No, it did not. Just kidding.

Last week after a hot steamy bath on a wintery morning I just forgot to put the geyser off. It never ever happened in my life. I am obsessed with keeping the electricals off when they are not in use, especially types of equipment that are used to heat stuff; iron, geyser, and kettle.

But that day I just forgot. I continued with my routine activities, had lunch, watched a movie and took an afternoon nap. And when I was just about to leave to run some errands in the evening, I noticed that the geyser button was on. The first reaction was denial. I can’t keep it on for so long, I must have done it 2 minutes back by mistake.

Then I opened the bathroom door, only to get convinced by the hissing sound the geyser was making. It was a boiler now. I quickly opened the tap and quietly watched the combination of steam and water flow. Deep guilt settled in. My mind was accounting for the quantum of electricity wasted and the resulting bill. Then I went out thinking about the grave possibilities of such a mistake; explosion short circuit resulting from fused metal parts etc. It was a feeling of a real loss.

My mind wandered off to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and contrasted my goof-up and released the heavy burden off from my shoulders.