30 Rupees

A train halted in a city at 7:30 pm. It was raining. A man with his wife and a son got off and came outside of the station. He with his family came to attend a wedding party of his boss's daughter. Under a shed, he was looking for an auto or a taxi, but he couldn't see any auto nearby. While his son (aged 15), was searching for a cab on his mobile. He told to his father --" dad, here's a cab I got,& fare showing is 175 rupees, shall I book?".Man astounded and said -- " 175 rupees for only 6 kilometers, hah, they all are looting! don't book".

After 2or 3 minutes, they saw an auto coming towards them and autowala asked--" where have you to go,sirji?". The man said the location and asked for the fare. Autowala said that he'll take 130 rupees. The man said - " I will give 100" & they sat in the auto quickly, without getting wet in the rain. During the drive, autowala heard talking the lady with his husband about the price of the gift, she said-"what's the need of giving so much costly gift? ". Also, he heard talking to them about his son and telling him to be more sincere in the study as his board was coming. The lady said to his son- " if you won't do good at your board exam, you can't be successful in life. If you won't study well then maybe you have to become a rickshawala !". The auto driver felt relaxed to hear 'rickshawala' not ' an auto driver'.

After 25 minutes, they reached their destination. It was obviously a wedding resort. After getting off, the man gave auto driver a 100 rupees note. The auto driver said-" 30 rupees more, sirji!". The man said-" it is correct fare, don't make us fool, we are local here". The driver said -" sirji, I'm not making a fool, I've been also driving auto here from 20 years". After a little bit of argument, the man agreed to give him another 100 rupees note, asked for rest money. The driver started counting coins, but the man said he won't take coins only, give at least one 50 rupees, but the driver hadn't any note less than a hundred. Finally, the driver stopped doing the argument, moved away taking 100 rupees only. He got the smell of delicious food while moving away from that location, so he decided to go back home because he was hungry also, he got tired as he was driving from early morning. He took the road home.

While he had returned, the rain had stopped. After some time, he saw some cycles on the road, then suddenly he remembered that his son had been requesting a bicycle from a week. So he decided that he would buy a bicycle that day. So he went to a bicycle shop and see some bicycles. He liked one and asked for the price. The shop keeper said the discounted price. The drive went near to his auto for counting the money he had. Then he started counting all his money, including the coins. Unfortunately, he had a lack of only 30 rupees. He got a little bit sad, though he even can't buy a bicycle for his son. His son also had to appear in his board exam, so he requested his father to provide a bicycle so that he could save the wastage of time. Then he thought he won't request the shop keeper more discount for 30 rupees and he would buy the bicycle the next day.

Suddenly he abled to see a purse in the corner of the back sheet, he took it at his hand and found it's a lady purse. He opened the purse and saw some 500 rupees notes, and ID card, he looked in the ID and thought that lady was the same lady who was among the last passengers, whom he had dropped at the wedding location. Then he decided to go back to that location and return back the purse to them.

He reached the location. But he was confused about whom he told about that all things. There were too many people. He told the gatekeeper about the purse. Gatekeeper took the purse and told him that he would give the purse to the lady whom it belongs, and said him to leave. But the auto driver said-"No, I will give it to the lady myself then I will leave from here".In between, a man in a suit came and asked about the matter. The driver said the whole story, & requested to help him to inform the family whom the purse was belonging. The man in the suit smiled☺️ and said to come with him. They went to the place where the live music band was going on. The man in the suit took the mic and told about the purse and the name of the lady which was on the ID card. The family to whom purse was belonging, came and took the purse & thank the auto driver. All were very happy☺️. Between husband and wife, there had been also an argument over this issue that how she could lose her purse so easily; but as that city was new to them, also they were in a marriage, so they couldn't do anything actually. After that, the man in the suit praised the auto driver for his honesty, & said to take the food. But the auto driver denied respectfully and said that he would leave now. The auto driver came out from the resort. He was about to start the auto, then he saw the man ( to whom purse was belonging) coming towards him and telling to stop. The man came near the auto, and thank again, and gave him the 30 rupees. Also, he said sorry to him for arguing for the fare. But the auto driver said-" No matter, Sirji, this thing happens to me nearly every day; some auto driver also tries to fool and asks for the wrong fare, but I don't".Then he said bye to him, and left.