HEMA BUYS PROVISIONS AT A BARGAIN

Hema was an enterprising woman. Her family never wanted her to go for employment.

The family was rich. Ramu, her husband, was managing his own investment firm.

Hema gave birth to two sons within four years of their marriage. The children demanded her full attention as they grew up.  When the children went to the school, Hema found to her consternation that she had nothing to do at home after the departure of Ramu and the children in the morning. She was not a good cook. Her maid did all the chores at home.

In order to do away with the lethargy she was getting herself into she began to look for opportunities in the job portals. She was a post graduate in management. A management institute had a place for her and she had readily accepted the position. The pay was good. Ramu did not object as he was aware that Hema needed some distraction. The students and the teachers at the institute respected her for her knowledge and skill. Hema was very happy that she was at last doing something worthwhile.

Nagercoil in Tamilnadu was well known in Trivandrum for the bargain it had offered for provisions. If Rice was costing Rs.20.00 a Kilogram at Trivandrum it was available for Rs.14.00 at Nagercoil. Similar was the story for all other items of daily requirement in a household. Meenakshi, Hema’s closest friend at the institute had always been narrating the savings she was making through her purchases from Nagercoil. Travel to and from Nagercoil was not difficult as there were a couple of passenger trains from morning till evening between the two cities.

Hema wanted to do a Meenakshi. She decided to go to Nagercoil with Meenakshi to take advantage of the bargain. She took her son Manish along.

At Nagercoil, Meenakshi purchased all her requirements for a month. Hema was amazed at the savings Meenakshi made. Hema bought 5 kilograms of rice. She said she would purchase in bulk at their next visit. They transported the goods to the railway station in an autoricksha.

There was a long queue at the railway station. As she reached the counter Hema found her purse missing. She remembered she had left the purse on the table of the vendor when she had purchased rice. She had Rs.5000.00 in the purse.  She had panicked.  Meenakshi assured her that the vendor is honest. She offered to return to the shop and get the purse back. As Manish was restless Meenakshi took him along.

Hema waited at the Railway Platform for the return of Menenakshi and Manish with the packets around her. Suddenly she found the rake arriving at the Platform. As she knew that her friend and son would be back soon, Hema boarded the train with the luggage. She forgot  she did not have the ticket. The train was on right time and it left the station for Trivandrum.

Hema found herself amidst a group of deaf and dumb students. The animated manner in which they were communicating with each other was a revelation to her. She was closely observing them.  It did not occur to her that the train was moving fast or that Meenakshi and Manish had not boarded the train.  

Nagercoil to Trivandrum is a short journey. As the train stopped at Trivandrum, Hema to her horror understood her predicament. She was without her son. She had no money. She could not go home without her son. She could not make an exit as she had no ticket.

Hema somehow managed to get all the packets out before the train left the station.. She sat there on the platform with luggage around her.

The vendor at Nagercoil was honest as Meenakshi had predicted. He had handed over the purse intact. As Meenakshi and Manish had reached the Platform, they saw the train leaving the station. Hema and the packets were not there. Meenakshi guessed  Hema  must have boarded the train. But there was a hitch. The train that had left was the last train for the day.

Meenakshi had always been resourceful. She took Manish to the Bus Station. They boarded a Bus to Trivandrum. The Bus reached its destination two hours after the train had reached the city. As Meenakshi and Hema were bosom friends Meenakshi knew for certain that Hema would be waiting at the Platform.

The moment Hema saw Manish with Meenakshi she forgot herself and hugged them both with joy.