The chill in Kolkata didn't suit me and I promptly got a cold, albeit mild.
There are ten typical steps for battling the typical cold. Here is my most feasible -- honourable and cheap -- version:
1) Catch a cold just days, hours, or minutes (in order of increasing necessity and urgency of the trip) before running out of town/country/world someplace.
2) Complain about dreariness of illness. Though in reality you may feel fine, exaggerate your symptoms so you can skip work/school.
3) Get told to go to the doctor.
4) Refuse and say you're fine. Have gallons of soft drinks and ice-cream to prove your point.
5) Get a fever.
6) Get rushed to doctor despite your whining complaints.
7) Get tonnes of medicines prescribed a fortune.
8) Hate the medicine and/or be allergic to it.
9) Pretend to have the medicine when in fact you are just flushing it down the sink/toilet or dumping into dustbin (very carefully so no one sees you).
10) Get well in two days as others croon, 'I told you the doc would help!'
