In pursuit of two rupees!

Posted by: drajesh on: June 24, 2009

• In: General
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It never did appear for me even in a wild dream that one day I would be begging for 2 rupees at a public place! But Indian Railways doomed me to roam for a mere flat and round metal piece on a fine cool evening at my town’s railway station.

Though my parents had often insisted me to carry some coins while I make my way out, I never listened to them as I barely realized the importance of those words until I met with the situation. Hardly, a week back, I happened to go to the railway station for reserving tickets for my bro and mom. As always I didn’t prefer to take some coins along with me since I simply considered those as some heavy pocket-pulling-weights. I was supposed to pay 82rs for 2 tickets but I had just a hundred rupees note in my purse to get those. I guess, by now, you might have gauged the situation where I was put in! Yes, as like it often happens in government buses the cold-hearted person incharge of the ticket counter demanded me to pay another two rupees to give my balance of 20rs. I pretended to search my pockets for two rupees though my reply after the make-believe search was going to be “Sorry sir, I don’t have the change” hoping he wouldn’t force me further. Soon after my reply I came to realise that the incharge didn’t know tamil but only hindi. So, I started to argue with him in butler english but that too ended not in my favor. He was firm in his stand. Poor me, prayed him to at least give my ten rupees so that I can ask for change somewhere at the platform stalls. He did give and I got that by heartily cursing him by all the words that I’m aware of as bad ones.

Unfortunately, even the platform-stall-keepers and two wheeler parking-keepers lied me as if they didn’t eyed a two rupee coin the whole day. Frustrated me, went to an auto driver to help my cause. Though he was initially reluctant to help me, he at least paid heed for what I need that 2 rupees. Later, he just gave me a two rupee coin for free as he couldn’t find enough change for my 10rs. I was initially unwilling to get from him as I knew I could hardly find him once again at the same place to reimburse my due. Hence, I decided to ‘buy’ that 2 rupee coin for my 10rs which I’m sure would have made the by-standers think as if I had gone crazy. I wouldn’t have bought that 2 rupees for free from him if that gracious man had accepted my deal.

I just wished him some 100 thanks since I didn’t manage to find a way to give something I owed him. My legs started to walk stead fast towards the counter incharge to give those coins before the moron tend to forget me. After I got those two tickets, I raced back towards the auto stand to wish the driver another thanks but the empty space there struck my cerebrum to remind me that auto drivers are one of the busiest creatures in this planet. I started to walk towards the place where I parked my bike with my thoughts running as how I did curse many auto drivers who demanded extra money, earlier. I was wondering how should one identify good-hearted and cold-hearted ones just from their looks. Still, I wonder, how am I going to settle my due.

Tags: Auto, driver, rupee