The Hidden Fortune

I did not have a better way out of this, said Arun when he explains about the chaos to the principal that happened at the canteen after lunch break. “Sir, It was just a bad timing", he says. It was a really confusing day to Arun as he had never thought of his life changing to a fortune cookie. Arun is 18 years old, 5ft 10' tall, with brown eyes and auburn hair. He is pleasant and emotional but can be self-centered and is scared of being wrong. Other than being wrong, he was not scared in anything. Life was too good when he started his education in St. Xaviers somewhere near Mysore. Being a well-known student to all, a dear to the teachers and a good friends for his mates,No one could ever expect anything wrong from him which would be very difficult to digest. But he was too famous for his pranks and almost everyone in the college has been pranked once or the other. His best prank was when he spread the news that a day was a holiday and no one had come to the school. Days were good until this Friday had come. It was the 13th of September and Arun had already posted this on Facebook “Its Friday the 13th..Hope everything goes on good, hope i survive it!!.got a tons of like for this "manly" status, yet again no one expected it to go this way.

It was his birthday the next day and was making plans for a good prank by giving friends a birthday cake made of rubber. He was excited alright.That Friday the 13th was a surprisingone. All started to shout with joy. The news was that the canteen of the college had turned Chinese. All new Chinese items in the menu made the students make themselves into the canteen without any delay. Yet the students had to wait until it was the time. And the most trending story that day, other than the desi love story of two students was free fortune cookies being distributed to students. A fortune cookie is a crisp cookie usually made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a "fortune" wrapped inside. A "fortune" is a piece of paper with words of wisdom or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers, some of which have become actual winning numbers.This time, students were least bothered about the fortune but more interested on the cookies and the new items on the menu. It was the same with Arun, who too, concentrated more on the food. They had a good plate of noodles and started hurrying towards their classroom.

With the mouth still filled with the taste of the noodles and the watery ketchup, they saw a person with a blanket worn around her head. Itwas a ladycleaner in the school, which always looked scary and suspicious. She had names, numerous, like “Ghost cleaner” or the” bhooth aunty”. Hmm, surprisingly gave the title of aunty at least. She saw and hurryingly came towards Arun and stood in front of him... Arun and his friends, though not actually trembled with fear, were shocked with the appearance of the lady whom they usually get to see in evenings after school. She spoke with her breaking voice, “Arun, I know you know me with names. But I know your name and your future”. Wow, a filmy dialogue. But, the lads were shocked as the “Bhooth aunty” had actually known Aruns name. One of his Arun’s friendsaid, “What the…” and another friend said in Arun’s ears”Bro, you are so famous man!!” But Arun, who is usually very joyful all the time, had actually been serious for a moment. He did not speak a word, though he had a millions of them wandering around his brain. TheBhooth Aunty spoke again, “Arun, I want to speak to you personally”. Arun and his friends were shocked again. One of his friends told again “What the..” and his another friend told”Bro, You are so famous man”.Arun, though surprised by the bhoothaunty’s word, still saw his friends with a “Grrrr” expression. Arun told his friends to go a little far and started to speak to the bhoothaunty ”Aunty, How do you know my name?? and please explain me more about your words about my future?”. And like a complete filmy scene .Bhooth Aunty became silent. Arun seriously got serious and begin to concentrate on aunty’s face. Wrinkled skin, indications of her getting old and her hair being white sparingly. And as he started seeing her lips, it started to move. She spoke again and this time she did not stop ”Arun, I know you and this is an warning to you for your future. Listen carefully and don’t speak in between. Life is all about troubles my boy. Happiness is only for a matter of time. After that its only the same old chaos my boy. Take this fortune cookie and follow its instruction. Don’t tell anyone about this. Just see this and follow what it says. Take care my boy” and she starts walking the other way. Arunstops her and asks ,”What warning?”. She nods her head showing the fortune cookie and walks away. All his friends come near Arun and starts asking questions. Arun keeps the fortune cookie in his pocket and says “Nothing, A free cookie travels a lot” and smiles.

They run to the class where they are late by ten minutes. The professor puts them out of the class room. Arun and his friends stood at the veranda. They started to talk about topics which a normal student would do at that moment, about movies. But Arun comes to a corner and takes out the fortune cookie from his pocket and sees it.” A normal fortune cookie, what’s so special? ThinksArun. He opens the fortune cookie and opens the note in it.Too much for the size of the paper, letters were smaller than the size of an ant. Arun reads the paper silently. It was written “Run away from this city, Bad time is on your way”. SurprisedArun, Gets scared for the first time. He did not know what to do. He calls his mom from the phone boothand says”Mamma,the cleaner lady gave me……blah blah”..It went on for a few minutes and his mother too, gave a good idea of ignoring the paper. But Arun, was really terrified with the paper and the way the old lady had spoken to him.. He gets an idea and starts running to the room where the cleaners usually be. His friends follow him .He starts searching for the lady in every corner of the school. But to his vain, the Bhooth aunty was not there. TerrifiedArun goes to the veranda and stands again. The friends asked Arun what had happened . Arun explains everything and asks for their help. His friends laugh and tell him to stop this childish act and be normal. One of his friend hurries to the toilet saying “urgent ,nature call”. Suddenly, Arun shouts and he goes to the toilet and starts searching her there. He goes inside and very early, he finds out that it was a ladies toilet. One of his teacher saw him going into the room which he was not supposed to. And what more can happen. Direct travel to the principal’s cabin. Principal, with a scary face was ready to hit out at him. Arun starts explaining whatever happened.Principal was ready to laugh for this childish story. Arun ends his explanation by telling "Sir, It was just a bad timing". The Principal bursts out in a huge laughter .All the teachers around him too laugh. Arun, who had such a good image in the school in the minds of all, felt like an alien in between that group. Arun, yet thought this is why the Bhooth Aunty probably had told to go out of the city. But he thinks again that this happened all because of her. Arun pleads the principal “Sir, could you please call the cleaner aunty , I need to talk to her”. Principal send for her and she arrives. Arun goes to her with anger and tell, “What is this?. I’m here because of you. Explain it to me now. What is your warning?”. The Bhooth Aunty remains silent. The principal himself says the lady to speak. The lady just gave him another fortune cookie. Arun receives it and becomes more angry and tell “Not again! ”The lady speaks this time and tells”Open up the cookie, your future is in this”. Principal tells Arun to do so.Arun literally opens up the fortune cookie. He sees it and becomes silent. All around him started to laugh. Even the so called Bhooth Aunty started to laugh. What was written in the fortune cookie? “Happy Birthday Arun, The prankster gets pranked” .

All his friends enter the room and shouts “Happy Birthday Arun,yaaaay”.Yes, a successful prank on the prankster. Allinvolved The principal, friends ,teachers ,his mother and also the Bhooth Aunty, the cleaner lady. And Arun just had a blank expression on his face. He then starts laughing and hits out at his friends telling”Youuuu…!!”..Anyway, the suspense of the fortune cookie was not better than a success of a master plan. Arun goes near the lady and says “You got me aunty”. His friends bring a huge cake for the birthday celebration, in which it was written “THE PRANKSTER GETS PRANKED”