Small Story 489.

Small Story 489 An Amazing Reunion After Five Decades” Manjunath walked up to the counter of a restaurant to pay his bill in cash. The man standing before him was apologizing to the cashier, explaining that his wallet had been pickpocketed on the bus. “I’ll pay my bill using GPay,” the man said and completed the payment. The voice sounded very familiar to Manjunath. He looked closely at the man and asked, “Are you Litho Printer Shivaraj from Sivakasi?” The man was stunned. In a completely new town, someone had recognized him. He looked at Manjunath but could not recognize him at first. Manjunath smiled and said, “We met five decades ago in Mumbai at the National Hindu Hotel. I had come for my training, and we stayed in the same room. The next day, you took me around Mumbai, showed me important places, and we even watched the movie Doctor Zhivago. You gave me your card and asked me to visit you whenever I came to Sivakasi.” Suddenly, Shivaraj recognized him. Manjunath—the pharmaceutical trainee from Mumbai! The way Manjunath remembered every detail filled Shivaraj with excitement and happiness. After chatting for a few minutes, Manjunath said, “If you need any help, please tell me. You’ve lost your purse.” Shivaraj replied calmly, “No problem. I kept another wallet in the hotel. I’ve already informed the bankers to block my cards.” Shivaraj shook his head in disbelief. “After five decades, you still remembered me. That’s truly amazing.” That evening, both of them went to watch an old movie of Shivaraj’s favorite actor, Shivarajkumar, and later enjoyed dinner together at a restaurant. The next day, Shivaraj left Bengaluru for Hubli for his work. While traveling, he whispered to himself, “Amazing pharmaceutical friend Manjunath—and his incredible memory. I am truly blessed to have such a good friend.” K.Ragavan 13-1-26