telephone lines

Telephone Lines

“I need a break ,” said my daughter, “the school has been conducting examinations and I am going crazy.”

It was a long weekend so I asked her to come to Vellore.

“Does the internet work? I have to submit some articles.”

“Oh yes, “ I said proudly , “I have wifi in the whole house.”

They arrived and I went in to work. Within minutes I got a frantic call from her, ”The internet doesn’t work, neither does the land line.”

They were both the same, so I said,” I will get BSNL to fix it right now.”

“Will they come that fast?” She asked.

“Oh Yes” I said confidently.

I failed to add that the office was not too far down on the main highway. I had an aggressive gardener who I periodically sent to their  office to stage a dharna whenever I had a problem.

She soon received a call on the landline. “Is this the white house that is isolated and at the end of the side road?” asked a male voice.

She got the creeps.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

The man replied, ”Are you alone?”

She decided to go and lock the gate.

“I am speaking from BSNL.”

“How do I know you are from BSNL?”

“Madam, call the office and check. My name is Raghu. If all the women talk like this how can I possibly repair anything? I need to know which wire to connect.”

She realized that the land line didn’t work so she called me instead.

Apparently Raghu had been sent the previous evening from BSNL to correct a couple of faults. He disconnected 23 lines. Since it  was 4:30 he decided to have tea and go home leaving the lines disconnected. Many irate users were shouting in the BSNL office. He had been dispatched to rectify the fault but didn’t know what to connect where.

After a while the internet started to work and the phone rang.

“Who are you and where are you?”

Daughter decided that the town had become a creepy place after she left for college 20 years ago.

“Why?” She asked.

“Look, I am Dr S. I think I am your neighbor. Every time I try to call my house I get your number instead. I think they have switched lines. I want to inform the idiots and get it rectified-----.”