Small Story 127. The Hasty Decision and New Bonding.

Small Story 127. The Hasty Decision and New Bonding Ramnath checked his seat on the reservation chart of the Vandhe Bharat Express to Chennai. Suddenly, someone called his name. "Hey, how are you?" He turned around, surprised to see his uncle, Pattabi, standing there. "Going to Chennai for Sathish's wedding?" Pattabi asked. "No, I have some work," Ramnath replied curtly. "Why are you angry with me, Ramnath? I haven’t done anything wrong. I told the buyer to reject your site, but—" Pattabi started. "Sorry, Uncle," Ramnath interrupted. "I made up my mind after that bitter experience not to talk to you ever again." With that, Ramnath occupied his seat, and Pattabi sat next to him. The train started, but Pattabi kept trying to engage in conversation while Ramnath remained silent. Five years ago, Ramnath had wanted to sell his site in JPNagar to fund his daughter's marriage. Pattabi, who had retired from the CBI lived with his wife Mallika and daughter He had agreed to help Ramnath find a buyer for the property. After a deal was struck with a buyer, Pattabi visited the site to talk to the interested party. However, the very next day, the buyer called Ramnath to say he was no longer interested as he was leaving for another country. This incident left Ramnath with a bad impression of Pattabi, and from that day onward, he had cut off all contact with his uncle. Ramnath struggled to sell the site and eventually managed to arrange his daughter Nandhini’s wedding. Now, he was on his way to visit her in Chennai. His wife, Mallika, had gone two days earlier. Despite Pattabi's attempts to talk, Ramnath refused to listen. When the train reached Chennai, they parted ways without much interaction. After spending three days with Nandhini and her husband in Chennai, Ramnath was shocked when the television news showed a report on a notorious smuggler who had been caught by the Bengaluru CBI, thanks to the help of a CBI officer—none other than Pattabi! The smuggler was the same person who had been involved in the site negotiations with Ramnath years ago. The realization hit Ramnath hard—Pattabi had been an undercover CBI officer, and it was his quick thinking that had stopped Ramnath from making a deal with a criminal. Feeling guilty for his misunderstanding, Ramnath wondered how he could contact Pattabi and apologize. The next day, Ramnath and Mallika boarded the Vandhe Bharat Express back to Bengaluru. After passing Tiruvallur, the train picked up speed when Ramnath heard a familiar voice behind him. "Hey, I’m happy to see you again!" Ramnath turned around and saw Uncle Pattabi. They greeted each other warmly. Pattabi had been attending a friend's wedding, and after sharing some snacks, Ramnath finally spoke up. "I’m sorry for my behavior a few days ago on our way to Chennai." Pattabi smiled and replied, "I completely forgot about it. When Naresh smelled my presence, he left for Dubai the next day. We’ve been chasing him for nearly five years." Ramnath thanked Pattabi for not going through with the deal, realizing that it had saved him from a potentially dangerous situation. Pattabi smiled again, glad to have protected his nephew. Both Mallika and Ramnath were relieved and happy that their bond had been restored after the misunderstanding. Ramnath now understood the true intelligence and integrity of his uncle, and their new bond was stronger than ever after this difficult but enlightening experience. K.Ragavan 16-1-25