An anecdote of …

Once again I was driving on our Mumbai roads. Had to pick up my husband from the airport and as usual was speeding to get there in time. Just as I got to a signal it turned red. Not being an intersection and with no pedestrians in sight I decided to break it and move on.

But our pandus (bumbaiyaa name for traffic cops) are smart!! They know the prime spots and lurk behind trees or corners and spring out just when you think you have beat them.

So there he was right in front of me waving me down. The usual ‘madam license daakhwa’ etc. began. I looked at my watch and cursed myself. I rummaged through my purse only to find that I didn’t have any change.  Cursing myself some more I pleaded with the cop to let me go. ‘Kai Madam asa saglyana sodala tar kasa chalel’ later I said ‘ sahib hya khepela soda, khoop ghaayit ahe, thoda samjoon ghya’. His reply ‘ bagha kai te’ made me take a Rs.100/- note (some more cursing myself) and slip it to him.

In the next few minutes what happened surprised me so much that it remained with me to share it with others. The cop seeing the note put it in his pocket and slipped back a Rs.50/- alongwith my license.

Who says cops are corrupt??. This cop proved that corruption mein bhi imaandari hai! His rate was Rs.50/- and he with all honesty returned me Rs.50/-.

Dhanya dhanya hai Mumbai ki traffic police!!!

……honesty in dishonesty