A Night in Nuremberg

A Night in Nuremberg

I can never forget that night!
I was part of an international group visiting united Germany. We were mostly from Australasia, courtesy an invite from Inter Nationes based in Bonn.
Living out of a suitcase isn't my cup of tea, er...my Stein of beer!
And, we were doing precisely that. Moving rapidly from one city to another, living in hotels, rushing off to various programmes held for our benefit, flying or moving to another city by train.
After a royal time we arrived in the famous city of Nuremberg. Evoked a lot of historic memories. We dashed off to visit the Palace of Justice, where Nazi war crime trials were held, saw the miserably cramped wooden benches seating top Nazi bosses after the war, and looked around the hall where their death sentences--eleven of them--had been handed down.
In the afternoon an age-old Germanic opera ritual with lit up torches in an ancient courtyard, and many other 'adventures', not excluding hard beer drinking! Yeah, after all, this was Bavaria, the heartland of world beer!
Our bus brought us back to hotel amid thundershower. Exhausted, as usual, we approached the reception for our room keys. The only other Indian was just ahead of me. I distinctly heard him saying: "Room 231, please". I was a bit amused since I was in Room 331. Wondered if that was directly above his.
After dinner--and some more alcohol under our belts-- we retired to our rooms.
A midnight nature's call awoke me. Half asleep, I opened the door to the washroom and was about to start answering when...hey! wait a minute! This wasn't the toilet at all. Instead, I found myself standing, without a stitch on my body, on the lonely but well-lit, carpeted corridor outside my room! The door swung close, automatically (oh, how I hate these automatic doors!) with a click that reminded me that I had opened the wrong door! Both doors looked alike, and changing my habitat with unused-to frequency simply had disoriented me!
I tried the door but not a chance! It was firmly locked, and I was locked out, in my birthday suit!
Just imagine my blues! It was around 3 in the morning. A chance encounter with any other 'nocturnal bird' would be most embarrassing!
I frantically looked for a lobby phone in the forlorn corridor. Not a trace! I cursed the goddamn hotel for not posting one!
What to do?
If I went to the reception, the elevator may have someone inside, and the receptionist? Both would be shocked out of their wits! I imagined the worst--supposing the receptionist was a female. My appearance in birthday suit would surely throw her into panic. I'd look like a sex maniac hunting for a prey at night! One push of God-knows-what emergency bell, and security, eventually the Polizei, would be upon my neck in next to no time! This is Germany! A country which takes pride in its efficiency!!
If I rang the bell in any other room, my very appearance would be enough for the sleeping beauties to get the shock of their lives. I didn't even know the room numbers of my fellow travellers, the other guests of Inter Nationes.
Or did I?
Lord Krishna appeared--in my memory, much like he lent a hand to Draupadi in her crisis in the Mahabharata, when she was being stripped by the king's evil brother.
I suddenly remembered the Indian whose room was supposedly just below mine, or so I had imagined. Except the first digit, which always indicates in a hotel the floor number, the last two digits were the same as mine. All my alcoholic 'purple haze' was gone, my cerebrum was working overtime! I had to take the elevator one floor down.
What if there was someone, may be a hotel guest or employee, in it? I'd have to ride the elevator with him, with huge mirrors inside, down. Even if it lasted a fraction of a minute, that would be hell, I mean, to face a stranger and appearing totally weird, riding the elevator stark naked at 3 a.m.!
Keeping my own panic under control, I auto-suggested to myself that I had taken a sauna bath! Saunas are taken in birthday suits, thank God! Though the question would remain: why still without a stitch on my body even after the sauna was over would remain, the elevator ride would be over!
I pressed the knob. The elevator silently came up and opened. With a downward gaze I walked in. Wanted to avoid eye contact, in case there was someone inside. Fortunately, not a soul was there. I landed on the second floor. Emerged on to the corridor there.
I was looking for my fellow Indian's room number when suddenly an employee in white dress, a male (Gott sei Dank!), appeared on the other end. As soon as he saw me, an exclamation ejected itself from him as he covered his eyes with his right hand: "Oh no, no,no!"
At the same time I discovered the room I wanted. I leapt at its bell. When asked from inside: "Who's it?" I identified myself, was let inside in a hurry, the chap was shocked ok but spared me his commentary, gave me some decent clothes to put on and then called the reception.
A few minutes later, after I had thanked him (really, from the bottom of my entire being!), I took that elevator again, upstairs. Thank God, Lord Krishna, and all the assorted gods and holy men of all religions, the door to my room was ---ajar, very inviting!
Whew!
My parting advice to you-- B4 U open a hotel room door at night, check if it's the one you wanted!!
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