The Confidence
There was a
tea-stall on the left side of Kundanpur
road, not over-crowded like Sharma’s tea-stall, because the place was somewhat
forlorn as it was near a graveyard, half a mile away . On the right side, a
businessman had bought a big plot and left it for some further plans, and adjacent
to the plot there were paddy-fields and a pavement wide enough has gone through
the fields to the jungle. The jungle was about two kilometers from the stall.
My evening
stroll used to end up there with tea, if got any acquainted person, talked for
a few minutes and after that back to home. That day when I stopped for the tea,
I noticed a man with a bag came . The bag was of fine leather and costly. He
was thirty or more than thirty years old, as I guessed. He asked, “ which side
is the graveyard?”
I pointed from the finger, “ just a few step ahead on your backside the
pavement that goes left leads to the graveyard”
He thanked
and said , “ I am here to attend a funeral , people might be coming with
the bier, I will join them.”
“Oh , I got
that” I said, “ but why is this bag in a
funeral?”
“ After
funeral, I have to go Bahraich to attend a friend’s marriage”, he revealed the secret of the bag.
“What a
coincidence! Strange!”, I sighed , “ Okay, take the tea sir.”
We both were
talking and sipping the tea on a bench, the bag was layed beside him on the
ground, his face was on my side and the owner of the tea-stall was washing some
used glasses. I saw a teenage boy coming towards me from the graveyard’s way,
the man was talking to me , the owner was washing the glass, when the boy was
about to reach us, just on a few step, he at once picked the bag and rushed
like a deer to the right, towards the jungle. The very moment, I screamed, “
Sir, your bag….”, the man turned his head, saw the boy who was running through
the plot owned by the businessman, but he looked calm, no sign of disturbance,
had he begun to chase, could easily catch the boy, but he didn’t move. Watching
him reluctant to chase, I decided to run after the boy, but he stopped me
saying, “ Leave master saab, let me take the tea first.”
The boy ran
almost an half kilometer, it was dusk, even if I would have started, could
catch him, but now I wasn’t sure if the man could get his bag back after
delaying a few minutes. He finished the tea, payed the bill and said, “ Now I
am going to bring the bag, it won’t take a long time, I’ll be back within ten
minutes” I was just amazed on his behavior, he crossed the road without making
haste and afterwards he ran like a bullet was shot from a rifle. The boy
wasn’t in the sight now, but I saw the
man was running as a mongrel dog was behind him.
After four or five minutes,
the man was also out of the sight. I decided to wait for a further ten minutes.
Since I was sure now that he would lost his bag today I didn’t want to waste my
time. First I was puzzled by his attitude of neither chasing promptly nor let
me chase, he was not a Ussain Bolt after all. I crossed the road, went on the
right; tried to watch if there was someone coming. For a while , I couldn’t see
anyone but after a minute I saw someone coming ; after a few seconds the image
became clearer. It was the same strange man who didn’t tell his name yet. When
he came nearer I could watch the bag in his hands. I smiled , waved my hand
; he responded in the same way. He was
still running, but on a slower pace.
I congratulated
him on getting the lost bag. He just said, “ I had the confidence that I would
catch the thief even after ten minutes.”
-
Ravi
Prakash
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