Unknown Guest
It was in the month of April, summer had just started. The Assistant Engineer, Madhukar was going to see the alignment of the new proposed road by the office jeep. Shortly after the road inspection had begun, the driver feared and doubted of something weird and said: "Sir, there is something wrong with the jeep."
His fears turned out to be true. The jeep stopped at a distance. The driver opened the bonnet, smoke was rising from the engine of the car and said
"Sir it seems the coolant is leaking”.
Both were feeling exhausted due to heat. There was no one around. A farmer couple was collecting a harvested crop of wheat (Laan in Local language) in a field far away. They stopped a tractor passing by with a hand gesture.
Madhukar asked his driver:
"You get the jeep towed from the tractor to nearby town and get the coolant tank welded and also bring some lunch pack and water bottles from a Dhaba on arrival."
"Where will you be till then, Sahab?" The driver replied.
"I will stop here and wait for you, the town is near. You will be here in a while."
The driver left with the jeep. It took longer than expected to repair the car. The driver took the food from the Dhaba and came back to the place where he had left Madhukar, but Madhukar was not visible anywhere.
"Who to ask?" He thought. His eyes went towards the farm where the couple was working earlier. Now two men were working there. He went to them. One person was a male partner of the former couple while the other person was new. The new person was in the vest and wrapped the towel under the body and raised bundles of harvested crop on the head and put it in the barn. His pant and shirt were placed on the farm mundane (Farm keeper).
He was about to ask that person about his boss, seeing the face, he stumbled and said
"Sir, what are you doing? What is the condition you have made for yourelf?"
"Hey brother, you were late to come and my condition was deteriorating due to hunger. I came to this farming couple” and asked ‘Sister can I get some food? ".
The woman immediately quit her job and said, 'Why not my brother, I just make it for you?' She left her work and went to cook. She will be coming soon. "
The driver said: "That's all right, we'll pay for the food."
“Don't talk about money in front of that lady, don’t show your frivolity. The guest is not the one whose arrival feels like a burden, indeed the guest is the person whose arrival releases all the burden. You please go and have the food you brought from town. Let me work in her place until she comes."
Having said that, Madhukar picked up a new bundle and walked towards the barn. In a while, the woman had brought the food. Madhukar was having lunch with farmer couple under a tree just like a family member.
