The Customer
By jaishankar
@Shivram59 (49120)
India
February 25, 2026 1:19am CST
Friends, I had told you about a book that was destroyed by rats.
About an hour ago a customer entered my shop. I had never seen him before, so I asked him where he had come from.
He had come here from a distant town where an old friend of mine lives. I asked him about him and he told me he was a very close friend of my friend.
We began talking. I came to know he runs a bookstore and sells old books. I showed to him the book, or whatever remains of it, and he took a photo of the book with his mobile.
He assured me to arrange a copy of the book anyhow. He said to me that he will send me the book within a month.
Now he has left for his town and I'm feeling very happy.
I'm very happy. I'm sure the book I had lost will again be in my collection.
10 people like this
9 responses
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
25 Feb
Thank you. Yes, it's surrendipity. I didn't know him before. Today he came just because he needed some sugar and chocolates. I thought he was just another customer. As I had never seen him before I asked him where he was from. The conversation went on and, in the process, I came to know he was a bookseller who deals in old books and that he was a close friend of my friend.
I will be waiting for my book.
4 people like this
@ptrikha_2 (49639)
• India
25 Feb
At times, chance meetings like this throw up pleasant surprises.
I also hope that you get the book that you lost.
How is life in all?
Here it is getting very busy both work wise and at a personal level.
Have a great Thursday ahead!
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49639)
• India
26 Feb
@Shivram59
Hopefully the drizzling controls the rising temperature.
India looks set to win the T 20 match vs Zimbabwe today.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
25 Feb
Thank you. I had never seen the man eve before. He happened to be a book seller, that too a seller of old books. I showed him the book.He is sure he would get a copy of the book.
Now I'm waiting for the book.
Life here is like you have there. Very busy and full of struggles.
Last night we had a brief drizzling. The morning was sunny today.
Hope, you are fine there.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49639)
• India
27 Feb
@Shivram59
So not a very substantial rain.
Here sweaters are almost off, except for some very cold morning.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
6 Mar
Thank you. It's a folktale from Uttarakhand presented in the form of a small novel. The writer is Shailesh Matiyani. I have read the book more than ten times and every time I read it, I felt as if I was reading it for the first time . My father had bought it way back in 1965. Sixty years ago. I searched it everywhere, but it is unavailable. Neither offline, nor online. Now I hope the man somehow manages to have a copy for me. I'm eagerly waiting for his call.
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
25 Feb
Thank you. It's really a great news to me. Now I'm waiting for a greater news that he has got the book and id sending it to me.
2 people like this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
26 Feb
@rakski Thank you. I hope your wish gets fulfilled.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (30078)
•
26 Feb
A month is not long to wait for the book
I think it's best to keep books away from Rats though
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
26 Feb
There are no more rats in my house. One of them is killed by a stray dog and two others were caged by my sister who left them many kms away from here in a field.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
26 Feb
@Ineeddentures Not exactly, but in the same way rats made their way to our house. There are some eateries near our house. The rata were there The owner of the eateries caged the rats.and released them in the ground near my house. From there they came to our house
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (30078)
•
26 Feb
@Shivram59
We had rats in the drains
Somebody left bags of rotten food waste out in their back garden and the rats got into them and then decided to live in the drains.
2 people like this
@valherma00 (2719)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
1 Mar
a friend in need is a friend indeed. i am glad you met him
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
2 Mar
@valherma00 I hope so, too. It's too old a book. My father had bought it way back in 1965. It was published 60 years ago. I'm eagerly waiting for it.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
1 Mar
Thank you. It was just a chance. I did not know him before. From him I came to know he sold old books.
It was a very good opportunity Now I'm waiting for the book.
1 person likes this
@sathviksouvik (22981)
•
5 Mar
very interesting share. Sometimes chance meetings prove profitable
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
5 Mar
Thank you. I didn't know the gentleman before. He suddenly met me.
It happens
@Shivram59 (49120)
• India
26 Feb
Thank you. I hope so, too. I'm eagerly looking for the good news.
1 person likes this
