chapter 6

KBC Hot SeatIt was some where more than 20 years back.  Our great actor Mr. Amitabh Bachchan's famous TV programme  "Kaun Banega Crorepati" show was started in the TV channel. At that time, using of  mobile phones, computer or internet were very less. Landline telephone was  the main means of communication.In order to get a chance to sit in the KBC Hotseat  as a contentest,    the aspiring contestant had to call a landline telephone number, provided  by the KBC team. As I remember, that number was starting from 23333 ........ . When a aspiring contestant call that landline number, someone were receiving the call  and  asking some  general knowledge  questions over the phone. If that caller  answered those questions correctly, such persons were  selected for next  rounds of selections  of the programme and that person will be called to Mumbai. After a few rounds of selection process at Mumbai, some of them, may  be getting  chance to sit in the KBC hot seat, if  they were lucky enough..The programme “Koun Banega Crorepathi” was the talk of the town at that time. For getting invitation  to Mumbai for next rounds,  aspiring contestants had to try continously for getting  connections to  that  "KBC"  contact number. If not connected,  they have to try several times, for getting connected to the  call. Mobile phone services were not available at that time and even many of the houses did  not having land line connections. Leave it to get chance to sit in the KBC hot seat, sometimes it may take more than one or  two hours, to get connected to that contact number. Still,  the aspiring contestant were trying continuously to get the contact. If the line was connected and the caller hear the voice of “Hello” from that side,  caller was so thrilled by thinking that, he has already got the chance to sit in that KBC hotseat.One day at that time, I had to visit my client's office  in Bangalore on a Sunday. We had to work  even on Sundays, because the due date for filing of Income tax return was nearing. Leave it Sunday,  in our profession, some time we have to forget celebrations of Dassera or Deepavali near deadline for filing of IT returns.As we had finished the audit of that  company  and went to that company's office to finalise the report and IT returns.  As it was Sunday, only myself and one  Accounts Manager of the company Mr. Ramakrishna were there. Both of us were sitting  in front of a system and finished the company's balance sheet and reports. As  we were the only persons  in the office, it was very calm and quiet.All of a sudden, a telephone near us started to ring trin... trin... trin..... Ramakrishna picked up the receiver and replied "Hello ..... Hello ......." to answer the call and answered "Yes... Mam"  and suddenly gave the receiver to me and said "call for you.... Sir". With a surprise I took the receiver, as it was unexpected to get a call for me,  in that office and said "Hello". There was a sweet voice of a girl from other side "Good morning Sir,  is it KBC?". At that instance, I was totally confused and could not decide what to do. In the mean time I didn't want to disappoint that girl, by simply replying "Sorry, wrong number" and l understood that, Mr. Ramakrishna wanted to fool me. Finally  I had   answered "Yes, this is KBC" and that girl was so happy and  exited for being connected to KBC line. Then she continued to speak "Sir,  I was contineously trying this number for more than two hours and now I am excited  to speak with you. I want to contest for KBC sir."Then I had controlled myself and decided to ask some simple mathematical questions.  I was one hundred percent confident that she can't give correct answers, though both the questions are very simple.I told her "I will ask some questions.... if you answer correctly, you will be selected for next levels of screening at  Mumbai" and she agreed and said "Ok Sir" .My questions and her  answers for those questions were flowed smoothely like this "How many fingers are there in one hand?" I asked. "Five fingers Sir" she replied."How many fingers for two hands?" was my next question.When she  replied, "ten fingers," I said, "Very good," and I suddenly asked next  questions "How many fingers for ten hands?""One hundred fingers sir" she replied confidently.When I said "your answer is  wrong," she replied  "Sorry .... Sir  ..." with upset.Then to sympathise her l said "No matter, just another set of simple mathematical questions, answer  carefully this time......don't make any mistake..."  for giving one more chance  "thank you so much Sir" she replied. I asked "How much is one thousand thirty plus one thousand thirty?" "Two thousand and sixty" she answered.."How much is  two thousand sixty plus thirty?" was my next question. When answering "Two Thousand Ninety," she was confident and might have thought that, the questions were so simple and very easy to answer."This is the last question ..... how much is two thousand ninety plus ten?"She answered  with confidence "three thousand Sir"  When l replied "Answer is wrong, mam" she might have totally confused, what would be the correct answer for the question ?As I couldn't control myself, I had disconnected line, to ensure that she shouldn't know that she was pranked. She might have happy to have opportunity to speak to KBC team, as she was unaware that she was pranked.  In the same time,  she might be feeling  bad for losing chance to sit in the KBC Hotseat by giving wrong answers  to such simple questions.Then Ramakrishna clarified me that, they were used to get  regular calls from unknown people, asking for KBC. In fact,  their landline number was almost same as KBC number, except one digit.Dear Readers, do you think that girl's answers were correct? Thanks for reading.