Caller Unknown!

It all started when Ishita and I went out for coffee, our Saturday morning ritual.

"I'm a hundred fifty rupee short…" Ishita had muttered irritatedly, when it came time to pay for her coffee, "Purvi, have you got any change?"

"Uh." A typically intelligent reply on my part. "Let me check."

I opened my wallet, only to find that I had spent my very last note on my own coffee. And of course, our favorite coffee place just happened to refuse payment through the form of credit or debit, our only alternatives.

"Nothing?" Ishita asked, still rummaging through her purse.

"Naa." I replied, also searching the bottomless pit that was my bag for any spare change.

"Suddenly my coffee doesn't taste so great." Ishita groaned, turning her bag upside down. Several coins fell out among scattered papers, makeup compacts and hair clips. "Fifty four rupees, yes!" She exclaimed, punching the air triumphantly.

"I have an idea!" I suddenly exclaimed, leaning back and fishing between the cushions of the couch upon which we were seated. Ishita raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless continued to watch with vague interest. I retrieved a few more coins and dumped them on the table.

"Grand total, eighty nine rupees." Ishita calculated, "Only missing a little now!"

I was amused at how we were managing this predicament to say the least. Ishita caught my grin and smiled back.

"We are quite odd, aren't we?"

I leaned back once more, feeling nothing but cookie crumbs and lint – and was surprised when my fingers brushed over something that felt hard… almost like a phone. I grasped the objected and freed it from its couch prison, grinning as I admired a shiny flip phone that now belonged to me.

"A Hundred note! A Hundred note!" Ishita exclaimed excitedly, standing up and striding towards the cash to pay. The man standing behind it shot her a displeased look before accepting her money.

"I found a phone!" I told Ishita as we were leaving, showing off the shiny prize.

"Did you find that… in the couch?" Ishita stuttered in disbelief.

"That I did." I answered, beaming. "A free phone, fancy that!"

Ishita laughed passively, "Eventually the owner of that phone will cut off the service and you'll have a useless free phone."

"Way to rain down on my parade." I huffed. "Some best friend you are…" I paused and laughed, "Even if I only get to use it for a little while, it's not like I'm losing anything."

"Sure thing, Purvi." She laughed again, "Enjoy it… while it lasts."

                                 xxxx   

I was chopping carrots for dinner.

Then it rang.

Having never heard that tone in my life, I was naturally startled, and the knife that I had been holding flew right out of my hand and landed with a loud clatter next to my bathroom door. Taking a heavy panicked breath, I stared around my apartment in confusion.