Small Story 387.

Small Story 387 Friday's Surprise — A Lost Wallet and a Found Bond After finishing her shopping at the mall, Nandhini walked to her car when she suddenly realized her wallet was missing. She remembered paying at the counter and putting it down, but must have forgotten to take it with her. Just as she was about to head back inside, a gentle voice called out to her. "Hello! You left your wallet at the counter. I noticed it and asked the cashier to hand it over to me so I could return it to you." Relieved, Nandhini turned around to see a pleasant-looking young woman holding out her wallet. "Thank you so much! I’m Nandhini, I live in the Gokulam area." "I'm Vasanthy," the woman replied with a warm smile. "Please check if everything is there in the wallet." Nandhini quickly looked through it and nodded. "Yes, everything’s intact. I really appreciate this." "Can I drop you somewhere?" Nandhini offered gratefully. "No need! I parked my car over there. But thank you," said Vasanthy. As they walked toward their cars, they continued talking. "I'm a journalist," Vasanthy shared. "I recently moved to Bengaluru after completing my studies in the UK." "That's wonderful," said Nandhini. "I work at Amazon. Here, let me give you my card." Vasanthy handed hers as well. They exchanged smiles and said goodbye, not realizing that this brief encounter was just the beginning. A few days later, Nandhini invited Vasanthy over for tea. Vasanthy was warmly welcomed by Nandhini’s parents, Padma and Damodaran. As they enjoyed snacks and tea, Damodaran spoke up. "So you're the one who brought back Nandhini’s wallet from the mall? Thank you so much!" he said. "It was nothing, uncle," Vasanthy smiled. "My parents, Rangan and Lakshmi, live in Jayanagar." The name caught Damodaran's attention. "Wait — is your father Rangan, who worked with the Geological Survey?" "Yes, uncle!" Vasanthy replied. "He retired three years ago." Damodaran’s face lit up. "I’ve been trying to reconnect with him! We were close friends and colleagues. I lost touch when he went to the US." "That was to my brother’s place," said Vasanthy. "Now that I got a job offer here, they moved back to Bengaluru." Overjoyed, Damodaran immediately called Rangan and invited him for lunch that Sunday. Rangan gladly accepted. Nandhini watched all of this with a quiet happiness. Her lost wallet had brought back a long-lost friendship between their families. And in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but imagine her brother Ram and Vasanthy as a perfect match. Her imagination became reality just three months later, when Ram and Vasanthy were married in Bengaluru. That Friday, what started as a moment of panic over a missing wallet turned into a joyful reunion — and the beginning of a beautiful new bond between two families. K.Ragavan 3-10-25