A GOOD DEED

STORY-A GOOD DEED I was waiting for my bus. When it came, a middle aged fat woman was trying to get down. She had a heavy bag in her one hand and a one year old baby in the other hand. While stepping down, she lost balance and I held her, to keep her balance. She thanked me. :”Are you alright? Shall I take you home in an auto?”. She began to weep. I called an auto and helped her, to get in, with the heavy bag. Sitting beside her, I asked :”Where is your home?” She told and we moved on. After some time the auto stopped and I paid him. It was an old house. She called me in. She made tea and told me:” My husband is missing for the last several days. He is working in the forest office, near Peechi.” “Have you reported to the Police.” She started sobbing again;”We have no one to get support. Our’s is a love marriage and our relatives have abandoned us, because he is a Muslim.” I felt sorry. It was getting dark and my wife will be anxious about me. I phoned her and told a lie:”Dear, I have to go to my mother . She is not well; I shall come tomorrow evening.” “Tell me all about you.”, I said. She is a typist in the same office. They fell in love and marriage was registerd. Now this house is hired and she has to pay rent on the first of the next mount. If not, they have to vacate it. I racked my head. How did I come in the picture and how can I retreat? In the morning we went to the Police Station. “Who are you, ”Officer asked. “I am their friend.” The Officer looked at me closely.”Where are you working?” “I have a small press. My wife is working in the Taluk Office” “I am enquiring; she must file FIR.” He gave a form and we went out and got it filled, with the help of a policeman. I gave him a hundred rupee note and we left. I went to the ATM and gave her Rs. 2000, the rent being one thousand. “I shall come tomorrow.” I then went to the forest office and met her colleagues. They confirmed her story. Now I decided to tell my wife everything. So I went to her office. She heard I and felt sympathy for the widow. “Why not bring her to our home; there is an extra room there. She will do house work and I need not bother about it. The child will be a companion for our boy and he will be happy. So I went and brought her and the child with me to our house. In the forest office, they told me she has not taken leave but her name is still there. Absence up to five years can be condoned and she can be reappointed on humanitarian grounds. So all ended on a happy note.