I sat dejected on my worn out couch. I had lost the ticket again.
I asked myself why this always happened to me. Just as usual I had kept the ticket on the table and had gone to work. Mohan, the helper boy had swept it off the table thinking it was trash. And just because I was a little careless, I had never been able to see a good movie in the theatres.
“Ahmed” I said to myself “If you don’t learn to keep your movie tickets safe, you’ll have to end up never watching a movie again.” I stood up promising myself that I will find a safe place for my next movie ticket and went to have some dinner.
Next Friday I returned home with the ticket for the Sunday matinee. I kept it in a place where I was sure Mohan wouldn’t sweep.I had a very peaceful night owing to my peace of mind about the movie ticket. Next morning when I woke up early and was too excited to sleep any more. So I decided to go to the library as I had to return a book.
Just as I reached home from the library I felt a sudden urge to see my movie ticket. I moved towards the book shelf as I remembered that I had kept the ticket in the 91st page of David Copperfield. But I couldn’t find the book even though I searched everywhere.
It was then that the stark truth hit me - David Copperfield was the book I had just returned to the library! I ran anxiously to the library as fast as I could. I asked the librarian if I could see the book once more. She checked her records and told me that someone had just taken it. As I walked dejectedly through the busy streets, I wondered why God was so cruel to me.
That evening I was surfing through the channel when someone knocked on my door. When I opened the door I was surprised to see Vinod on my doorstep.
“Hello Ahmed. How's life?”
“Vinod! What a surprise! Well, I am fine. Come in.”
“Oh no. I got to go. I came to return something that I think is yours.”
He took out a piece of folded paper from his pocket and held it out to me. I had never believed that small things could bring such unfathomable happiness. But now I realised I was wrong. That small piece of paper Vinod had given me was the movie ticket I had lost that morning.
“This t..ticket… how did you find it?”
“It was in the library book I borrowed today. I checked the list of borrowers and found that you were the last one. So here I am.”
Needless to say, I was able to attend the matinee on Sunday. I have to say though, that the movie was one of the best I ever saw.
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