Once Upon a Time in India

Once upon a time in India, late in the afternoon of a hot Summer's day I was returning from my grand parents' house on a rickshaw to the taxi stand from where I'd hire a taxi back to my house. The traffic did little help to cope-up with the heat. Under such uncomfortable circumstances, people are hardly very patient or tolerant & I think in these types of situations, the civilized human behavior is effectively tested. But, I wasn't going to play around.

As soon as my rickshaw reached its contracted destination, I was looking for a free spot to step down safely & pay the fare. But the beep-beep & pomp-pomp of the incoming & following automobiles made sure that I don't get such lavish privileges. So, it was time for action & I decided to go for it. I got down from the slowing rickshaw quickly with a mobile in one hand & a zipped wallet in the other. But the moment I got down, the driver of the taxi that was right behind my rickshaw started sounding the horn impatiently. I quickly put both my hands to unzip my wallet to pay the fare & as soon as I paid it, I dashed across the street, on to the pavement to hitch a taxi. Oh! It seemed the luck was on my side as I got a taxi quite immediately. But it was hardly over a minute since the taxi started moving that I realized what I was missing... My cell phone! Damn!

& now, it was really time for action & I had to act fast. So, I stopped the taxi & rushed to the nearest phone booth. But I wasn't sure where I had left my mobile! So, I wished I'd forgotten it back at my grand parents' house before dialing my own mobile number but, the voice that greeted me didn't belong to any of my relatives! Struck by the sudden twist of events, I accepted the shocking truth that I had left my cell phone on the seat of the rickshaw while paying its fare in a hurry. After all, man makes mistakes so what, if I had made a blunder?! Now, I had to live with it & hold my nerve.

Assuming that my mobile was with the rickshaw driver, I started the interrogation of his location gently. But it turned-out that the person who had my phone was not a rickshaw driver but, some stranger who was reluctant to reveal his location unless I told him how I lost my phone. Keeping all pretenses aside, I decided to stick with honesty - the best policy. I told him all the relevant details of how & where I thought I must have lost my phone & finally, after hearing my account did he reveal his whereabouts but, not the exact location. I realized that time was ticking & I should better cover some distance before I decide to zero on his location. So, I quickly ended the call & reached the given address. Although, I was feeling a bit naive believing in the stranger's directions but, I was determined to give it my full try nonetheless.

On reaching the said address, another truth dawned on me that he could be standing right next to me in that public place & I wouldn't even know! Keeping the hopelessness at bay, I found another phone booth to contact my dear stranger. This time I told him that it'd be very difficult for me to reach him but, I'd be really grateful, if he could come at the famous juice shop in that area. I also told him what I was wearing so that, he could easily figure me out of the many customers in that shop. But, instead of agreeing he started interrogating me about how I had lost my mobile again! & that got me really worried & I started doubting the man's true intentions. After all, this is India, my friend! A developing country, full of tricksters, black-mailers, double-crosser, & criminals! Now, I could sense the greed tempt another soul to treachery. What was I thinking?! I was going to get my mobile back after loosing it? Here? In India?! All the same, I didn't give-up & told him the true story again but, this time I wasn't really that worried. If Allah Wills, I'll get my mobile back. If He doesn't Will, I won't. Simple! & all thanks & praises be to Him, the stranger agreed to meet me at the juice shop to my slight astonishment & relief!

When I was just about to enter the juice shop, a thin, middle-aged man beckoned me to a nearby Coffee shop instead. There, he asked me about my purpose & interrogated my story once again on confirming my identity. Only then did he reveal my cell phone out-of-his pocket. He told me how he had seen the mobile on the seat of the rickshaw & signaled his companion to pick it up before anybody else could get their eyes on it. He made the shopkeeper witness this issue & gave him my mobile phone to make sure if it was really mine. The keypad lock was on my phone & shopkeeper asked me to unlock it to verify that this mobile phone belonged to me. I unlocked it & the truth was established.

But no, the story isn't over yet because its plot was set in India! The shopkeeper started praising the features & the worth of my mobile phone. He told me that had this phone got into some wrong hands, I would've faced a huge loss. So, I should realize the worth of fortune that I'd gained & out of that gain, I should do something for that noble stranger. I knew where this was heading so, before he could complete his bargain, I offered the noble stranger a glass of fresh mango shake at the famous juice shop! Saying this required some daring as in India, such issues are not solved over a glass of mango shake. Here, normally such matters are solved under the table. But the noble stranger declined the offer! He said that he wanted nothing in return except that I pray for his health as he is seriously ill. I was touched by this man... I agreed to that but still continued to invite him to a glass of mango shake which he refused to accept.

Now, it was time for the Maghrib prayer so, I excused myself from his company, thanking him several times, over and over again before heading to the nearest mosque. In my prayer, I thanked Allah (SWT) for getting me, my phone back & then, I decided to revisit that noble stranger & persuade him once again but, this time with a different intention. I returned back to the same place where I'd left him & found him near a taxi. I approached him again & invited him for the mango shake once again to which he was about to decline but, I told him that I am not inviting you to this in return for my mobile phone but, I am treating you to this because I got my lost phone back - allahamdulillah. He finally agreed & I was feeling very happy sharing my happiness with a very nice human being. May Allah (SWT) Cure him of his illness, for His Cure is the Best Cure, for He is an Excellent Curer. Ameen!

& then, I was returning back to my house with a slogan on my mind which I had heard often but, never understood its real meaning until then:

सौ में नब्बे बईमान, फिर भी मेरा भारत महान!