Hey guys, I’m discussing chain reaction. Oh no, don’t worry! I am not going to talk about the chain reaction that takes place in a nuclear reactor. Being a student of commerce how can I forget that not everyone is capable of understanding scientific jargon. I am, however, going to talk about the chain effect that most people around the world who have an e-mail address know of.

Last week when I opened my e-mail inbox, I came across a mail from an old friend, whom I had not met for years. I was so glad that she still remembered me and took the trouble of communicating to me. What was she going to say? Well, if I were in her shoes, I would certainly talk about the good times we had in school together. How I missed those days and then go on to talk about what I was doing and ask for the same.

My unpredictable friend once again outsmarted me. She sent me a chain letter containing a photo of an Egyptian mummy and wrote thus: “Please forward this to at least 20 friends within 15 minutes or else you will have bad luck.” I was shocked. She communicated after so many years just to bring me bad luck. What a friend was she?

Just then an idea struck me. I composed yet another chain letter. I wrote a story in which two school friends get separated and one day one of the friends sends an e-mail to another to wish her bad luck through a chain letter. I sent it to her and only her and asked her to forward it to 50 people within 10 minutes. That was the end to her mails. I never heard from her again.

Such chain letters have become a part of everyone’s inbox. From letters containing messages from Sai Baba to Dalai Lama and some stupid stories that a bored conjurer fixes up only to cause bad luck to others. I even had a mail saying that my free web e-mail was going to cost me money if I did not forward the message containing the notice. From then on, I have made a resolution. I am not going to start a chain reaction, nor I am going to be a part of the chain or in any way be a puppet at the hands of the person who initiates the reaction. Next time you send or receive any chain letters think carefully and only then decide about continuing or discontinuing the chain effect!