FFF: Free Food Fiasco

Me and my friends back home used to tease, "जे जे फुकट, ते ते पौष्टिक," implying, free food is always nourishing... Unless you land being caught with your hands in the jar.. ;)

On our forth-nightly shopping trip, we saw a pamphlet in the "Little India" store: Inauguration of Green Leaf restaurant. Free meals the whole day. Day: March "XX" 2009.

Three students, saving every penny possible, the pamphlet itself got our mouths watering. There was an immediate consensus, Saturday, we are headed for this new place. Saturday morning, my roomie wakes up at 11:00, gets ready within half an hour, and we are set to leave. No one has eaten anything, cos it is going to be a feast.. FREE FEAST.. The third friend drives down, picks us up and we are on our way.

At the end of the road, according to the address, we land at our destination. All of us staring at each other... We have actually reached the Little India store. While wondering where the place might be, we look around and see the small board of Green Leaf. It is the same old Indian restaurant we have been deciding to visit since long, but apparently the name has changed and it seems it is the re-inauguration today. The three muskeeters start marching towards the small door, ready to attack all the food inside. Wasn't it waiting for us? Surely, it was, the leaflet said, free food! We enter the place, nicely decorated.. A buffet laid ahead.. ATTACK.. Our plates are full, and we on table.. First bite, and yummm.. It is delicious.. The waiter gets idlis.. I have seen idlis literally after ages.. It is time to gobble up as much as we can... We eat, eat till our stomach is overloaded.. While eating, there's a slight distraction.. A giy is standing at the reception counter and taking out something of his wallet. We don't care to pay attention..

Hush.. Finally done wiht the meal, we are ready to leave! And, comes the moment students are usually afraid of.. The head waiter comes to the table, with a broad smile on the face, 'Sir, how was the food?" We, "Great, delicious, we'll surely be back!" The waiter gives a broad grin, showing all his yellow teeth, and then in his hoarse voice comes the next statement, "Thonks.. If you come yesterday, we give free meal. Today, our day two.." Three of us stare at each other... Just day before we had finished with our budgets, and realized, all of us had over shot our limits.
We go to the counter, and next terror awaits us there.. The bill is: ONLY $ 36.88 + 20% tip..

Rolling with laughter, carrying our overloaded bodies and a bit lighter bank account for me (cos it was my turn to pay), we three walk out to the car...

(image from internet..)