Of Prepaid SIM and Recharge Cards

My mother conversationally told me this morning that last Thursday, she could not call anyone because she didn’t have enough balance. For a few seconds, I didn’t comprehend. So I asked for clarification. And she casually explained that she recharges her SIM card by 2000 rupees with a one year validity. But that recently, she’d used up her minutes so all her system was off.

It took me back to a time when I had this number – 9891569852. It was Hutch, I think. I don’t know who has the number now. I don’t. It was my first mobile phone number. The SIM card of it rested in a sturdy perfect-for-a-horcrux (because nigh indestructible, of course) Nokia 3310. And then later in a Nokia 2100. Those were perfect vessels because I was in high school boarding at the time and was not allowed a phone hence oftentimes, the phone needed to dangle in a polybag outside toilets, perilously hanging off of ventilator locks and bolts. They could not afford to be delicate. And then for college, in a Nokia 3200 which Rose Tyler carried in Doctor Who 2005 reboot as well! Nokia 3200 could play music, was coloured and I could use my own photo as the back cover; made me feel cool as all hell.

Mid-college and a series of phone pranks with Mamu where I was scared straight and learned a particularly vehement Hindi curse word from a guy on the other line, I changed my number to a Vodafone one that I still use to this day. Never indulged in phone pranks again. Then later, I collected another Airtel number. Still have it. I once had a Jio number as well but no more.

Both my Vodafone and Airtel numbers are post-paid now. As a broke student in Delhi, I saw post-paid connections as luxury. U Rinpuii who was a doctor who had her own government living quarters in Defence Colony used to have a post-paid Reliance number; I’d thought she was so rich. Bourgie Broqé Adult Me has post-paid connections. So fancy!

My mother though. She still uses a pre-paid connection! HOW?! I didn’t even know pre-paid connections still existed. I asked her where they even sell scratch cards! My sister said no one sells cards anymore; she just has to pay through GPay. I said ok and nodded. Do you remember those scratch cards? Silver mat that turns to goo once you scratch it off with a coin revealing a number that you communicate to your service provider after some * and # and maybe like 191 or something… Also who uses coins anymore? Feck, the world has changed!

I used to have a Vodafone internet connection that comes prepaid in a dongle. Today I have WiFi at work and office. And the dongle I carry has my Digital Signature that is accepted by banks and the Treasury instead of really slow internet.

I can hear Karen Carpenter in my head cooing: So much has changed…