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The Thief

Roshan was excited to search for a hotel in Madurai where his friend and family were staying even in the middle of the night. He was happy because he could come from Delhi to attend his best friend’s wedding. He had plenty of plans for his friend's “2 States” like affair. But he only managed to get a Sherwani stitched and bought a pair of Juttis for the occasion. Being a Punjabi, he always ensured that his outfit must dazzle in the crowd, so he picked up a golden pair for the day. The moment he reached the hotel, he was told to get ready for the big occasion. "Wedding at dawn"-the thought baffled many other guests like Roshan.


Quickly he got ready and joined the sleep-deprived guests in the ceremonial dance in front of the groom's horse. The venue for the wedding was a temple where the bride’s family was waiting for them. Roshan being the groom’s best man; he got a special attention. Two little boys came to take care of him. They started their duties by removing his shoes. The impending danger of losing his favourite Juttis made him tensed. He thought of carrying them inside but his Sherwani pockets were a way too small to accommodate a size-10 footwear. Before he could think of another alternative plan, the little attendants snatched his shoes from his feet and kept them on a rickety iron rack. He looked at the stand haplessly and left his favourite shoes under the watchful eyes of celestial guards.


When the ceremony began, he was asked to share the centre stage with the groom. All his escape plans went in vain when he saw hundreds of guests surrounded them. Along with the priests, he too started praying. His prayers were for a quick completion of the rituals. Soon he realised that the priests were in no hurry to bring an end to the procedures. After a while, the chanting of mantras, oil lamp smoke, and fragrance of flowers made a hypnotic effect on him. The clapping of guests woke him up. He understood that his friend had lost his bachelorhood. He was happy that wedding was over and he could grab his shimmery shiny shoes. Again the two little kids came on his way. He felt like to punch their faces but he controlled himself by pulling their cheeks. This time, they took him to the breakfast area inside the temple.


For Roshan, the entire universe was conspiring against him and his shoes. He wanted to save his beloved pair from every evil eye. In such a desperate situation often etiquettes, decency, and manners gave away. He gobbled a few Idlies, threw the leaf plate in the air and rushed towards the temple gate. He splinted and crossed the long corridors to reach the shoe stand. The shimmer of his Juttis helped him to identify them from a distance, But his joy was short-lived. On a closure look, he could find only one pair of his sandal on the rack. He frantically looked for the other pair and found that a goat was chewing it to satisfy its breakfast cravings.




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