Posted 7:22 AM by The Consultant
Bad Luck

"Excuse me, but you just dropped your wallet!"

He whirled around and nearly snatched the wallet from my hands. Then he realised how rude it would have appeared to me.

"Thank you, Thanks a lot!!! I should have been a bit more careful."

I smiled, shook his hand and we went our separate ways.




After about two months, I was travelling in a local train. It was not that crowded. I noticed a familiar face and tried to jog my memory. He came forward.

"Hi, I am Raj. We met some time back when you restored my wallet to me."

I recognised him. He introduced the guy with him who was watching this entire episode with bulging eyes and an open mouth.

"This is my partner Ramesh. We are in the computer maintenance business. That day you really saved my ass. I was on my way to place a tender for maintenance services of a big client. I could pay the tender deposit because of you."

"Oh, so did you get the contract?"

"No, we did not. But we will get the next one soon. Oh, this is our stop. "

"Ok, see you around."

I was really puzzled by the expression on Ramesh's face. Why was he so surprised by that entire thing?? I could not figure that out.





After about six months, I was on my way to Bandra in a fast local. I got down at Bandra. As I made my way through the crowd, I saw a lot of commotion at the end of the platform. I had to fulfill my duties as a dedicated onlooker and immediately made my way to the small crowd. A couple of policemen were restraining the mob from beating up someone.

"Saala Pakitmaar!" My neighbour observed. "These scumbags should be hanged."

The police finally managed to extricate the culprit from the mob and I stared at the bloody face of Raj.

"He is not a pickpocket. He is a software professional. I know him."

Havaldar looked at me.

"You know this guy? "

"Yeah, I have met him a few times in the train. He is not a paakitmaar"

"Bhaisaab, you obviously don't know him. This is not the first time we are catching this guy. Please let us do our work. "

Raj stared at the ground. I moved out of their way and the police took him away.



I thought that it was probably the last time I would see Raj. But I was mistaken. I met him again at Bandra Station after about one year.

"Saab, can we talk for a couple of minutes? I know a good teashop here."

I looked at him for a couple of minutes.

"Ok, lets go."

I accompanied him to the teashop. He waited till we had finished our tea. Then he paid the shopkeeper.

"So, how is your business?"

"Saab, I have stopped that business for good now. I have led an honest life since I got out of jail."

"Really?"

"Saab, I am here to thank you. You have saved my life. The wallet that you returned to me the first time we met was not mine. That night I thought a lot about the life I had ben leading; but decided to carry on. The day I met you in the railway, Ramesh was about to target you. I really felt ashamed that day. I gave up this line of business and tried something honest for a while. I worked as a waiter for some time, but the money was never enough and temptation was always there."

"So you succumbed to it?"

"Haan saab. But when I stole that wallet and looked at the money inside, I suddenly felt a new resolve. I decided that I would rather starve."

"I don't understand. Weren't you caught redhanded?"

"Haan saab. I was caught when I was trying to put it back in!"

I gaped at him.

He laughed.

"Haan saab. Now I really laugh at it. Saala, my luck is really bad. I was caught redhanded only twice in 5 years, and the first time that I was doing something good for a change, this thing happened. "