UNIVERSITY ARC
Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. There she was—Deepika, my classmate. What on earth was she doing here? As soon as she spotted me, her eyes widened in surprise.
|"Manoj, what are you doing here? For your own sake, get out. If anyone sees you, you'll lose whatever little dignity you have left."|
Her words hit like a slap. I froze, unsure whether to run or stay. I wasn't ready for this unexpected encounter, but I couldn't let my secret slip, either. My mind raced for a cover story, and I tried to keep my voice calm.
|"Uh, hey, Deepika. I'm just here for some... personal banking stuff. You know how it is."|
She raised an eyebrow, her skepticism sharp as a blade.
|"Personal banking? In the VIP section? Come on, Manoj, don't lie. What are you really doing here?"|
Her tone was firm, almost mocking. Her gaze felt like it could strip away all my pretence. I needed to think fast.
"Okay, okay, I confess, Deepika. I'm here for a... loan. Yeah, a loan."
I blurted it out, hoping it would sound convincing, but Deepika just rolled her eyes.
"A loan? You?" she sneered. "From this bank? Manoj, you're not even worth a lakh, let alone crores!"
My face flushed with embarrassment, but I had to keep up the act.
|"Hey, watch it! I may not be rich, but I've got my pride!"|
She laughed in my face.
|"Pride? You're in the VIP section, Manoj! You're swimming with the big fish now, and you're just a guppy!"|
I felt trapped. Deepika wasn't going to let this go. My mind raced, trying to find a way out. I couldn't involve my family in this mess; it was all on me. There was only one option left.
|"Deepika, I'm here to get my gold card."|
Her expression shifted to disbelief.
|"What! A gold card? Are you out of your mind? They don't just hand those out to anyone."|
Before I could respond, Deepika's father walked up, interrupting our conversation.
|"Darling, what's going on here?"|
|"Dad, do you have a gold card?"|
Deepika asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. Her father looked puzzled.
|"A gold card? I've heard of it, but I've never seen one. To qualify, your assets need to be at least 10 to 20 billion. Why do you ask?"|
she scoffed, pointing at me.
|"He's our classmate. He says he's here to get his gold card."|
Her father looked at me, surprise etched on his face.
|"Really? Are you that rich, my boy?"|
Before I could respond, Deepika cut me off.
|"No way, Dad. He doesn't have that kind of money. As far as I know, he's never even seen that many zeros in his life. How could he have 10 or 20 billion?"|
Her father's expression turned cold.
|"Then why are you here? This isn't the place for someone like you. Get out before you embarrass yourself further."|
They called security, but they were distracted as their token number was almost called.
|"Darling, we need to go. Our number's up. Let's leave this fool to the guards."|
As they walked away, security approached, ready to throw me out. I stood my ground.
|"I'm here for my gold card,"|
I insisted. But, they were confused and called their manager.
|"Sir, we've got someone here claiming he has a gold card."|
After one of the guards explained, the manager frowned.
|"Is it that same person from a few days ago?"|
|"No, sir. He's also younger, but he's just as insistent."|
The manager sighed.
|"Is he saying that he is also from the Vardhan family too?"|
|"No, sir. He hasn't mentioned it, but he claims to have a gold card."|
The manager's interest was piqued.
|"Alright, I'll handle it. Just keep him here."|
When the manager finally arrived, he questioned the security.
|"What's the problem?"|
|"Sir, this boy claims he's here for a gold card. We've told him to leave, but he won't listen."|
The manager turned to me, his patience thin.
|"Look, boy, this isn't a game. We're busy here, so move along."|.
|"I'm serious. I'm here for my gold card."|
I didn't back down, the manager sneered.
|"If you really have a gold card, you must know the account number, password, and all that. Care to prove it?"|
I smiled confidently.
|"Of course. When the account was created, my thumbprint and retina scan were taken as security measures. Since I was a minor, only my thumbprint was used, but it's all linked to the account. So go ahead, test it."|
The manager's smirk faded. He knew only a genuine gold card holder would have that information. Reluctantly, he led me inside.
I entered my account number and password, but the system returned an error: "This account has not been recorded. Unable to process your request."
My heart sank. This couldn't be happening. The staff around me started whispering, mocking me.
|"I knew he was a fraud!"|
|"Yeah, throw him out!"|
.
.
.
But the manager noticed something on the screen.
|"Oh, you pressed zero instead of the letter O."|
Once he corrected it, the screen flashed: "Congratulations, Manoj Vardhan. Your account has been recognized. If you wish to collect your gold card, select OK to continue."
The manager's eyes widened as he clicked OK. The system prompted me to place my thumb on the scanner. I did, and with a loud beep, it confirmed: "Congratulations, Manoj Vardhan. You may now collect your gold card."
The manager's face went pale. He alone witnessed the message. He looked terrified as he whispered
|"Sir, could I check your account balance?"|
I nodded casually. When he saw the balance, his face drained of colour.
|"What? I can't calculate the zeros? Hold on, this can't be real... This is the first account in this bank. Are you from the Vardhan family? The family that invested in the first place in this bank.
I smiled slyly. "Yes, that's me."
He stuttered, barely able to speak "S-s-sir!"
I revelled in the power I held over him. He was practically grovelling.
|"Please forgive me, sir. Our security insulted you without realizing who you were."|
I enjoyed his fear.
|"No problem, but remember—you're responsible for keeping my identity a secret. If this leaks, you'll pay the price. Understood?"|
|"Yes, sir! I understand completely."|
I think he was a good person. Can I trust him? Yes, of course I can trust him. I'm really tired from these sudden visits. So, I sat on a chair for relaxation.
As I was ready to leave, Deepika and her father finally collected their money and wanted to exit through the entrance. Then, Deepika saw me on the way and sneered, but her expression changed when she noticed something gold in my hand.
|"Manoj, what's that? A gold card? How did you get that?"|
she shrieked, snatching it from me.
"Give it back, Deepika," I demanded, annoyed.
|"Are you trying to say this is yours? Call the manager!"|
The manager, who had been watching from the CCTV by fear, rushed over. By the time he arrived, I was seething with anger.
|"Deepika, hand it over! It's not what you think."|
|"Do you think I'm stupid? This card is worth more than your life, you scumbag!"|
Scumbag? Who did she think she was? I considered putting her in her place, but the manager finally intervened, panting from the sprint.