SWASAN OS – FINDERS KEEPERS
Just because you all wanted a happy OS 🙂 🙂
It all began when Swara went for coffee with Ragini.
Swara (checking the bill) : So, If we split it, it comes to Rs 44 each. Let’s pay and leave.
Ragini (rummaging around her handbag) : Oh Shit! Swara. I forgot my wallet at the office. I’m such a klutz. I have only Rs 30 with me now.
Swara checked her purse and found she had exactly 45 rupees with her.
Swara : Ragini! Even I don’t have change. I brought only loose change with me. We’re about 13 rupees short. What shall we do?
Ragini : And this place won’t even accept credit cards, not that I have mine right now, but stil. Oh Swara! Do you think they’ll accept a cheque? I have my cheque book.
Swara’s look made Ragini tuen sheepish.
Swara (her eyes widening) : Hey! These are comfortable leather cushion seats. Let’s check for coins in the creases. We’re sure to get some.
Swara leaned back and fished between the cushions of the couch upon which they were seated. Ragini raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless continued to watch with vague interest. Swara retrieved few coins and dumped them on the table.
Ragini : That’s 8 Rupees. That’s great. Only Rs 5 short.
Swara : Come on Ragini! Even you try. Maybe we’ll get lucky.
Swara and Ragini continued trying but got only cookie crumbs and toffee wrappers until Swara’s fingers touched something hard.
Swara (thinking) : What is that?
She pulled it out from the deep hiding place and gazed in disbelief at the object in her hand. It was a brand new Asus Zenfone 3.
Ragini (pulling out a note) : A 10 Rupee note. We’re saved. Come Swara, Let’s leave before we’re embarassed any further.
Ragini got up and paid the cashier who looked extremely surly at them. Swara followed Ragini out.
Swara : Look what I found inside the couch.
Ragini (surprised) : A phone? In the couch? (looking at the phone) Oh my freaking God! Is that an Asus Zenfone 3 ?
Swara (gleefully) : Sure is. Can you believe it? My very own Asus.
Ragini (chuckling) : Eventually the owner of that phone will cut off the service and you’ll have a useless free phone.
Swara : Maybe that’ll happen. but I’ll get to put my sim inside, Won’t I? I’ll keep the owner’s sim on it for now, just incase they call. But this is my phone now.
Ragini : Are you sure you want it?
Swara : Come on, Ragini. I have a free phone. Support me.
Ragini (laughing and hugging Swara) : Well, Best friend… Enjoy your phone as much as you can.
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Later, Swara was home chopping some fruits when the phone rang. She looked around confused. Since, she hadn’t heard that ringtone before, she wasn’t sure where the sound was coming.
She dropped the knife in her confusion.
Swara : Good God! Swara.. Is there some ghost in your apartment now? What is that ringtone?
It rang again.
Swara : Oh, I’m such a fool. It must be that Asus Zenfone 3. But who’s calling now?
She ran to the bedroom and picked up the new phone as it rang and vibrated madly.
Home, it read.
Swara was torn. Should she answer it or not?
Swara (thinking) : Well, as they say, curiosity killed the cat.
Swara (answering the phone) : Hello?
A male voice answered back. An immensely angry male voice.
Man (angrily) : Who are you?
Swara (thinking) : Uh-oh. (loudly) Umm.. Who’s this?
Man (shouting) : Who am I? I am the owner of the phone that you have selfishly stolen!
Swara : Oh! I guess you’ve got me mixed up. I am from the cell phone company. Sir, at this moment in time, we are examining your phone to make sure no viruses or bugs were programmed into the device while it was out of your reach.
Man : What rot. I spoke to the airtel office and they told me they couldn’t track my phone. Utterly ridiculous. I want my phone back, Miss who-ever-you-are.
Swara wondered at his words. He hadn’t blocked or cancelled his sim? Was he mad?
Swara (in a professional voice) : I’m sorry. Did you say airtel? The number in this cell phone is a BSNL number.
Man : That’s nonsense and you know it. My phone is an airtel number, and I think I would know, considering I’m the one who set it up!
Swara (coolly) : I suggest you get all the right papers and information in order before calling in with these accusations. Good night.
Then she hung up.
Swara (smiling to herself) : Why on Earth do I feel so excited?
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Swara sighed. Ragini had forced her to come shopping. Ragini had a date tongiht and wanted to splurge on a brand new outfit. Ofcourse, Swara got dragged in the process.
Swara : I don’t know why you’re making me buy a dress. It’s not like I have a date.
Ragini (trying on a purple cocktail dress) : Swara! I can’t be the only one buying something. You know that. Look at this. Do you think Laksh will like it?
Swara : I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter what he thinks, as long as you’re happy.
Ragini ignored Swara.
Ragini : I know this wasn’t it. It doesn’t have that shizazz.
Swara (raising an eyebrow) : Shizazz? If you don’t like it, Why don’t we keep looking?
Ragini : Swara! Remember that black dress you tried on at the other shop? You’re buying it and NO EXCUSES. By the way, You want to double date tonight?
Swara : No Ragini! I told you, I don’t want to find a date and come. You have fun with Laksh. Now will you please pick out a dress?
Then, it rang for the second time.
Swara answered it without second thought.
Swara : Hel…
The angry man interrupted her before she could greet him though.
Angry man : How dare you lie to me? I’ve called my company six times, and they have assured me that my phone is, in fact, Airtel! They also told me that there is nobody checking the phone for viruses or bugs!
Swara looked at the phone amused. He still hadn’t disconnected the line? He was really mad.
Swara : Ragini! Excuse me a moment.
Swara went and stood in a private corner.
Man : Hello? Are you ignoring me? Stop playing with me here, I want my phone back!
Swara (looking at Ragini pick out a yellow dress) : Do you even know where I found this?
Man : This?
Swara (rolling her eyes) : The phone, obviously.
Man (angrily as usual) : Why don’t you just tell me?
Swara : At a coffee house. Do you go there often?
Man (exasperated) : I don’t know. What does that have to do with anything?
Swara : Well, How does one manage to get their phone lost between the creases of a couch at a coffee house?
Man (disbelief evident in his voice) : That’s where it was?
Swara (chuckling) : Yes, Mister.
Man (his voice a little less exasperated) : Can you please give me back my phone?
Swara (making a tsk-tsk sound) : Aww. Sorry, Mister. I’m just having way too much fun here.
Then she hung up.
And once again, Swara found herself oddly giddy.
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Swara was at work, when the phone rang again.
Swara (sweetly) : Hello?
The angry man responded immediately.
Man : I’ve decided I give up. You’re clearly insufferable and I know I’ll never get my phone back now.
Swara (laughing) : Reverse psychology, my favorite!
Man : What the hell? Do you think this is funny? You have something that doesn’t belong to you and you’re making me lose valuable money here.
Swara (thinking) : Mr Angry Man, The only time this cell phone is charged, is when you call me.
Swara (aloud) : I’m not giving it back. It’s an ASUS Zenfone 3. The new one. I like it and I’m keeping it. Finders keepers.
Man : Good God! I give up. Keep the damn phone. I don’t want it anymore, Not if you like it. Don’t ever expect me to call back.
Swara : Thank you, Mister. You’re the best.
And then he hung up.
Swara found that this time she wasn’t excited. That his last sentence had somehow dampened her spirits.
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Swara : You want me to what?
Ragini : Please, Swara? You know na, I can’t cook. And Laksh really wants to spend time with me at home. So please, Can I just bring him to your home?
Swara rolled her eyes and nodded.
Ragini (squealing) : You’re my person, Best Friend.
Later that evening, Swara cooked the meal, cleaned the apartment, and held pleasant conversation for thirty-five minutes before she decided that she had had enough.
Swara walked back to her room and thought.
Swara (thinking) : Well, I am doing Ragini a favour. This way, she gets to be alone with Laksh.
She searched her book shelf so that she could pick a book and settle down for the night. But none appealed to her.
Swara : Yaar! What am I supposed to do now?
She sat down on her bed, staring aimlessly around her room when the phone caught her eye.
She wasn’t quite sure what possessed her, but she flipped open the phone, went into the contacts menu, and selected home.
The man’s voice burst from the phone. But this time, he didn’t sound infuriated.
Man : Hello?
Swara : Hey! It’s me. Entertain me. I’m bored.
Man (puzzled) : Are you.. Are you the phone-stealer?
Swara : Phone stealer? What english is that? And for the record, I never stole your phone. I found it, fair and square. Also, I have a name.
Man (completely ignoring Swara’s earlier comment) : You want me to entertain you? What do you think I am, A clown?
Swara (with what she thought was immense patience) : You could be. The only thing I do know about you is that you have a very short temper.
Man : And the only thing I know about you is that you’re a phone-stealer who refuses to give it back to the owner.
Swara laughed.
Swara : Are you going to entertain me or not?
Man : How exactly does one entertain another over the phone?
Swara (excited) : Does that mean you will?
Man (muttering) : It’s not like I have anything better to do.
Swara was confused. Angry man didn’t seem… angry?
Man : Hey! Hold on a second. I’ve got another call coming through.
Swara expected the beep to sound and prepared herself to wait when she heard his voice again.
Man (in his usual exasperated tone) : Kavita! Stop calling me. I don’t want to date you. It’s over.
Swara (trying to hide her laugh) : It’s still me.
Man (his tenor changing) : Oh! I’m sorry.
A beep and his voice was gone.
Ragini (entering the room) : Swara? What are you doing here?
Swara (closing the phone and looking at her friend) : Sorry! I just felt excluded from your conversation, so I left.
Ragini (looking slightly ashamed) : I’m sorry. I know I was a beastly friend tonight. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.
Swara smiled and hugged her.
Swara : Don’t worry Ragini. I know you will. Besides, I know how much you like the guy and to tell you the truth, (her voice dropping down to a whisper) I think he likes you too.
Ragini blushed.
Ragini : Well, I’d better leave now with Laksh. Thank you so much Swara, For the house as well as dinner.
Swara saw them out and then turned back and saw her big, empty apartment and sighed, her mind going to angry man of her own volition.
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Swara tried to hide her yawn. She knew she should have put the effort to find a date.
Swara (thinking) : I should have got a date. I should have got a date. I should have got a date. Ragini and Laksh ditched me at this stupid office party. I’m going to kill her later.
The dinner was to begin in a moment, at which point Ragini and Laksh would finally come back and sit with her. However, until then, She would have to stand against the wall and watch everyone else mingle, trying to ignore the fact that Ragini and Laksh had dropped her without second thought.
She decided to find their table first, walking to the front of the large dining hall and finding her name near the bottom of a long list.
Swara turned to go to her table, annoyed and fearing that this stupid office fundraiser would soon have people giving lame speeches. She sank down on a chair at her table and waited for Ragini to show up. They did show up soon, laughing and excited while Swara continued to pout.
Ragini : Isn’t this office fundraiser amazing? And aren’t you happy that you bought this black dress? It looks amazing on you.
Swara (lying) : Ofcourse! This is a superb event. But Ragini, I think I’m going to take off now.
Ragini (surprised) : Why?
Swara : It’s just too weird. This is your office, What am I even doing here?
Ragini : You’re not having a good time here, Aren’t you?
Swara (flushing a little) : No.. Sorry.
Ragini : Don’t worry, Swara. Come, Let’s leave.
Swara : No, you stay. You’re having fun. I’ll leave. Don’t worry. I’ll see you later, Ragini. Bye, Laksh.
Laksh nodded.
And with that, Swara left.
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As she walked towards a nearby burger place, she got a call on the ASUS. She looked at it, surprised before picking it up.
Swara : Hey, What’s up?
Man : Entertain me.
Swara (perplexed) : Why?
Man : Because I’m bored.
Swara : Bored? Why on Earth would you be bored?
Man : Because I’m stuck at a fundraiser. My friend works here and he forced me to come. Unfortunately, I had no chance to find a date.
Swara (disbelievingly) : I just came out a fundraiser my friend forced me to attend.
Man : Wait.. Are you talking about the ABC Pvt Ltd company’s fundraiser?
Swara : Yes! WOw… What are the odds of both of us going to same place?
Man : So, Where are you?
Swara : I left. There’s a burger place nearby, So I’m headig over there.
Man : Do you think I can join you?
Swara was astonished, but she replied yes and gave him the address.
Man : Alright then, I’ll see you there. I’m wearing black formal wear.
Swara : I’ll be the girl in the black evening dress.
He hung up.
Swara looked at the phone in amazement.
Why was her heart beating so fast?
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Swara was already gulfing down a cheeseburger when the door opened, and in walked a young man wearing a black tux. Messy black hair adorned his head and a smile tugged at his lips as he caught her staring.
He slid into the booth where Swara sat and grinned.
Angry Man could smile?
Swara was taken aback. She hadn’t expected this. She didn’t know who she was expecting, but certainly not someone as handsome as him.
Swara (slightly awkwardly) : Hello!
Man (a wide smile on his lips) : Hello, Phone-Stealer. So, Do you have a name? Or do you prefer Phone-Stealer?
Swara smiled, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.
Swara : Well… You tell me, Does Angry Man work for you?
Man : Angry man?
Swara : That’s you, Mr Angry Man. Because you yell at me on the phone.
He pouted.
Man : Then Phone-Stealer it is.
Swara (a faint blush reaching her cheeks) : I’m Swara Bose.
Man (smiling) : I’m Sanskaar Mehta.
Sanskaar disappeared momentarily to order food and Swara tried to cool the heat that had devoured my face. When he returned, she had returned her cheeks to a somewhat manageable regular flesh color by fanning her face.
Sanskaar : To tell the truth, I wasn’t really expecting you.
Seeing his cheeks flush red, Swara’s eyebrows rose.
Swara : What do you mean?
Sanskaar : Just.. Just that you’re gorgeous.
That made Swara blush harder than Sanskaar, and they both laughed.
Swara (handing over the ASUS) : So, Here you go! It’s your phone. By the way, Next time you lose the phone, Cancel the sim. It’s dangerous not to.
Unexpectedly, he pushed the phone back towards Swara.
Sanskaar (softly) : Keep it. I find myself looking forward to your calls nowadays.
Swara (stammering) : Umm… Th.. Thanks. I feel the same way.
Sanskaar (looking at the door) : Shall we?
Swara nodded and they walked out.
Sanskaar : Anyways, The phone belongs to you. Finders keepers right?
Swara : Oh no! I was just messing about with that. I don’t really mean that.
Sanskaar stopped and faced Swara.
Sanskaar : I did. After all, I found you.
Swara’s eyes widened.
Swara: Found me?
Sanskaar : Yes!
Swara : Excuse me, If someone found someone, the fact is that I found you.
Sanskaar : No no! Who called you first tonight? I did. So I found you first.
Swara : No.. I did.. Actually, You know what.. I don’t care about that anymore.
Saying that, She pulled his closer and kissed him. He smiled and they walked to the nearby park.
Swara : How did you lose your phone anyway?
Sanskaar : Maybe I left it there on purpose in hopes that someone gorgeous might find it, and then bother me until we finally meet and I get the chance to kiss her.
Swara : Excuse me?
And then he kissed her again.
And Swara thanked her lucky stars that Ragini and she didn’t have enough money that fated day.
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Another OS…
A happy one this time..
Maybe not as intense as my other OSs.. But this one was meant to be light anyways..
Hope you like it 🙂 🙂
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