"Good morning saaar. Idu beku" Two boys, three girls, all in the blue and dark blue government school uniform, all dolled up and asked me to give it. I was deep in the work and couldn't understand at first. Then I saw cheque book request of Headmaster school account, and asked “Ok, that's it?!” They all replied in unison, “yes sir, that's it!”. I said, “Then why five people of you are here?! I got scared that I must give you pani puri or something.” They all giggled and went back to school. Few weeks later, we had our Bank's foundation day coming up, manager sir asked to me arrange and plan CSR activity and we decided we will ask the Headmaster, what are the requirements of them. I got the contact info from kids and called him up. It wasn't Headmaster, It was Head Madam, I corrected myself and shared the bank's CSR activity planning and explained everything. She asked me the most important question, with which I should have started this pitch. The question is what's the budget?! Yeah, because CSR activity can involve giving a simple water purifier to tearing off and building a new building, there is a chance for that, but it's not in our budget. So, I smiled and said, Thanks Madam, it's Rs. 10,000/-. She said, she will discuss with staff and call back in an hour.
She called me back and we discussed the things they are in need for school, and I asked them to send quotation, and I'll forward that to manager sir, and we can clear it out. They finalised they would require desk, one or two or many desks that our budget can afford, as one or two are old in their classroom, for which repair quotation they have submitted and they would also need extra desk, just in case for additional admission and such. Me and manager sir discussed things, and he approved the quotation and asked the vendor to transport goods to so and so school and we will do payment. The desks reached school, we paid the vendor and on our Bank's foundation day, we asked our Ex-staff, local governance, self-help group women, loan customers, high net worth individuals and such. We decorated the building with much josh and zeal. On Saturday, we arrived with traditional clothes and did pooja and started working. The founding members photos were kept near deepa sthamba and people could perform pooja, take sweet or prasada kept in front of it. I was working and I heard ‘Taayi Shaarade Loka Poojithe Jnana Daate Namosthute’ song from Appu's Bettada Hoovu movie. It's been a very time I listened to that song. And I was surprised, who is singing that song. To my surprise, it was those five kids, who earlier were in branch with cheque book request. I stood up until their one-minute prayer was over and then sat down to continue work.
They came in front of me and sang in unison, “Uncle adu beku.” I asked “Enu beku?!” They all sang in unison again, “Uncle, aa chocolate kodi pleaseeeeee.” It really ended with that eeeee like a tune. I pushed forward the tray that kept chocolates and signalled them to take only one chocolate per person. They became happy and giggling and went on with their life. Two minutes later, they came back with a slightly damaged ₹10 note. They forgot to give it me in hurry. I saw a board on the cash counter. It said we exchange soiled or mutilated notes. I knew they could read Kannada and English. I received and gave back ₹9 in coins. One counted and it was ₹9. And the kid gave it to next one. They were in disbelief that how did they got ₹9 instead of ₹10. I told them, it's my commission, and winked. They caught me I was pranking them and sang “Uncle pleaseeee” and one of them said, “Shh, we shouldn't call uncle.” I said, “It's okay, look outside, an elephant is there” and they screamed in excitement and there was nothing. While they were busy, I put ₹1 in their hand and kept looking at them and asked them to start counting again. It was ₹10 now, and they were in disbelief again. They were scratching heads as they were clueless and I told them I pranked them and they were relieved for a moment.
And for another two months or so, I was busy with work and stuff and one day manager sir asked me to do post sanction of an auto loan, two-wheeler Electric vehicle. I took my cycle, which is more environment friendly than the EV, I talked to myself in pride, haha. I was assigned to do post sanction inspection. I went to the school, because the EV owner was another teacher from the school, we gave furniture to. I noted down engine number, chassis number and you know regular stuff, took photos and came back to branch. While I was getting on my bicycle, someone called me and it was Head Madam, she asked manager sir number for some official work. I shared and came back. On my way, I looked back for the kids, and they weren't there, probably in class, and yet dreaming about pani puri or something.
Days passed by and I forgot about that and kids and one day, I completed my work and waiting for bus and my bus finally came after some delay. I got on it and started listening to music. Since it's private bus, they sometimes, turn on their stereo system and the volume of it was cancelling my earphones audio. They were playing 80s Kannada melodies, so I took off my earphones and started listening to old songs while I write an article with AI. In between songs, that Bettada Hoovu song, ‘Taayi Shaarade Loka Poojithe Jnana Daate Namosthute’ started playing and it instantly reminded of those mischievous little five kids and I wanted to more for the school. I was already in fuel reserve mode like in my sub staff’s splendor bike, running low on salary as it was already 15th and I had to go around two weeks for salary. So, little deficient on money to contribute from my own pocket. And to plan bank's CSR activity, no event was near except Republic Day, which was still around two months away. I thought for some time on this helpless dilemma and I only way to solve a problem is to pretend there's no problem and I closed my mind on that. Instead, I wrote a small story where a cinema actor almost crashes me while I'm on my rusty old cycle and he comes down to check up on me. I escaped thanks to fate. He offered me to help; I took the chance for him to convince him to donate to the government school. As I wrote that story, I felt it was 100% fictional and nowhere related to reality, so I felt stupid and thought to delete it, but I hit send and AI gave me back a polished version of the story and I published it on X, formerly twitter and forgot about it. Around two weeks later, I got a call from anonymous number, said that he's secretary of Ex Former Cricketer from Karnataka, Sri. Ramesh Shetty and he wanted to appreciate me on this story and wanted to make this as movie with his filmmaker friend, and wanted me to talk to me about story payment, royalties etc. I disconnected the call thinking it was one of my high school days friends pranking me.
In next few minutes, I got a video call, and it was indeed Mr. Ramesh Shetty, and I couldn't believe my eyes that I got a phone call from the former cricketer and kannada commentator whom I adore. I said, “Saar good morning this and that, and it got me scared, what if it's AI morphed like that. I am a good guy who write simple and small stories with it. But AI is also a tool, and it can be used to do some bad things. I felt disbelief as I may be in risk of money getting deducted from my account, those cyber fraud calls, which I'm constantly warning and educating my customers. I didn't had money in my account, that's a different topic, ha-ha, but I still wanted to be safe. Maybe they grasped my disbelief, and they gave a time and date to meet them. I thanked God it was Sunday, but it was also in Bangalore, which is far away. I planned journey and expected delays and estimated if I can come to work on Monday or not. Coming Saturday, I left for Bangalore, went to my friend room, got ready and we went to that studio address and there was indeed a laptop and projector etc stuff for me to pitch my story and a meeting room to discuss royalty and stuff. We finished the task and came back to work. A month later, Sri. Ramesh Shetty was appointed as our Bank's brand ambassador, which I didn't know and as a counter staff, I didn't have any role in finalising that. Mr. Shetty's secretary now had my number and would often ask me the details on the story, and I would send pages of script for it. One day, he came for location search or something, filmy terms, I'm not familiar and he happened to meet me at Bank at my counter. The villagers were thrilled to see Mr. Shetty at their village and even more surprised to see me talk to Mr. Shetty like I know him from some time ago. I did know him from some time, but that's different context, ha-ha.
Mr. Shetty asked me if the story was entirely fictional or based on real events. I told him it was bit of both. So, he realised the government school was nearby and it was real. He took his car to go there, while I continued my work and he talked to Head Madam and he will sanction a grant for 51 kids in that school if she promises him that she will take the kids along to Bangalore multiplex for watching that movie, journey accommodation etc were all paid by Mr. Shetty. She discussed with her staff, and a trust account was opened at Bangalore branch which would make payment for kid's studies and their trip to multiplex once the movie was released.
A year or so passed, and the movie was released and as it was mostly kids’ movie, it went as much as I expected and some plus. I went to Bangalore to attend movie screening, and it was surreal moment for me. People were cheering, laughing and holding off tears etc. Mr. Shetty planned for the kids to see the movie and like a two-day trip around Bangalore, Mysore temples, a planetarium etc. I came outside the theatre just before the movie closes and there was this Gol Gappa stand and I was having my ₹20 Gol Gappa and while I was busy in that, a bunch of kids came near the stall, and sang in unison, "Uncle, adu kodi". I didn't look at kids, because I thought they were calling panipuri stall anna, and signalled him to look the kids are asking for panipuri. He signalled me back that they're eyeing for Gol Gappa on my plate. I took off my eyes from my plate and looked up, there were none. And I looked down, it was those five kids, singing in unison, “Uncle, pleaseee.” I told the panipuri guy to give them half plate each, because adult appetite is different and kid's appetite. I checked my mobile, paid the vendor for my plate. Asked the vendor to take the half plate each for the kids from my cash and the vendor said, they already finished one plate each. I stood in shock; five plates, five kids, gone in less than 60 seconds. I was surprised and searched for someone from their school to hand them over. One of the teachers came with rest of the students, these five kids sneaked out as soon as they see me outside theatre. While I was waiting for teacher to come near me, I saw an Elephant across the street and screamed in excitement, "Kids, look over there, Aane Bantu Ondu Aane" like that childhood rhyme song we used to sing. The kids yelled back, “Uncle, you're pranking us.” And I told them it was indeed true, look at that side, and they all were surprised to see a real elephant. They were prepared for movie, temple, planetarium etc, but weren't expecting elephant to be on road, in live. They all waved to the elephant in high josh, and I was happy as one can be. I handed over the kids to teacher and waved him. I met Mr. Shetty outside the theatre and thanked him for the opportunity and while on my way back. I typed the ‘Aane Bantu Ondu Aane’ song and posted it on WhatsApp status.
Aane Bantu Ondu Aane
Yaav ooru aane
Bijapurada aane
Illige yaake bantu
Daari Tappi Bantu
Translation: Look there an elephant
Where did it come from?
It's from Bijapura (now Vijayapura)
Why did it come here?
It came here because it lost its way
The rest of the song, I don't remember, I took the bus there. I saw the elephant again while in my bus. I waved to that elephant, and it waved me back or Perhaps to the other kids in next seat in bus. Either way, I'm happy to have lost and found the things in these little moments of happiness in life. And then my bus conductor woke me up as I have reached my work. I realised it was all just a dream, and I remembered each instance of it very well. I said to myself, well it was very good dream. As I walked into bank from road, there was indeed an elephant on the village road, I rushed to store to give it banana, I waved bye and it did same with its trunk and I went on my way to work.
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