The Heist of the Century

I searched for the term curious. Found a movie titled exactly "The heist of the century". I, too, pulled off a heist of a similar class. Well, of a similar amount 😅

I was in the 4th standard, and I don't remember all the details. I remember the highlights. And that's what I'm going to share here. I was never a problematic child at home. Never really needed an intervention, apart from - eat your food. It was one fine night, I made a pact with the devil, planned a heist of exactly 100 ruppees, and did a brilliant execution. 

It was during the summer. My friends got into a fight over who could bring the most money to school. They could, but I was never dragged into those, as I was always everyone's favorite. Everyone wanted to share with me. But the fight this time around wasn't about eating, spending, or getting a share. It almost felt like a power game. Who has the biggest note? I had to pull myself into the game. I couldn't resist. 

We wrapped dinner, and everyone went to bed. As I said, I don't remember the details; I might have been 7/8 years old. I woke up around 3.30 in the morning. Went to the stand where my father had hung his shirt. Got a stool to stand on, slipped my tinny hands into the pockets. Felt the biggest note, took a look, and there was just enough light from the rays coming through the bamboo ventilators, I was a 100 ruppees note. That was enough. No one could bring that big of a note. I put the stool back where it was earlier. Laid on the bed for 1 more hour, it was the season of mangos, and I used to visit my grandmother's house, 2 houses apart, every morning. Yes, I was her favourite always. My siblings and cousins often complain about how I was the favourite, I try to reason it, but in the case of my grandmother, yes, I was her favourite. So, I went there, hid the note in a bag of old clothes. We used to walk to school, 400 meters. I picked up the note on the way to school. Successful heist of the century. 

If this were the end of the story, my story would have been different. Let me be more specific. During the midday break, the show started. Kids started pulling out 2, 5, and even 10 ruppes notes. I was laughing inside. Oh, poor kids, you don't know I could buy you all today. I pulled out my 100, and everyone was in awe. It must have been like them seeing god 😆. Here is the twist: everything should have a twist 🤐. On the way back from school, I said to all - Hey, let me have a treat for you all today. We went to a shop, the only shop open way back home. I remember the shopkeeper who used to adore me & my brother. He said he didn't have the change. That was thoughtful. He was a wise and a man of full ethics. I don't find many people these days who wouldn't want a kid with money to spend all in their shop. 

I came back from school, again, on the way back, went to grandma, and hid my money. I remember loving the possession of money; I think I was going to hold on to that note just forever, never spending. But no, whoever had written the script, the story was different. While I was hiding the money at Grandma's, one of my friends met our parents on the way and told them Bikram brought a huge note to school today. "Bikram le etro lamro hariyo note liyako thiyo aja school ma". I almost heard that when I entered home. I knew I got caught. I don't remember my brother being in school that day. If he were there, it couldn't have been this far, either. The next thing I remember was me rushing to Grandma, saving myself from a flying stick. 

That early feeling of possession, that transition from free money to feeling it was my money, and holding onto it, and the power it made me feel, that stuck with me. For that, I remember saving enough to lend to my grandma and my father in my school days. And my grandma and parents used to return me with interest, I don't know if it was me figuring out the system or them teaching me savings, I like to believe it worked.  

Originally written in 2021