Small Story 237.

--- Small Story 237. “Code Word 237 : A Reunion After 12 Years” Sandeep never expected to meet an old buddy in a restaurant at Dindigul. He had just been transferred to the Dindigul branch of his bank as Manager. One afternoon, while visiting a local restaurant for lunch, he noticed a familiar face taking orders. To his shock, it was his old friend, Damu—working there as a server. “Hey, Damu! You remember me? I’m Sandeep!” he said, surprised. Damu smiled warmly. “How could I forget you, buddy? Lunch is available with mango curry today. I’ll bring you something special.” Damu went inside and returned five minutes later with a plate of food and a sweet dish. Sandeep expected Damu to talk about how he ended up in this job, but he said nothing. After finishing his meal and paying, Sandeep returned to the bank. He was busy with work until 4 PM, when his peon, Swamy, informed him that someone had come to see him. To his surprise, it was Damu—this time with a flask of hot tea. Sandeep asked, “What happened to your old job? Weren’t you working in a private company ten years ago?” Damu nodded, a pained expression on his face. “That’s an old, bitter story. I lost my reputation when the management falsely accused me of stealing three lakhs. No matter how much I pleaded, they fired me and blacklisted me. Even my parents didn’t believe me. I left home and wandered from place to place, but no one was ready to hire me because of the stigma.” His eyes welled with tears. “After eight years of suffering, it was discovered that a relative of our company’s director had actually taken the money and disappeared. The truth came too late.” Sandeep, moved by his friend’s pain, said, “Damu, I always knew you were an honest man. Time has been cruel to you. But your life is about to change. You're now 37, just a year younger than me. I married your former director’s daughter, Vasanthy. Before he passed away last year, he made me promise I would find you, clear your name, and make sure you marry his younger daughter, Sandhya. He wanted you to lead the company again.” Damu was speechless, overwhelmed with emotion. Sandeep continued, “From tomorrow, you’ll be the Managing Director of your old company. And next month, your marriage will be held in Chennai. Your mother-in-law is alive and looking forward to meeting you. Forget the pain of the last 12 years.” With tears of gratitude, Damu hugged his old friend. “Thank you for believing in me when no one else did.” K.Ragavan 6-5-25 -