Screwed

It is not funny at all, not for me at least. I found a bag full of cash and felt like the luckiest person alive but what happened next has nothing to do with luck.

It was Monday evening and I heard police siren outside my office. I came out in the parking area and spotted a man standing near my car and fiddling with its door. As soon as he saw me, he ran away. I hurriedly reached to my car and found a bag placed on ground near driver's door. At first I tried to ignore it but then I had to move it to open the car's door. It was heavy and it made me curious. I opened its zip and peeked inside.
It was difficult for me to hide my excitement. I put the bag on back seat and drove past a police party which had arrested that man. As our eyes met, he glazed at me and few drops of sweat appeared on my forehead. I sped away and reached back to my one room rented apartment. Without changing clothes I sat down and opened the bag. It was full of cash. I started to count the money. It consisted of all big notes and too many of them to make my heartbeat irregular. Besides excitement I also felt a sharp cold sensation as the person who left it near my car will be looking for it too. It made me shiver a bit. My analytical mind started calculating the risk which was too grave. As he knew my office and my car so tomorrow his accomplices would be waiting for me there. I had to leave the apartment too as they can find out my current address from my office.
I emptied the bag on my bed and stuffed all the money in my only suitcase along with few clothes. I then drove to a five star hotel where I once had attended a seminar. I thought it to be secure as nobody would be looking for me at such a place. I checked into a suite and the first thing I did was to write my resignation and email it to my boss. I then changed and tried to sleep but I couldn't.
Next morning, I went to a friend who owned a showroom. He was surprised to see me at this hour. I told him that I wanted to sell my car. He asked me to leave the car and he will find a suitable buyer. I however insisted that I need urgent money. He didn't ask many questions and offered to buy it himself. Amount he gave me was almost half of the market price but I took it and signed the agreement. I then called my apartment owner and told him that I have vacated his apartment and that he can keep my security deposit as the rent which was due this month.
Now I had become anonymous in the big city and can restart my life. I spent next couple of days in my suite but then I started gaining confidence. I went out occasionally and also changed the hotel. I had to pay all the money which I got from my friend to clear my few days bill of the five star suite.
Next, I shifted to relatively a small hotel and felt more comfortable there. After just few days of luxury spending, I was finished with my own cash. Now it was time to spend the real money.
I had shifted most of the money into three different lockers of my bank. I kept some with me too. I now  started paying for everything in big notes. It was only my second night in this hotel that I heard a knock. Cautiously I opened the door and two men stormed in with some cops. They introduced themselves as officers from Federal Investigation Agency. They searched my room and found some money in my suitcase. They took a note and checked it under UV light and declared it fake. My heart sank. I had resigned my job, vacated my apartment, sold my car at half price, spent all my savings and now under arrest for using fake currency. I wanted to laugh out loud on my luck but there was really nothing funny about it.

Written By: Nadeem Alam

Other short stories by same author:
Click 👇
Lost Girl 
Shadow
My World
Doomsday
Price of Love