LIFE AND LIES #42 | Bill Of Lading

Two things are prominent in the lecture hall.

Ms. Kulkarni's voice and the students scribbling away, trying to match their pace with hers.

Vishal's notebook is filled with encircled words and arrows pointing towards them. Time and again, his mind turns on a famous Bollywood number of the 90s. Or he goes back to his schooldays, attending Biology class learning Taxonomy. Somehow, the lecture on International Trade Operation and Documentation seems similar to that.

When he manages to snuff all that, his mind races to something else entirely. He jots down a few lines then passes the note to his friend, Shekhar sitting beside him who goes through the lines and lets out a chuckle. A little too loud for the class.

"What happened?" Ms. Kulkarni, approaches the front row, while Shekhar tries to hide the note. "Show me that!"

Shekhar reluctantly hands it over. She then proceeds to read the note out loud.

"Our coffee comes

In strong brown sacks

Load well,

but never tire your backs

Unload in Miami

These coffee beans

And keep them dry

By any means."

"Is this some kind of joke," she asks Shekhar and then Vishal.

"No Ma'am," replies Vishal "It's a Bill of Lading."

The whole class erupts with laughter. Except Vishal, whose eyes are fixed on Ms. Kulkarni. Will she find it funny or feel insulted? Her expression remains neutral but he could anticipate the scales tumbling either way.

Finally, a smile.

"Good one," she says and walks away with the note.

Vishal sighs with relief. All things considered, she was her favourite professor on campus and he had a feeling that he was one of her favourites too. He'd never dare to attempt this stunt with any other professor.

Later on, after the lecture, he finds Shekhar at the roadside tapri.

"Very well done," he says at the sight of him.

"Don't sign me a letter of credit just yet," replies Vishal. "Those lines weren't mine. I borrowed them from Love in the time of Cholera."

***

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