Moral Short Story – Poetic Justice
Photo credit: cohdra from morguefile.com
Jahnavi’s life was far from normal these days. She was travelling back from school and memories of the past few days loomed large on her face. The conductor came to her and thundered ‘Hey you! have you taken a ticket?’
It was then she remembered that she was on the bus. She took a 10 rupee note and gave it to the conductor and said ‘Oru Pandikkudi’ which was her destination. In Kerala travel by bus was cheap. The bus named ‘Chathan’ would ferry her to and from school. It was at the right time. Jahnavi was the only child of Vishnu and Girija Patel who had come to Kochi searching for a new life.
Jahnavi was an active 14 year old, who was struggling to come to grips with the life in another city far away from home. She was studying in St. Anthony’s school in Kochi. A well known convent in the city, she got admission on merit. Her teachers were impressed with the fact that her marks in her previous class were very good.
Jahnavi’s father was a diamond artisan from Surat who had worked in various cities. However he had to migrate as the diamond market in Surat was becoming a tougher place for people above a certain age. He was in his mid 40’s and his vision has started to suffer as well. A plot of land he had in Surat had to be sold off because of the rising debts he had created. He was also taking care of his widowed sister and her two children and as a result could not save much from what he earned. Thus the sale of the plot became imminent. A big chunk of the money that he received from this sale was given to his sister and the rest he brought to Kochi. He planned to start a small business with the money. He had with him around 5 lakhs.
May 5, 2012
Vishnu and his family arrived in Kochi with great hopes. Girija was a good cook who could make a lot of Gujrati snacks. Vishnu thought he could bank on her cookery skills and start off a small shop selling snacks. Subsistence was the aim he had in mind. The train was late and by the time they reached it was mid afternoon. The heat and humidity were unbearable but at par with that seen in Gujarat. They got down from the train and an elderly looking man bumped into Vishnu at the same time.
‘I am sorry, I didnt see you’ he said and moved on.
‘Ohh, that is ok.Hope you are alright’ Vishnu replied.
The old man just kept walking faster and faster and disappeared into the crowd that was alighting the train. Strange, Vishnu thought to himself. ‘He never replied to me, hope he is alright’ Vishnu told his wife and the family then walked outside the station, took a bus and started to go to Vishnu’s uncle’s house On the way, the bus met with an accident and the people of the bus stated that two people were crushed under the wheels of the bus. Vishnu and his family got down, and took a rickshaw to continue their journey to his uncle’s house.
‘Ohh, my god! Where is the pouch, Do you have it?’ Vishnu screamed and Girija was shocked.
‘Is it the money?’ She retorted.
Vishnu fainted and fell with a thud to the ground. His uncle came running. ‘Arrey, I had told him several times to transfer the money to me’ he yelled. ‘Wait, let me call Dr Jose. He stays right next door’ The uncle who had a slight limp ran to the fetch the doctor.
Vishnu was conscious now however still reeling in the after effects of losing his only hope to start life afresh in Kochi. The words of his ex-employer rang in his ears.
‘What business you have in Kochi, stay here and start something on your own?’
He wanted to move to Kochi as he wanted a better life for his family and better education for his daughter. Now all was shattered. His uncle was also screaming ‘Didnt I tell you to send the money by Bank transfer to me’, this would not have happened. He yelled at Vishnu…
‘Aan, Pandikudi stop ethi’… yelled the conductor. Jahnavi suddenly got up and ran to get down the flight of stairs and off the bus. Two months had passed since their arrival in Kochi and her father was slowly coming out of the shock. He was helping his uncle at his Gujarati snack shop in Kochi. These snacks were adopted by Keralites and they loved them. Jahnavi was wondering how to help her father and hence she had started tutions for two eleven year old children. Her father knew why exactly she was doing this, but didnt want to deter her.
August 10 2012
A normal day in Kochi. Jahnavi was getting ready to go to school. There was a knock on the door and a cover was there at the door. She was scared to open it or touch it as there were bomb scares all over the country and people were not to be trusted. She slowly moved her hand towards the cover and picking up a twig she opened it. There was money in it!!! ‘What was this, she wondered to herself!’ There was a letter accompanying the money. As it was too early, her mother was in kitchen and her father was not yet up. Jahnavi started reading the letter, surprised that it was written in Hindi.
From
Mohammed Younus
Pandikkudi
First of all, I have to say I am sorry. I am the person who stole the money from your father and I owe him a big apology. Dont think too much on how I knew your address. It is all Allah’s game. I have been a thief throughout my life and this was another time I indulged in stealing. However, I have realised the folly of stealing. As I was coming back from the railway station, I saw two lifeless bodies lying on the road crushed by some vehicle. I am sure, it must have been the sins of the acts I have committed that I lost my wife and son. I kept searching for you and your family throughout for all this time. I figured out that you stay here. I have not the courage to meet you in the eye. Please accept my apologies and accept this money. I have not spent a penny from it. I realize that all this while I have committed many sins. I hope Allah is able to forgive me.
God bless your family and sorry for all troubles I may have caused.
Praise be to Allah
Mohammed.
Tears rolled down Jahnavi’s eyes. She realised that it was the bus they were on, that had crushed the family of Mohammed. God’s means were strange and cruel at times. Was this justice, she was not sure? Vishnu came out and saw the cover in her hand. He realised it was the money he had lost. He praised god’s strange ways and then read the letter Jahnavi was holding. God’s ways are strange, he thought. Life should be better now, he told Jahnavi and Girija. Things should now get better for the Patel family.
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