*Friend in need...*
Some people are gems and when we associate with them, life becomes a blessing. I was fortunate enough to have associated with many such personalities. One of them was my classmate.
Being an Inliving in the MCPO/CPOs mess at INS HANSA, Goa, life was a celebration.
Evenings used to be fantastic with lovely sessions in the bar and mess. Most of the days it was at any of the Bar & Restaurants at Bogmalo or Vasco. After finishing off the salary in the first 10 – 15 days there, we used to settle down in the MCPO/CPOs Bar for the remaining days of the month. We all had monthly accounts in the MCPO/CPOs Bar.
One fine day, My mother declared that it was time for me to get married and settle down. I was shocked as if a thunderbolt had struck me. Because I didn’t have a single penny in my hand as savings. I quickly dug out my AFPPF statement and found Rs.30,000 in that.
Someone told me that we can go for FINAL WITHDRAWAL from AFPPF if we had put in 10 years of service. I had already completed 11 years and was confident of withdrawing 25,000 from my AFPPF.
Little more research during the evening sessions revealed that INBA provided Self marriage loan of Rs.10,000. So I was glad that I can manage a total of 35,000 from the Navy. As marriage for keralites was one day affair, I was pretty confident that I can meet the expenses.
I applied for the AFPPF and INBA loans and continued celebrating my last days of
bachelorhood. Meanwhile, Back home preparations for marriage were in full swing.
I was in for a shock when exactly one day before proceeding on leave for my marriage, I was informed by the Pay office that my AFPPF and INBA loans have been sanctioned but the cheque will be received only after 4 working days.
I was shocked. I didn’t know what to do. I walked into the nearby 551’B’ Squadron to meet my classmate and have a cup of tea.
While both of us were enjoying our tea, my class mate told me,” KYA HUA TERE KO. MOOD OUT LAG RAHA HAI TU.”
I told him the whole story. He patted on my back and told,”ITNA HI HAI KYA? COME ON CHEER UP. AAJ SHAAM TAK TERA PAISA KA INTEJAAM HO JAYEGA”.
I just brushed it off as a silly comment from a friend who wanted to cheer me up. But, what he did the next minute swept me off my feet.
He got up and managed a pen and paper, went to a person sipping tea and asked him,” TERE PAAS POCKET MEIN KITNA PAISA HAI?”
That fellow replied,”100 RUPEES HAI"
My classmate,”MUJHE DE, AGLA MAHINA VAAPAS KAR DOONGA”
The person gave him the Rs.100 note he had in his pocket. My classmate collected the money from him, wrote down his name and details of money collected from him on the paper and went to the next person and repeated the same. The other person who had Rs.50in his pocket gave him the money. My classmate noted down his details too on the paper.
I was watching this”DONATION DRIVE’ with awe.
He looked at me and said,”TU AB CHAL. SHAAM KO MESS MEIN MILTHE HAIN”
In the evening he came down to my cabin with a small bag containing Rs.30,000 in
denomination of 100 and 50 rupee notes collected from many people.
I was shocked by this act of his. Handing over the bag he told,”AB TUM AARAM SE GHAR JAAKE SHAADI KAR. TUMHARA 'INBA' AUR 'AFPPF' KE PAISE MILTE HI INKO WAAPAS KAR DENGE. WOH LIST MERE PAAS HAI”
I just hugged him not knowing how to express my gratitude...
I got married and set up my home at Goa and returned the money to my classmate.
I am sure he might have forgotten this incident because as a person deeply involved in helping people, it was just another day for him.
At times, when I quarrel with my wife I tell
her, ”Had Rana not managed that money, I would have still been a free man today”....
To which she used to retort, ”I too am waiting to see Rana to advice him not to help a useless fellow like you”.
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