DAY LIGHT ROBBERY -------- THIRD STORY

We have now come to the third story and in this story I was robbed. This is what happened.

One afternoon I had a heavy lunch of rice, sambar, moru, rasam, vegetables, pappadam and payasam. Then I got into a public bus at Menaka bus stop to go to my bank at Pallimukku. It was an unusually hot day. The bus was over crowded. I hung on to the overhead bar and looked around. One kind man gave me a sign to come and sit next to him. He was sitting in the last row of seats where normally 6 people can sit. Only five people were there. This man pushed the man sitting next to him and made space for me. I gratefully looked at him for his magnanimous act and squeezed myself in that place. All of us know that it is better to sit uncomfortably than stand in an over crowded bus. You will suffocate. People will push you and make a chutney( paste ) out of you.
So I sat down and heaved a sigh of relief. I smiled at the man and thanked him for being so kind. He smiled back and nodded his head in acknowledgement. It is very difficult in these days to find such good and decent people. I relaxed . As I already told you, I had a heavy lunch and all my blood was going to the stomach to digest the food. I felt drowsy and my eyes closed in spite of my best efforts to keep them open. Soon I was sleeping. I woke up with a start when the driver applied sudden brakes at the next stop. I half opened my eyes and found the space next to me was vacant and the kind man was about to get down from the bus. He looked me and I looked at him. He had a strange startled look on his face. I didn't bother. He jumped out of the bus. I closed my eyes again and the bus started moving.

It was my usual habit to touch my shirt pocket at regular intervals to check if my mobile is there. This mobile of mine is a very precious thing because all my business came through it. So I have to make sure that it was safely in my pocket. To my utter shock and surprise, I found my mobile missing. I panicked and desperately looked a the people nearby hoping upon hope that one of them will give me a clue to my missing mobile. They did not bother even to look at me. Suddenly I realised that my mobile has been robed by the man who was so kind to me. I screamed to the driver," Stop the bus! Stop the bus ! My mobile is robbed. The robber got down at the previous stop!" The people looked at me as though I was a nuisance. They were not interested in my mobile. They were only concerned about reaching their destinations fast. The bus driver did not bother to stop. Again I shouted at the top of my voice, "Please stop the bus! Please stop the bus!" Nothing happened. Passengers glared at me with annoyance. Some even told me to shut up. Finally, the bus came to a halt only at the next stop.
I quickly scrambled out and ran to the previous stop which was quite far away. I was hoping upon hope that the thief will be hanging around there waiting to be caught. When I reached the stop, huffing and puffing, there was no thief waiting there. Needless to say it was foolish on my part even to think that he will be hanging around there.

I lost my invaluable mobile. All my numbers were stored there. How will I contact my customers? How will they contact me to give business? I will lose a big chunk of business. The thief could have at least given me the sim card. He will get a measly amount from the second hand dealer. I would have willingly given that amount to him. I was completely shaken up and stood there for a long time cursing my fate and mumbling abuses at the goddam thief.

I learnt my lessons the hard way. From then on I decided not to eat too much in the afternoon, not to accept any kindness from strangers, not to fall asleep in a crowded bus and to attach a string to my new mobile (when I buy it) and put the string round my neck. Now let me see if any thief (even a very experienced one) can rob it.
After reading this, I am sure the residents of the blogosphere will not lose their mobile phones any more.

MY BEST WISHES FOR ALL HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS!