Prize Money

Rajnish or Rajni took out his cab as the sun welcomed the new day. Today he was wondering how the business would be. For the past three years he had been struggling to pay off his car loan Emi s. The earnings were not that good which he had initially thought of. The loan though initially helped him bring out the cab on the road but paying off the loan was very troublesome. Some days he would be too tired to go out but he had to as he had to take care of the repayment. 
It was not at all easy to earn money the easy way as there was too much competition. The margin of profit was wafer thin. If he didn't work someone else would and his share of earnings would go away to someone else. 
Three years ago when he had taken out the cab there was hardly any competition. By working for three weeks only he could have enough surplus after deducting the Emi amount. He could save the money even after having spent for his fooding and lodging. As he was bachelor his demands were meagre. 
But now after three years, his car needed more maintenance and more rest time so his earnings were dwindling. Expenses were piling up, the insurance and pollution control etc. Traffic fines had become so much more hefty. Leave alone managing the greedy traffic constables and smart aleck sergeants. 
Sometimes, Rajni thought why at all was he in this profession. But still he had his car loan outstanding which needed ten to twelve months more of interest servicing. 
After driving for fifteen minutes, a passenger with luggage stopped him for a drop off at the airport. Getting an airport passenger was considered lucky these days. Because after metro services to airport had started passenger bookings for cabs had come down like the stock market index influenced by some war or spread of epidemic. 
Rajni was very happy to get the airport bound passenger. But he felt somehow his passenger was not too pleased. After about half an hour the passenger requested to be driven back home as he had left his mobile phone. Rajni was more than glad seeing his meter moving up like climbing up a hill. He made mental calculation of the fare he would charge. The end to the car loan seemed much closer now. 
After driving him home, the passenger paid the fare and said he wouldn't go to the airport anymore as he being superstitious believed that leaving home without necessary accessories would bring him bad omen so he will not continue. Rajni felt a little dejected but he couldn't force the passenger to change his mind nor he could fight with him. 
But as luck would have it he found another passenger for the airport. This passenger seemed in a dreadful hurry and he had a big voluminous suitcase with him. Both Rajni and his passenger had a torrid time to lift it and put in the luggage space. 
After travelling towards the airport there comes a river bordered by a deep forest. The airport was built beyond the forest as plenty of vacant land was available. 
The passenger directed Rajni to drive away from the airport towards the forest. Rajni found something suspicious. He pressed the secret hot button connected to the nearest police station. This was now mandatory for all the city cabs due to the rising crime rates. Very soon a posse of Police troops came in and stopped the cab. 
The passenger was taken by surprise. After regaining his composure he started to shout at Rajni for his illogical decision of calling the Police. 
'Stop shouting and open the suitcase for us to examine,' shouted out the Police team leader. The passenger tried to run and escape but he couldn't reach very far as a policeman shot at his leg and wounded him making him fall down. Very quickly he was overpowered and taken into custody. The suitcase was seized and being so heavy had to be carried by four constables holding at four ends. 
Rajni was profusely thanked by the Police for being so vigilant and for his responsible behaviour. He was told to report at the head quarters to collect his gallantry certificate and prize money. Very soon Rajni heard over the news broadcast on his car FM radio that a brave and intelligent cab driver had helped book a criminal with a suitcase full of gold nuggets fleeing towards the airport. The initial value of the seized material was in some cores as per initial estimates. 
Rajni felt very proud and happy for being able to serve the society in some way or the other. The civil society gave him the certificate and the prize money and also the cab fare to the airport. Rajni felt very satisfied. 
He didn't realise at that time that more even happier surprise was awaiting him. 
Rajni took the prize and drove straight home. There he opened the prize money envelope and to his surprise there was a credit voucher and a letter from his bank. On going through the details he could not hold himself steady. It was a long term dream fulfilled. The prize money had been deposited in his bank car loan account clearing all his pending dues with the letter from the bank saying that his loan remains fully paid.