Small Story 122 The Card Miracle

Small Story 122 The Card Miracle Radhika and Mallika had been childhood friends, but after marriage, their paths diverged. Mallika moved to Bengaluru, and Radhika settled in Mysore. Both their husbands held good positions in banks. After three years, Radhika visited Bengaluru to catch up with Mallika while her husband was away at a wedding in Hubli. Mallika was waiting at the station to greet her, and soon they were joined by her husband, Vishnu. They reminisced about old times and went out for dinner. Mallika lived in a prime area, Jayanagar, near the metro station, surrounded by many restaurants. Vishnu secured seats for them despite the holiday crowd, and they enjoyed a delightful Bombay meal with two sweets. When the bill arrived, Radhika offered to pay, but Vishnu insisted on paying with his credit card. After a long wait for the waiter to return with the card, he appeared with a sad expression and informed Vishnu that his card had been rejected due to an exceeded limit. Vishnu was taken aback. The waiter led him to the counter, where Vishnu noticed something shocking— the card wasn’t his! It had been swapped with someone else’s by mistake. Vishnu raised his voice, demanding an explanation. At that moment, a beautiful lady approached them, apologizing and explaining that her child had accidentally taken Vishnu's card when the waiter brought their food. The lady introduced herself as Shalini, a cardiologist who had recently moved to Bengaluru from the US, with her husband, Dr. Manish, joining her next week. To Vishnu's surprise, Shalini lived in the same apartment building, on the third floor, which delighted Mallika. A few days later, Mallika’s parents, Swamy and Pankajam, visited unexpectedly from Tirunelveli. Mallika was taken aback, especially when Swamy mentioned that Pankajam had recently fallen and been diagnosed with high blood pressure. They had decided to come to Bengaluru for further consultation. Mallika invited Shalini for tea, and she arrived with her husband, Manish, shortly after. Mallika shared her mother’s condition, and Shalini reassured her, offering to examine Pankajam. After a thorough check-up, Shalini prescribed medication and assured Mallika that Pankajam would recover in ten days. To Mallika’s relief, after the prescribed time, her mother’s health improved. Mallika shared the entire story with Radhika, and both were happy with the outcome. Vishnu, still reflecting on the credit card mix-up, now understood that everything happened for a reason. It was a miracle in the form of a simple card exchange that led to Shalini’s intervention. A week later, Mallika and Vishnu visited Mysore to spend time with Radhika and her husband, cherishing the bond they all shared, and grateful for the events that had unfolded. K.Ragavan 11-1-25