Heart Beats of SPCE: Part 9
The Great Prank of 1980!
As a young student, I found immense joy in the magic of classical songs from Hindi cinema. One of my favourite songs was:
‘April Phool Banaya
To Unko Gussa Aaya…’.
This beautiful, romantic song from the 1964 movie, ‘April Fool’ was filmed on the lovely duo Vishvajit and Saira Banu, and sung by legendary Mohammed Rafi in his magical voice. Its lively tune and playfull lyrics, perfectly captured the mischief and fun of the occasion, April Fool. During my diploma days, I often drew inspiration from the light hearted vibe of this song and played pranks on my class fellows.
But in 1980, I decided to do something extraordinary on the eve of April Fool occasion. My roommate Rajan Bunge was having Rampuri Knife with him, in his suitcase. I decided to use it as a central object in my prank.
On that unforgettable night, just at midnight, I put my plan into action. Secretly, I took Rajan's knife from his suitcase, making sure no one noticed. Armed with a bottle of red ink that I had cleverly procured earlier, I slipped into the toilet block. Under the dim lights, I spread the red ink generously across the floor, creating what looked like a pool of blood. I placed the Rampuri knife near my "body," switched off the lights, and lay down on the floor, pretending to be the victim of a gruesome murder.
I had only myself and my breath for company as I waited in complete darkness. Minutes ticked by, and finally, I heard someone enter the toilet block. Later, I learned he was Bava, final year Mechanical student. In the eerie silence, I felt his footsteps getting closer. He was murmuring a song, unaware of the chilling scene ahead. Suddenly, he stumbled upon the knife and noticed the "blood" and the motionless body.
I could feel his panic even before he tried to shout-but he couldn't! Frozen in fear, he quickly ran away out of the toilet block, letting out a blood-curdling cry:
"Murder! Murder!!" His desperate scream pierced the night, waking up the entire wing.
Within moments, students from all corners of the hostel gathered outside the toilet block, torches in hand, whispering in confusion. Some were still half-asleep, while others, who were working on their termwork submission, were wide awake. A few courageous students ventured inside. As their torchlight fell on me, lying lifeless on the floor, the whispers turned into gasps.
"That's Ingale from Diploma!" one of them exclaimed, recognizing me from my clothes and build. The scene escalated quickly-rumors and speculations flew through the crowd.
Some remembered my adventurous antics during Holi, while others debated if I had enemies within the hostel or outside. My roommates, Rajan Bunge and Suresh Mahajan, were bombarded with questions, though they had no idea what was going on.
…And Rector, Prof. Bhavani Prasad arrived at the scene. There was a pin drop silence! Bava briefed him. Grasping the situation, he instructed Shri Balkrishna, the hostel clerk, to inform the D.N. Nagar police station in Andheri. As these words hit my ears, a surge of panic coursed through me. Things had gone farther than I had planned.
Just as Balkrishna running to make the call, I decided it was time to end the drama.
Springing up from the floor, I walked to the door and shouted at the top of my lungs, “April Fool! Enjoy!!”
For a moment, there was dead silence!
And then, chaos erupted again-but this time, it was shock and disbelief.
Students screamed and ran in all directions, their faces a mix of relief and anger. To prove my point, I am well, I went back inside, retrieved the empty red ink bottle from under the wash basin, and showed it to them.
Slowly, the truth dawned on everyone. It was all just an elaborate prank- April Fool!
Prof. Bhavani Prasad, however, was far from amused. His face turned red with fury, but he managed to stay silent for a while. Then, in a calm yet stern voice, he said, "Mr. Ingale, see me tomorrow in my chamber!" With that, he walked away, leaving the crowd to disperse.
Dr. Mahendra Ingale, Former Principal @ Pune, March, 2025
P. S. :
1.This story was published in College Magazine ‘Sarjanika’ of 1980-81.
2.Warning:Students are advised not to attempt such hilarious adventure, rather misadventure.
