After praying the Goddess Durga, we rushed towards the entry gate of the temple where we kept our footwear. Everyone was worried about the stealing of their footwear until they got back. Mohit, one of my friends, was searching for his shoes as if he is a Police Officer looking for the evidence at the place of an instance where a crime has been committed.
I was continuously searching here and there for my new sandals bought just a day before. Except for me and Mohit, my other friends got their footwear back. I was dubiously noticing at the footwear of the people around me.
An uncle who was chewing tobacco shouted at me, “What are you checking stupid? Do you think that I have stolen your footwear? ”
“No-no uncle not, I’m just looking at your nice sandals”, I muttered with a shivering neck.
My friends looking from behind were laughing like crazy when they saw the uncle leaving me with a furious face.
“Let’s go friends, It’s too late now, we have to pick the bus”, Mohit clamored at us.
I thought, now its good to leave the hope of getting my new sandals back. I annoyingly replied, “hmm let’s go”.
It was the time of Navratri, me, and my four friends Sushant, Samuel, Akshay, and Mohit planned to visit Durga Temple. The Durga Temple has mythological importance and devotees across Maharashtra used to visit there every year, especially during Navratri.
We were teenagers during that time and came to the Durga Temple in the evening after attaining our tuition classes. During Navratri, the place is full of rush with several hawkers surrounded by the crowd. The shops on both sides of the road of wooden toys, kitchen utensils, mobile covers, decorative items, and snacks were catching the eyeballs of a passerby.
We were gradually moving towards the temple by crossing the crowd. “Hey, look at that panipuri stall; there is an unlimited offer for just fifty rupees”, Mohit shouted at us with sparkled eyes.
“Give my hundred rupees first buddy that you borrowed yesterday for the movie ticket”, Akshay replied by raising his eyebrows as if he is going to beat him.
Mohit chuckled a little and replied, “Eat panipuri for rupees fifty, I will pay for you.”
“What about the remaining fifty rupees?”, Akshay asked dubiously.
“Eat panipuri of rupees hundred, as it is unlimited”, Mohit said.
“You… Sponger!”, Akshay shouted with holding Mohit’s collar.
“Hey guys, don’t quarrel, we come to the temple, keep quiet. Look at the beautiful things around you”, Sushant mischievously said by looking at the crowd of girls. We laughed at him, then entered the temple for a prayer.
“It was a branded sandal of Redchief worth rupees two thousand and you lost it in just one day!”, Samuel said with a smile by looking at me. We were walking back to the bus stand after a prayer and my unsuccessful attempt to find the sandals.
“Please buddy, don’t remember me that ominous thing once again”, I replied worriedly.
While rushing towards the bus stand, we came across Lord Ganesha’sTemple. I went along with Sushant and Samuel inside the temple, Mohit and Akshay were waiting outside.
“Look at my new sandal, doesn’t it look cool? Its leather, design don’t look just amazing?”, Mohit asked Akshay.
“Yes it’s fantastic, but your footwear was lost at Durga Temple then how do you get back the same?”, Akshay asked.
“I don’t get back my footwear, it’s all about the condescension of Durga Mata”, Mohit said.
“What do you mean? Did you steal it from Durga Temple?”, Akshay asked surprisingly.
I came out of the temple with both of my friends, “Hey buddy he has stolen the branded sandal from Durga Temple”, Akshay said while looking at us.
I went close to Mohit and suspiciously looked at the sandal and shouted, “It’s my sandals! Oh, thank god, to get my sandals back.”
Mohit was shocked by my words and loudly asked with the big question mark on his face, “What do you mean to say, out of those thousand pairs of footwear I have stolen your sandal? No-no, It’s impossible”.
“Yes, it’s my sandal; same brand, same size, and same color. If you like then keep it, but remember it’s my sandal”, I replied to Mohit.
Mohit realized with my true emotion and gesture that the sandals were mine. He immediately returned it to me.
“I gave him the title of sponger earlier but he has proved himself more than it, what title can be given to him?”, Akshay asked, looking at me.
I thought a little and replied, “An unexpected stealer!”
Everyone laughed at Mohit, he was also laughing at himself, and then we moved towards the bus stand.