Children Short Story – A Lift At Late Night
Photo credit: Penywise from morguefile.com
In those days Swapnil was working for a private company, far away from his house. He used to avail by bus, cab, auto, metro rail and others as he got while going and returning to or from the office, since he had no vehicle of his own. It was all going fine with his job, when suddenly one day, he had had to stay late in the office.
From the morning, when he came to the office, he got no idea that he might has to get stuck up with few damm important stuffs and that he has to stay late that night in the office. But as and when time progressed, more and more work started coming to him and since all those were urgent and needed to get completed by that day itself, Swapnil decided to stay late, finish them and then leave for the day.
But that only was not the thing and so Swapnil got a bit tensed. The time when he completed all his work, he found it was 2 AM next morning. Now he had no options of staying back in the office atleast for that time till the first bus starts next morning. He has to leave and at that time he was sure that he would not be getting any vehicle to travel back to his home. He was in deep thought that what he could do then.
He thought that in this busy city like Kolkata there’s a high possibility that one or two cars can pass by in this early morning as well. And that he needed to stop that only and ask for a lift badly. But what’s the guarantee that that would stop, or even if stops, would give him a lift. They could well be going in some other direction and Swapnil in some other. Also even if they had had been going in same direction in which Swapnil would go, and also Swapnil tries to stop them standing in the middle on the road, they could even bypass him and go through the remaining empty space on the road, and that would prove to be a risk for Swapnil as he might even hurt himself in that fashion. So what’s the alternative?
He knew that there’s least possibility though for any car to pass by, but still if one even pass, he has to stop that only or else he might not get any more chance. So how could he stop that single car itself which would pass. Suddenly a trick played in his mind. He quickly took out his big notepad and tore off few sheets from that. He folded those into quarters such that from far away they would look like a diary.
Then he opened Google and started searching for a sample identity card of a Kolkata Police. He made a same pattern just replacing his name there and then took a print out of the same. He then removing his original identity card of his office from the holder, replaced with the print out. He kept his original card in his pocket and decided not to take his office bag home for that day. He quickly locked his bag in his drawer and was all set to move out. He quickly reached the nearby busstop from his office and started waiting badly.
After say around almost half an hour, he was indeed lucky enough to be able to see a car coming towards him from far away. Swapnil knew that, he would not get any more chance like this and so he has to do whatever he could in this turn. He quickly pulled out those bunch of papers giving a look and feel of a diary, from his shirt pocket and a pen and started pretending to write something in it. As the car came very near to him, he quickly acting like a sergeant waved his hand to that car very casually in an ordering manner and started pretending to write again.
Though he actually needed to be more serious and active and attentive and careful in stopping the car rather than his pretention of writing in that diary like papers, but then again he was sure that his these characteristics of noting down something in small pieces of paper and then casually waving at one car would actually give him a look and feel of a Kolkata Police. As expected the car stopped with a screaching sound a few metres away from him, as if the sergeant wants to check whether the driver is drunken and on not stopping, their number would be noted and later a case might be given to them. Swapnil again pretending like a sergeant very reluctantly went towards the driver and peeped inside. He found there’s a family driving home from a tour in their private car. The driver was hired and not a family member. Swapnil in one glance also found that there was enough seat left for him to travel.
Swapnil quickly said, “No I am fine with my confirmation. You are not drunken. But along with this would you mind if I ask for one more favour to me from you guys? Actually today suddenly I thought of giving rounds to check whether the KIP actually perform their duties properly at night or they sleep. I am Swapnil, their boss,”
and then in a flash held and again took back his prepared card with the print out. Then again he continued,
“That’s why I am in casual today. I got late returning after my last check. I was well returning on my bike when suddenly it’s front tyre got punctured and I left it there,” pointing at back. He continued, “I have plan to come early tomorrow morning and pick that up for a repair. At this night I wont get any shop open also. Cant wait out here also the whole night, and again to walk the whole way till police station with it, would be very tough. I have locked it and since it has a logo of Kolkata Police I believe, noone would have that guts to steal that. So now what I actually want from you is, could you please drop me near Regent Park Police Station?”
Swapnil knew atleast the distance from Regent Park Police Station and his house is very less and he could walk that away. Then he pretending that he has forgotten while in actual is least bothered said, “By the way where are you guys going? Would it be completely opposite way to where you are actually going and to drop me?”
Then the owner of the car said, “O no, that would be fine enough, come on. We would drop you and then go to our house. We are already late and thought of declaring it a holiday today.”
Swapnil though dint get his question’s reply as to where they actually were going and that, was that in opposite direction to which Swapnil would be going, without wasting any more time, quickly got up and started.
In the midst though, he interacted with all of them and had a great chat like a common man asking them about their tour, their normal day to day lives and others, but never ever talked of paying them for that lift. This is because Swapnil knew that though he had conscience and did not ever take or would be taking any favour from anyone without giving something in return, but here he had had to act like an original Kolkata Police or else they could suspect.
He got dropped near the Regent Park Police Station, and then Swapnil heartily thanked them and went home walking without any pain.
__END__
