Luck of My Life

(Hindustan Times, 23 November 1983)

Some people meet with their luck in a lottery, some in jackpots, yet a few, in matrimony. But I made it via hidden treasure. Here is a factual account of it.

I earmark Saturdays for doing errands – going to Karol Bagh to buy coffee powder, to avail myself of any ‘clearance sale’, or to fix the wall-clock glass broken by my son attempting a Kapil shot.

That particular Saturday, I had three jobs in hand. First, to take out the jewellery from my locker in a Karol Bagh bank (my wife wanted to wear it for a marriage next day). Second, to meet the share-broker in Caonnaught Place, to see if the bulk shares he had me buy a few months ago were selling anywhere near par. Third, to collect the colour photos I had taken of my sister-in-law’s marriage, making my debut at photography.

Since the bank would be open only up to 12 noon on Saturdays, I listed the bank job first, and headed towards Karol Bagh. I opened the locker and slipped my hand in. What little things we had kept were all safe there. But as I delved deep into it, I chanced upon an antique jewel-box that was definitely not ours. I took it out, It was locked. It was heavy, and when I shook it, I could hear the rumblings of pearls and diamonds. Hitherto I had heard of items missing from one’s lockers, but never of thing being ‘added’. Anyway, this is not the time to waste on self cross-examination. I must hurry home to see the contents in the box.’ Telling myself so, I cancelled the other jobs and drove home, at a speed I had never ventured earlier.

On the way I estimated the worth by its heaviness, and decided on my plans. ‘Come what may, I must go for a house in a posh locality. A car comes second. Then a colour TV, and a VCR. If I am still left with sufficient money, maybe I could four identical necklaces for my two sisters and two sisters-in-law and a slightly costlier one for my wife.’

‘Anyway, God is great. If he denied me promotion the other day, he has more than compensated for it in another way.’ “After all’, I asked myself, ‘how could the good deed that my grandfather had done 50 years ago in feeding 1000 Brahmins at a stretch go unrewarded? Surely not.’

I reached home, and sent the maid-servant to the farthest shop in the locality to fetch a difficult-to-get item. I asked my wife to close all doors and windows and to draw the curtains. Then I showed her the treasure that had found its way in our locker. Seeing it, she began laughing uncontrollably. I had known of people falling unconscious at such unexpected news, but never of laughing like that. ‘Maybe, the windfall is too much for her to bear,’ I suggested to myself, and began to calm her down, as her laughter might attract the attention of neighbours. A few minutes later she regained her normality, and said: ‘I forgot to tell you. The other day, before leaving for Madras on a holiday, Leela (my sister) gave me that jewel-box for safe-keeping in our locker.’

‘Even if that is so, but you don’t have to laugh like that.’ I told my wife, ensuring continuity of my supremacy. ‘Anyway, you need not broadcast this to Sonu or Babbu’s mothers, okay? I ordered her and rushed to the bank to take out the jewellery that rightfully belonged to us only to find the bank closed.