Raju was a mechanic with a fascination for cars. What he loved most about his job was test-driving cars. In fact, only that morning, Dr. Sharad Shah, the owner of a Cielo, had asked him to check his car’s brake system. Dr. Shah wanted the car back by noon, and it was nearly twelve.
Raju’s next job was to change the door of a Fiat. Since the helper, Amit, was using the spanner, he decided to search the toolbox of the Cielo for one. He hummed a tune as he opened the boot of the car. He stopped abruptly, which made Amit look up and ask, ‘What’s wrong?’
Before Raju could answer, a customer called out to Amit. Raju stared at the box in disbelief. The boot had a round brown sack, and the outline of three fingers in the sack had shaken him. Just then, Dr. Shah arrived, and Raju shut the box abruptly. The doctor seemed very casual.
Raju couldn’t concentrate on his work. Myriad thoughts flashed in his mind. The doctor could have killed some patient! People held Dr. Shah in high regard, so how could he? Maybe he could. However, this wasn’t the most dreadful thought on Raju’s mind.
If there was a case and the doctor feigned innocence, the police could suspect Raju! He went home worrying over the possibilities of being imprisoned. Raju felt very edgy at home. He even had frightening hallucinations. He leafed through a magazine, but all he could see was a black Cielo and a brown sack. His brother wondered why Raju pushed him aside when he showed him a photo of his friend’s new Cielo. Raju battled horrifying nightmares all night—a police inspector nabbing him despite his repeated pleas and taking him to court. The judge sat atop a black Cielo! He spent the whole night tossing and turning.
The next day, he didn’t want to go to work but eventually decided to go to the garage anyway. He could barely focus on his work. He desperately wanted to see the doctor and clear things up. That afternoon, the doctor turned up in his black Cielo. He smiled at Raju, much to the latter’s dismay. The doctor walked into the manager’s cabin, and Raju followed him in impulsively. The doctor had misplaced a bill and had come to ask if it was there. Raju could hear the doctor mention how important the bill was. The manager inquired about what the bill was about, and both of them heard a roar of laughter when the doctor replied.
The duo looked at Raju, who was laughing uncontrollably. Even Amit stared in amazement as Raju continued to chortle.
The doctor had said, ‘It was the bill for some artificial arms I bought from Jaipur. Some were defective. They are still in the car’s boot, and I needed the bill as proof.’
As fond of writing a good story as he is of reading one, Pravin is one of the most promising writers at Ameya. He can be contacted at pravinkumar2788@gmail.com.