Sometime back in the year 2006, when I was going through the worse days of my life I met this man named Udayan through a friend. He was working as delivery boy in a flower shop in Dubai and was earning just 900 dhs then. He was 10 years elder to me, and used to call me aniya, as in younger brother and I used to call him cheta which means elder brother. He used to smile hearing everything I say and loved listening to the deeds I did as a teenager. Few days later, my visa was getting over. I had to stay 15 more days there because I had to get a small payment from a company that I worked for and my financial instability increased so much that I couldnt afford to take a ticket to fly back to India and was also on the verge of getting kicked out from the place I was staying. I desperately wanted 300 dhs from somewhere and most doors that could afford that money then was being shut in front of me. At last I called this Udayan chetan for money, well aware of the fact that his salary is just 900 dhs, which he had to send to his family in India. As soon as I told him the issue, he asked me whether I had money to come to Mamzar, the place where he worked. When I kept quiet, he realized I dint even have that money, so asked me to take a cab from Sharjah and call him when I reach near his work place. As promised he was waiting for me near Al Mamzar center. He paid the cab guy, and seeing me he realized I am in a pathetic state. He took me to nearby cafeteria and while having dinner gave me the 300 dhs I asked. He offered me a bed space in the room he stays, and also told the owner of the cafeteria that I am his younger brother and whenever I come and have something, they can write it in his pattu book, some sort of book where his daily purchases are marked, which he settles every month when he gets his salary. I bid him goodbye that day and left for Sharjah. 15 days later when I got my payment, on the way to airport, I went to him to return the money I borrowed . Initially he insisted that I keep it but at last accepted 200 dirhams and insisted me on keeping 100 dirhams if I really considered him as my elder brother. Years passed. In 2011 I see him again, standing in front of our shop in medical college searching for me. The old jovial Udayan chetan looked older then. He had lost his job, and was then staying at his wifes house and had 2 kids. While he spoke to me calling aniya, I realized that he was bit drunk. He looked at my dress, ornaments and all and kept smiling, innocently teasing me saying,You made money ha ,you are rich now ha. I smiled, and few minutes later we went to the nearby teashop and while having tea he was telling about how difficult his life was then, losing job and about an ongoing case in court for involving in a fight for a friend. I offered him 1500 Rs, which was almost equivalent to the the 100 dhs that he had given me then. He accepted it without any hesitation. Few days later, he came to the shop, called me out and asked me for 500 Rs. Few days later he came again and asked for 1000 Rs. My cousin, friends and staff started noticing it and warned me saying he is exploiting you by calling Aniya. I am a person, who would not part with my money if I dont feel like, and can say a No in money matters to even my best friend but for some odd reason I could never tell him a No. My brain kept telling me that he is exploiting me by calling me his younger brother but my heart used to satisfy my brains logic saying He gave you 300 dhs when he had only 900 dhs salary and dint even expect it back, so you giving him just these little money now and then, which is not going to affect you in anyway, is far inferior a gesture than what he had done for you back then. In spite of all these justifications , I used to get pissed off at him for coming to me drunk and asking money. He would listen like a child and come back few days later with his usual some 5 Rs chocolate or sindoor from some temple saying he did puja for me. My cousin and staff would tease me saying ,here comes the man who sells 5 Rupees chocolates and free sindoor from temple to you for 1000 rupees. Few days later when I reached shop in the morning, my staff told me that the guy who comes to exploit me had come few minutes back. In a quick second I smiled inside thinking its great that I came late or else my 1000 rupees would have gone. As I sat in the counter, the staff brought me a packet which Udayan chetan had left for me. Seeing the square packet covered with newspaper, I assumed it might be some biscuit packet bought from the nearby store. I smiled thinking, now he was going to ask larger amount hence the change from Five rupee munch to some biscuit packet. Me and our staffs were amazed when I opened the newspaper wrap. It was two bunch of 500 Rs note. That is one lakh rupees and an old chit, some weird out cigarette covers overleaf which had writings in different colors, all written in malayalam aniyan 1200 and date, aniyan 500 and date etc which came to a total of Rs 77,350 with exact date and amount of when he borrowed it. There were other names too, but mine was written aniyan as its the same way he has saved my name in his mobile. I called him up and asked what this was all about. He started giggling and told me, he had sold his ancestral property near Chempazhanthy for 45 lakhs. That day was the registration and received the whole amount and wanted to come and thank me for helping him and bearing with him for the last 2 years. I asked him why the excess cash then, he laughed and told in his usual tone, I am the elder brother and you are my aniyan. Aniyan can always take the money from elder brother not the other way round. You buy chocolates for rest of the money, I will come and see you in a day or two and hung up. While I walked to the bank to deposit the money, I was thinking how much more genuine can someone get. I always thought he addressing me aniyan was just to exploit me financially and if it was not for he helping me back then in Dubai, I would never have helped that man. All the while he bringing me those chocolates was gesture of an elder brother, he bringing me a one rupee coin as kai neetam on both vishu after we met in 2011 was his genuine love for his aniyan. He never told me even once that he was planning to return the money he was taking from me, simply because he dint consider me any less than his sibling. I always feel proud about all my achievements, but that I felt happier than ever, not because I got the money but because a once perfect stranger, considers me as his own younger brother and when it is such a genuine person like him, that aniyan is no longer a relationship but an honour. Have you met your Udayan Chetan yet ? Dont be fooled, they might not be the best dressed, most well behaved or a relative. You cant just simply meet them one day. In the most unexpected moment, they will just happen to you. Excerpts from my book Turning right onto 33rd main street , which is sequel to my book Being Moon on 31st Crossroad. Like Praveen P Gopinath (Mr Mallu ) s page for more interesting updates from my life. Welcome to the Feel Good Family
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 08:41:56 +0000
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