A Ticket to the Olympics

It was three days since Ramlal had moved to Mumbai. Everyone in his village had warned him against all kinds of evil things that he might have to face in Mumbai, more with the intention of stopping him from going than to scare him. However, Ramlal had decided to look elsewhere for his livelihood and the only place he had heard where people seemed to do well was in Mumbai.

Thus he set out to the city of dreams to start his new life. He promised his parents that he would keep in touch and visit as often as he could. He knew they didn't like his idea of going to Mumbai but he wanted to earn enough money to keep his family happy and that didn't seem possible at the village.

After spending two days searching, he finally got a room which he had to share with 3 others. Now, he had to find a job as soon as he could. He roamed around on the streets of Mumbai all day, with no luck, and he was really tired by evening. He saw a small tea-shop on the road-side and stopped to have a cup.

As he drank, many cars zipped past him, and he thought to himself. Some day I will also own a two wheeler or may be even a car. Smiling at his thoughts he was about to leave when a man on a bike rode past him. A piece of paper flew out of his bag and fell to the ground. Picking it up, he shouted to the guy to stop. But the man didn't seem to hear.

He looked at the paper, and saw that something was printed on it. Being able to read and write only basic Hindi, he looked at the letter and realized that  it was in some language he could not read. He had no idea what to do with the paper, may be it was some thing important and the fellow might come back looking for it, he thought, and walked up to the shop owner.

"Excuse me, sir, someone dropped this sheet of paper. Could you keep this with you and give it back to him if he comes back?"

The shopkeeper looked at him as if he was speaking nonsense. "Every day hundreds of people drop hundreds of things on the road. I cannot collect everything and keep them with me, can I? Please throw it into the dustbin and move on".

Ramlal was a little shocked by this blunt reply, but for some reason he didn't feel like throwing the paper without making sure it was not important. He looked around and saw a young guy standing and smoking cigarette around the corner. He looked well dressed. Ramlal thought he might be able to read what was written on the paper.

Walking up to him Ramlal asked, "Sir, could you please tell me what is written on this paper?"

The guy looked at Ramlal curiously. " Why? Who gave this to you?"

Ramlal innocently replied, " No, it's not mine, sir. Someone dropped it on the road. I just wanted to make sure it's not something important." The guy looked at the paper. It was a print out of an email.


Dear Sir, (it said)

The Radio City team congratulates you on winning the "Sing to Olympics contest". As the first prize winner you get a ticket to watch the final hockey match at Beijing. Please bring the print out of this email to our office and also get an identity proof of yourself to collect the prize.

Thanking you,

Radio City team

Ramlal was looking at the guy, as he seemed engrossed in the letter. Ramlal could sense that for some reason the guy was finding the letter very interesting.

" What is written in it sir?"

Shreyas looked at the email id and was shocked to see that the name was same as his name. It was marked to [e-mail]. He could not believe his luck. He saw the date of the email and realized that it had been sent just a few hours back.

Shreyas thought to himself, I have to make use of this opportunity before the real Shreyas catches on to the game . But first, I should get rid of this guy.

Turning towards Ramlal, he said, "It's nothing. It's just a letter to his friend saying he is fine. I will throw it - you carry on".

Ramlal was not very smart but he well knew how to read the emotions on the face of the other person; he could clearly make out that the letter meant something more than the other man cared to convey.

"Is it so sir? Then please give it to me I will throw it myself".

Shreyas was not expecting this and was taken aback. "It's okay." he stammered. "Why do you take the trouble? I will throw it myself. You carry on".

This just confirmed Ramlal's doubt.

"No sir, please give the letter back to me. I will throw it wherever I want," he replied, and before Shreyas had realized it,  Ramlal snatched the paper from Shreyas and started walking towards the dustbin pretending as if he was going to tear the paper.

Shreyas rushed to him. "Wait wait, don't tear the paper. I think it is actually something important. It has the address of the person it belongs to. I will send it to him by post. Please give it to me."

Ramlal smiled at the Shreyas. With as much nonchalance as he could muster on his rustic countenance, he said,  "Okay, then let us post it right away." 

Shreyas could hardly pick a fight with the other man! Here he had an opportunity to earn thousands of rupees in minutes and he was stuck arguing with a village guy. He decided it was better to take the villager along than argue and waste time.

"Okay, fine, come with me. We will post it". Getting his bike out Shreyas asked Ramlal to climb on and headed towards the Radio City office.

After a little while Ramlal tapped on Shreyas shoulder and asked, "Is there no postbox nearby? Why are we roaming so much? In our village itself we have three postboxes."

Shreyas leaned back and told him "No, we are directly going to his office and handing this over to him. Isn't that better?"

Ramlal nodded his head in agreement, happy that he was able to help someone. After reaching the building Shreyas saw that the office was on the fifth floor.

Showing Ramlal the office he told him, "See, that is the office which is mentioned in the paper. Now give the paper to me I will go and hand it over to the person."

Ramlal sternly shook his head. "No," he said, adding, "I want to hand it over myself."

Shreyas cursed him in his heart but knew very well that there was no point arguing.

"Okay, come along". As Shreyas walked towards the lift, Ramlal looked with amazement. It was the fist time in his life he was looking at one.

"Sir what is that, and why are people going inside?"

Shreyas looked at him amazed. "Now don't tell me you have not seen a lift in your life".

Ramlal replied innocently. "Lift? No sir we don't have any thing like this in our village. But what use is it?" The lift door opened and few people climbed out. Ramlal looked at Shreyas with amazement  "Sir, the people who went in and the people who came out are completely different. Is it some kind of magic box?"

Shreyas was in no mood for this and irritably told Ramlal, "This is called as a lift. It takes people to higher floors easily so that people don't have to climb stairs. Now please get in. we are getting late." Shreyas walked into the lift but Ramlal stood at the door, hesitantly looking around. "No sir. I am scared to go in this. Please show me the stairs and I will come by them."

Shreyas knew that the more it got delayed, the more were the chances of the original Shreyas going to the Radio City office and reporting the loss of the prize. Looking angrily at Ramlal, he climbed out of the lift.

"For God's sake, come fast now. I don't have the whole day to spend with you."

Walking briskly he started climbing the stairs. By the time they reached the fifth floor Shreyas was completely out of breath, unlike Ramlal, who was physically fitter. The latter looked at Shreyas and enquired if he was all right.

Waving his hand to show he was fine, Shreyas walked up to the water cooler and drank some water. After he was able to catch his breath, he walked up to the reception and turned towards Ramlal.

"At least give me the letter now, so that I can show it to the lady behind the desk and ask her about the person."

Taking the letter from Ramlal, Shreyas gave it to the receptionist. Reading through the letter she asked him for the identity proof for which he provided her his license. "Thank you sir. Please be seated. I will be back with your prize in a moment."

Happily Shreyas walked back to the couch and sat down. Ramlal followed him.

"What did she say? What did you show her?"  Smiling at Ramlal, Shreyas patted him on his back. "Nothing, my dear friend. She just wanted to know our names so that she can tell that person. She will hand over the letter to him and come back in a moment."

Shreyas heard his name being called and looked towards the reception. The receptionist signaled towards him with an envelope in her hands. He walked up to her and happily collected the envelope and thanked the receptionist with a huge smile. "Thank you, madam."

Ramlal looked at Shreyas as he walked up to him pocketing the envelope. "Let's go" he told Ramlal and started walking down.

Ramlal ran to catch up with him and asked with intrigue, "What did she give you? Was it some kind of reward?"

Shreyas was prepared for this one and told, "She said that the person was happy with our honesty and gave two tickets to an English movie. Any way you don't know English so I kept it. But, thanks a lot."

He gave a big smile to Ramlal. But Ramlal looked at him really crossed "Excuse me, but you have no business keeping both the tickets. You can keep one but give me the other. I also want to go to theater. I have heard theaters here are really nice."

Brushing off Ramlal, Shreyas continued walking down "Oh, come on, Ramlal there is nothing special about the theaters."

Ramlal held Shreyas by his hands. "I don't care. Just give me my ticket. Right now."

Ramlal was physically stronger than Shreyas and both of them knew it. Shreyas sighed with resignation and decided to tell him a part of the truth.

"Okay. I will tell you the truth. What is your name? "

"Ramlal".

"Right. I am Shreyas. See, what I have are not movie tickets, but tickets to a match that is happening in some other country. Now he could not go so he thought we might make use of them. But going to that country will be very expensive. So I say let us sell this and share the money."

Ramlal looked at Shreyas, not convinced at all.

"Tell me the truth. If I come to know you are lying, I will break your face. Give those tickets to me."

Both were on the street by now. Shreyas handed over the tickets to Ramlal. Ramlal stopped a person walking on the road and asked him, "Excuse me sir, can you please help me? This person here says this is a ticket for a game in some other country. Is it true?"

The guy looked at the ticket and nodded. "Yes it is", he mumbled, and walked on.

Keeping the tickets with him Ramlal looked at Shreyas. "Okay, now how do you plan to sell these, and for how much?"
 
Relieved, Shreyas told him, "Come with me quickly and we will find out."

Walking up to an internet cafe, Shreyas quickly found out the ticket fare for the game and decided to sell them for Rs 5000/=, a full thousand less than the actual price. He quickly opened his email and sent a mail to everybody he could think of, telling them he had won a pair of tickets for the game and wanted to sell them and was ready to give a discount of  Rs1000/=. Giving his mobile number for contact, he signed out and the duo came out of the internet center.

Ramlal asked him with great interest, "Is anybody coming to buy the tickets?"

Shreyas smiled at him. "Hopefully. We will have to wait and see. Come, we will have a cup of tea till then."
After drinking tea they strolled along the streets, hoping the phone would ring soon.

"You know Ramlal, it's not necessary that that someone will call today itself."

Nodding, Ramlal looked around the shops contemplating what he could buy with the money he was going to get. Soon, the phone rang and Shreyas picked it up.

"Hello, yes. That is right, I have them. So where can you meet us?  Okay, sure, we will be there in 20 minutes, thanks."

He disconnected the phone. "Ramlal, we are in luck. We already have some one to buy it. Come, we have to go to the airport."

Riding the bike skillfully through the thick traffic, they both reached the airport in no time. Alighting from the vehicle, Shreyas called up the number he had got the call from and informed the person at the other end about where they were waiting. Ramlal got really excited and looked around animatedly. Soon a guy dressed in a nice suit walked up to them.

"Shreyas?"

Extending his hands, Shreyas introduced himself. "Yes, I am Shreyas. This is Ramlal, my ... er ... uncle." Ramlal also shook hands with him.

"Hi, I am Robin," he replied, introducing himself. "So why are you guys selling the tickets?"

Shreyas replied, in a matter of fact manner, "The tickets are only for the match, Robin, but to reach Beijing we need a lot more money. We had entered the contest just for fun but luckily we won. That is why we thought to sell the ticket and make some money too."

Robin nodded. "Okay, then here are your 10000/= rupees. Can I have the tickets?"

Shreyas looked at Ramlal. "Uncle, give Robin the tickets."

Ramlal handed over the envelope. Robin inspected the ticket and handed over the money to Shreyas. Presently, he left. Both Shreyas and Ramlal jumped with joy.

"Ramlal, we earned 10000 rupees. Come we will divide it at my house over a cup of coffee and dosa." Ramlal happily accepted the invite and they started walking towards their vehicle when they heard someone talking on the phone.

"Sir, please, this is my last chance to participate in the Olympics. The government has to sponsor my tickets. I could not get economy class tickets on the flight as the seats were completely booked. Please sir. It's a matter of Rs 9000, sir, hello..." and then they heard him crying. Ramlal and Shreyas looked at each other and looked at the person standing next to a tree with a mobile in his hands and tears in his eyes.

Shreyas walked up to him. "Are you all right brother?" The guy looked up at Shreyas, brushing his tears away with his arm-sleeve. "Yes, I am fine, thank you".
 
Shreyas guessed what was going on. "Are you are an athlete?"

The guy nodded silently. Shreyas looked at him keenly and recollected seeing his picture in the paper, the ace shot-put thrower."Oh, you are Mr. Gurmeet Singh, right?"

Singh smiled happy at being recognized. "Yes, you must have read the article in the papers today, I guess."

Shreyas nodded his head. "Yes, I did. He looked at the athlete and tried to grasp the situation.

Shreyas asked Singh, "Why, what happened?"

Singh replied dejectedly "All the flights to Beijing before the event are booked for economy class. Only business class tickets are available. We are booked to fly only in economy class, but I missed that flight. The Sports ministry is refusing to pay for business class tickets. I cannot arrange for the difference now. So, I guess I just can't go now. I have called everybody I know, but no one seems to understand the situation."

Shreyas looked at Ramlal and pulled him to one side and explained the situation to him.

"See, Ramlal, this guy deserves to go to the tournament. This money is anyway not ours." He then told him the actual story of the letter. Shreyas then added, "Why not give this money to him and do a good dead for the nation."

Ramlal looked at Shreyas curiously. "So you have been fooling me all this while. I don't want to do any thing with money earned by wrong means. Please give it to whomever you want."

Shreyas took out the money from his pocket and gave it to Singh.

"Mr. Singh, here, take this money and fulfill your dreams. I cannot tell you the story behind this money but it does not belong to us."

Singh looked at him with disbelief. "I have no idea how to thank you. Please give me your address. I shall repay this to you as soon as possible."

Shreyas shook his head. "Singhji, if you really want to repay this loan, make our country proud. We will watch you on TV. "

Saying this he turned and walked away. Ramlal followed him silently.

End

Written for round Seven of

ID: 1254279   (Rated: ASR) Project Write World  Winners Announced! by iKïyå§ama

following the picture prompt with the five rings of Olympics.

Word Count :2984