That day I got this really odd SMS text message from an unknown number. It was by far the weirdest message that I have ever received.

First, the original message (in Urdu’s sms-short-hand version), verbatim:

Apjo koi bi ho plz muje 10rpe is No03015073752pe snd kr den agr ap ALLAH or RASOL PAK pe IMAN rkhte ho tu mera yken kro m hospital m buht museebat m hon plz 10rpe

Now in plain, understandable Urdu:

Aap jo koi bhi please mujhe 10 rupay is no 03015073752 pe send kar dein agar aap Allah aur Rasool Pak pe iman rakhte ho to mera yakeen karo mein hospital mein bohut museebat mein hoon please 10 rupay

Finally, the translated version in English:

Whoever you are please send me 10 rupees on this number 03015073752 if you believe (have faith) in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad then believe me i am in a really bad situation at the hospital please 10 rupees

It was quite weird and odd, yet interesting, because the way the message begins “aap jo koi bhi ho…” makes it seem as if the guy/gal just punched in random numbers, which he/she miraculously got right and that number was real, working, and mine! Haah!

Amusing because someone would actually send some random unknown number a text message that would cost them 1-2 rupees (and they must have spammed their message to a number of mobile numbers than just mine) to ask for 10 rupees of credit/balance. Economically speaking, it would have required at least one fifth of the receivers (depending on the sender’s connection and the receiver’s as well) to send him 10 rupees to make it to break-even!

So how many would have believed that message and sent him 10 rupees? Not even 5% I believe!

Also, it sounded like modern style of begging … by sending text message over the cell phone! Wow!

Above all, if one is in a real bad situation in the hospital, sending SMS to a stranger on an unknown random number, asking for 10 rupees of credit/balance is the most absurd idea in the world of absurd ideas.