice of the consequences i might have to face. And they might range from "cooking two days food on my own" to "two nights on the Sofa in the cold drawing room". But then its better to vent then to pent up. So I dare to reveal the truth at stake of my life :)

By the change in life i meant... an increase in patience to stand outside Ladies Beauty Parlour and wait for her.... be with her and suffocate for hours in the library full of books(one of the things I despise most).... get up at 7:00 in the morning to drop her to training...... etc etc. To avoid all this and to have a comfortable life i starting persuading her to learn driving. And after much of the persuasion she agreed for the same, got a learner's license but made a contract at the same time. Some of the points extracted from the contract are

*Trainer -> the person who is going to teach driving (me)
*Trainee -> the person who is going to learn driving (She)

1) Saturday/Sunday --> As these days fall under Weekend, the Trainer will be penalized if he mentions any term similar to "Driving Lesson". The penalty may range from a pasta to Pizza.

2) Monday --> This is the first weekday i.e. day of office, and as the Trainee would be going through a lot of depression she shouldnt be asked to drive.

3) Tuesday --> This is the day when Trainer's behaviour will be monitored till evening. If the trainee finds his behaviour acceptable, she might drive.

4) Wednesday/Thursday --> If it has been an easy day for the trainee, then she might be asked to drive. The authority of deciding the day into 'easy' or 'tough' solely lies with the trainee.

5) Friday --> As this is the arrival of weekend, and the trainee is full of hope and euphoria. No attempt should be made by the trainer to spoil trainee's mood by asking her to drive.

Following the contract, its 5 months from the time the Trainee, i mean she, has taken the Learner's and I dont think she is still confident (no offenses meant) to go for a Driver's License. But i am still confident that we will make it before the LL expires. :)