Sunday, June 23, 2013

ATM Sucks !! Money not disbursed yet debited from the account. Money returned after 7days !

Every now and then we have our bouts with technology and quite often it is intense. With Smartphones and all ultra smart gadgets we are flirting more and more with technology but the goddamn thing is a bloody infidel. 

Recently, i had one such encounter. 
I have an account in State Bank of India, Bangalore -Koramangla Branch. I tried to withdraw Rs.7500/- from a Karnatak Bank ATM in Madhapur, Hyderabad. The machine was a simple swipe and enter type. However, once i entered all my credentials and hit the button, the ATM went for a siesta. The goddamn thing did not buzz and i did not try to flirt with it. I waited patiently for almost 10 minutes. The machine was hung. 
There was no guard, no one around. Considering that the time was around 10.30PM i did not have a queue in my trail. I did not know what to do, so i rebooted the machine (Just Switch Off and On the Power Button behind) I don't know if that was smart but i guess that was the only viable option. 
After restarting the machine showed the message : Sorry for the Inconvenience- This ATM is not functional. 
With a heavy heart i rushed to the nearby ATM and checked the mini statement. It showed that the amount had been deducted. 
Now, under the circumstance i knew, the customer care is the best place to seek advice. 
My mind was ablaze. I was scurrying for the toll-free number of SBI. My friend made the prompt suggestion to check the ATM. Now, for people like me- Please keep a not of this.
I called them. Now, the customer care service of SBI could easily qualify to be the worst around the country. The guy who took my call- told me within seconds of declaring my problem and giving him my card number that the amount had been credited back. BEWARE : These assholes do that just to cut some slack. Your money cannot be credited back unless you have registered  complaint. DO NOT FORGET TO LODGE a COMPLAINT !!!

It was only after i had checked my internet Banking that i got to know the level of nonprofessional attitude the bank embraces. 
However, the second time i insisted and got a complaint registered. I was informed that the money would be credited back within 7days and that i could check with the bank on the number - 567676 by sending a message with the following : ATM
However, at the time of registering the complaint they will ask for your mobile number. Give the number that you are currently using(not necessarily the one provided for Internet Banking) because the details of the complaint as well as the status quo would be sent to that number. 
The shocker came within 48hours when i got a message saying : 
Dear Sir/Madam 
Your complaint ATxxxxxxxxxxx28 has been attended to and closed after resolution. However, i did not see my cash flow back even after 2 days since the message. 
I called the toll free number 1800 425 3800 again, but just got the taste of some more apathy. 
That's when i did some research. Here i give you all a power packed information. There is a facility called -Banking Ombudsman. This body is there to ensure your money comes straight back to your pockets. According to the RBI, if the bank is not able to resolve and credit the amount back to your account wihin 7 days then it will have to pay a compensation of Rs. 100/- for every passing day. You can google it up. 
However, i gulped my worries and decided to wait for the 7days to get over. 
3rd day - NIL
4th day- NIL
5th _ Naah
6th day - towards the late evening, there was a transaction made to my account. My moolah was back. A deep breather and then a bottles clinked. 
.
So use the tips and just relax. Your money won't go anywhere. 


Sunday, April 21, 2013

The unsung sentinel !!



This post is a part of #Soldierforwomen in association with BlogAdda.com




In this age of internet and SnS, the crime against women is not restricted to the just physical abuse. Recently, a video clip of actress Mona Singh went viral on various networking sites. However, digital experts and cyber forensic professionals clarified that the actress' face was morphed in the video.

However, there have been so many cases where guys have abused the trust of their love mates. Even today when i read about some poor girl dragged through the muck for being betrayed by her partner, that night comes flashing to me.




Abhjeet and I have been friends since high-school. The fact that he was a wreckless bundle of nerves never allowed him to have many friends. There was nothing about him that was really reprehensible, i mean- the guy was tall, lean and fair. He was amongst the top 3 in class and most importantly he was born rich. Yet, he was the most underconfident guy i have ever met.

He was such a puddle that if a guy came and snatched his lunch he wouldn't even fight back, just cower and later crib to me about it. Most often, i wondered if this guy will ever stand up to the wrong.

"C'mon its no biggie" is what he would say.


##Fast Forward-2years##


I was a student in a private college while Abhijeet had secured a proud seat in Jadavpur university. Considering, the distance between our colleges i preferred to put up in a hostel. It was in those days that Abhijeet grew very close to his roomate Sayan. There was something about this guy that bothered me from the first day.

Being the chicken that Abhijeet was, he was badly abused by his seniors. At times i could feel the atrocity in his voice. Maybe his father did too. So, he booked him into a posh flat in Kalibagan. Since Abhijeet was scared of lonliness, he insisted Sayan to join him which he happily obliged.


It was strange to find the chalk and cheese fuse together. Sayan was a complete achiral image of Abhijeet. The guy was a whisky devotee, smoky chamber and self-declared casanova. He flirted at the drop of hat although he claimed to be in love with his girlfriend back in Shantiniketan. No doubt, he was an attractive guy but besides looks he was just a heap of dirty habits and filthy talks.

Kalibagan is a posh locality in Jadavpur, mostly inhabited by IT professionslas and their lonely housewives.

Mrs.Shyamali Sengupta was one such lady. She was drop dead gorgeous not more than 25 years old. We all had hots for her, including Abhijeet but only Sayan had the desire to express it.

Though Abhijeet had all the amenities to enjoy his youth, he was always engrossed in his books. The guy didn't even have a 'facebook' profile.

I visited him as often as possible but towards the end of second year the frequency had waned greatly.


##Fast Forward After Summer break 3rd year##


Abhijeet had just returned from his internship in Tata Motors, Jamshedpur. My mom had taken the pain to send some home-made ladoos through him and that gave me a reason to visit him after almost 5months. The guy had not changed a bit. Still the same wimpy kid who refused to grow. He insisted on my staying for a day. Since the next day was a Sunday, i agreed though i had an urgent resume to submit for GET in SAIL.

Abhijeet suggested me to use his laptop.

We talked for hours but then by 9.30 he dozed off. I started my work. With limited credentials it is really a pain in the ass to craft a resume.

By 12.30 i was pretty much done. I realized that it was after years that i was alone in a room with a laptop. Now, the next thing is nature. Since, Abhijeet was not much of a digital guy, his laptop was Sayan's property and hence i expected some good quality porn.

I searched the hard disk but to no avail. Then i clicked on the Search tab and checked the "video" and added "include hidden". Within seconds i had the whole screen populated with videos. Some configuration shit, some educational crap, a few hindi videos and couple of Enrique. I scrolled in desperation - Nothing.

I was about to close the tab when suddenly my eyes hit upon a thumbnail picture on a .avi file. I couldn't hold my excitement-Definitely porn. A guy can tell that from the thumbnail--guaranteed. The actress seemed familiar.

I pressed the mute button and double clicked the icon.

.

.

One, two,, three split seconds later, my mouth was hung, my eyes were gawking at something unbelievable. It was sex video no doubt but not a porn. It was Sayan on top of someone. She seemed to be drunk. The camera was static and from the image resolution i could estimate that the camera was at some distance. It was the same room, same bedsheet, same curtains...OMG he did it here. I jumped out of the couch.

It was disgusting. Clearly, the girl didn't have an idea about the hidden camera. What i saw next seemed to be borne out of a filthy fantasy.

It was not any random girl. It was Mrs.Sengupta.

I slammed the laptop shut and went to the balcony. My heart beat was racing. I had heard about infidelity but never expected to see it upfront. The whole world seemed satan. Wife cheats on husband for a guy who cheats on her to get a racy video. One click on the upload button and this lady could live a lifetime of shame. Who was to be blamed?

After almost 2 most uncomfortable hours, i couldn't hold it any longer. I woke Abhijeet and showed him the video. I don't know why i did that maybe i just wanted to explode.

Abhijeet didn't utter a word. What else did i expect from a coward ass who couldn't even defend his own tiffin? And what was it to us, what that prick did with the missus.

The following evening there was a knock on the door. I got it. My face twitched as Sayan threw his arms around me in a hug. Hardly had he swung away from me that i heard a loud thud and the next second Sayan was lying on the floor, whimpering and certainly taken aback. It was a hard, unexpected blow from Abhijeet.

The laptop was lying on the centre table. It didn't take him long to understand that his cat was out of the bag.

"Where else did you save it?" Abhijeet asked in a voice i had never heard before. It was loud, confident and definitely hurt.

"No copies" Sayan was able to murmur through an aching groin.

"Just grab your stuff and leave my house, now." he commanded. "And if i ever hear about this MMS again, i will make sure your life is ruined."

It was a moment that i will never forget. I saw Abhijeet in an avatar i never saw again.

A sentinel, a true, unsung hero. I don't know what inspired or instigated such action out of him. Whether he secretly grew fond of this sultry woman or was it plain, simple humanity. Well, the answer doesn't matter. What matters is he had the guts to raise his voice.

I never met Sayan again.

The next day I didn't feel like leaving Abhijeet all alone, but i had to go. Abhijeet insisted on coming to the bus stand to see me off. We had hardly walked a few steps when we heard a car honking at us. We peered. The window opened. It was Mrs.Sengupta with her husband.

"Need a drive?" she asked playfully as she always did.

That second, an embarrasing moment.

At the age of 20 i realized that heroes are born out of situations not wombs. I don't know and frankly don't care about Mrs. Sengupta and her affairs but that day my friend definitely stopped a life from being strangled.