I was travelling by an APSRTC Bus one late evening (around 7pm) from Akividu to Eluru in West Godavari district after completing my day's work (I was working as a Medical Representative then) The road was bumpy and in very bad shape. Half full bus was moving slowly but the driver could not prevent the bus from swinging sideways due to uneven road surface. This road runs along the border of the beautiful kolleru lake (intercontinental migratory birds make annual visit here) Suddenly a jack fruit rolled down from the overhead luggage rack and fell on a passenger sitting on the seat there under hurting him, albeit not very seriously luckily. His loud cry brought the bus to a sudden halt. He then asked to know who owned the fruit and had so carelessly kept the same on the overhead rack . None dared to own the fruit which provoked the man to lose his cool. He started to use choice abuses for the next 3-4 minutes. Still no one said anything. Slowly the bus conductor apologetically said the fruit was his. The man showered choicest telugu abuses at the conductor for not only keeping the fruit on the rack carelessly as also for not declaring his ownership for that long.
Waiting for the bus at a distance was a jeep carrying a flying squad officer planning to check RTC buses plying on that route. The officer was waiting to get down from his jeep as the bus neared him and check it. He noticed our bus stopping suddenly at a distance. Wild thoughts ran in his mind about possible wrong reasons for that sudden stop. He immediately started the jeep and reached the bus just as the passenger was abusing the conductor.
Hearing the abuses being hurled at the conductor, the officer asked the passenger why he was abusing. On knowing the reason, he asked the conductor why he so carelessly kept the fruit on the rack, being fully aware of the road condition. The conductor then told him that the fruit was not his and since none in the bus claimed it, he thought it was worth laying a claim on it by saying it was his. The price, he expected would be, just a few angry words. He would then be able to take it home - a fruit he could not buy with his meagre salary.
The officer then finished his checking work quickly. Aware that there was no claimant for the jack fruit in the bus, he boarded his jeep with the "hero fruit" tucked under his arm and smile on his face. "Dane Dane pe likhaa hai khane valeka nam" is the saying. The Real Owner, the passenger who got hurt or the poor bus conductor who was abused didn't have the fortune of enjoying the sweet taste of the Hero Fruit. It was destined to land on the dining table of the RTC Checking Officer!!!
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