Am I lucky?

I’ve never considered myself to be a lucky person. I started the day today thinking about luck and how it plays out in someone’s life as someone I know had his life turned upside down and all I could think about was how different it was the day before and how it came to be. I know nothing lasts forever and nothing is certain but out of all odds how could something so improbable happen.

Well the other thing I had was a slight headache and was considering the option of skipping an office day and staying at home. But that would mean that I had stayed home for two fridays since I remember taking a sick leave the last friday as well. I decided to go to the office.

Then while I was sipping a cup of tea I got a text message from my ISP to get a scratch coupon from their nearest office for a offer that ended on November 30th. Today is December 1st. I remember paying for the internet last night at around 11. I had completely forgotten about the offer until I got the message so I felt that getting the chance to test my luck was quite an coincidence. So I planned to stop by at the Jawalakhel branch of my ISP before I reach my workplace as it was in route.

I left home a bit late than usual so as to reach Jawalakhel after 9 as I remember them advertising sometime ago that their offices would be opening at 9. I drove to Jawalakhel and wasn’t expecting the office to be open (call me pessimistic or whatever) but it was open. I got inside and was expecting them to tell me that the offer had already ended yesterday. I was fully prepared for what I would say in return when they tell me that but to my surprise they just handed me a basket and asked me to choose a coupon.

My mind was screaming to take the 9th card as I just loved the number 9 for some reason. I have selected the 9th option in several occasions. But I didn’t want to look childish in-front of the person handing me the basket while I count the 9 cards. So I just picked a bunch and took the last card. The employee scratched it out for me and I could clearly see “7 days worth of free internet.”

After filling in the details in the scratch card I left for office questioning myself “Am I lucky?”. I was reviewing my life and trying to remember the moments that I got lucky. I couldn’t recall winning anything by luck. As I was driving towards the office pondering I remember applying the brake gently but I got jerked a little and heard a noise from behind. “Did I just get hit?” I turned behind to see a guy on a motorcycle right behind staring back at me. Shit I got hit! I wasn’t angry but more surprised and didn’t know what to do at that moment.

I got off the bike not even setting the gears to neutral and tried to get it down to neutral gear panicking. It felt like it took forever. I looked at the rear of my bike and noticed the number plate bent and the mudguard cracked.

“Lucky! Pfft! :/” I asked the one who hit me to set aside his bike. Sabin and Nirdosh, colleagues from work stopped by and helped me talk with the guy who just hit me. I took his number and took a picture of his number plate and told him to come later on to get the problem fixed as he was in a rush as well. I got to the office with a really bittersweet look on my face.

I started to question myself “Was I really lucky to have won the internet package?” So I got on to the site of the ISP only to notice that the offer was of a sure shot prize. I guess I had won the consolation prize and had never been lucky in the first place.

Then I started thinking if only had I not paid the bill of my ISP in advance yesterday, I wouldn’t have gotten the message to get the scratch coupon which led to me leaving for office 15 minutes late and eventually getting hit. Or I should have stayed home. Out of all odds, I got unlucky. In fact I have always been…