NOBLE THIEF
Part - I

One evening, Neelkanth, a friend of Bakul, paid a visit to his chamber.  As children, both were not only neighbors but had also studied together in Gurukul!    Neelkanth was now the proud owner of a very famous shop that sold different varieties of sweets. 

The best of them was the mouthwatering creamy white tinted Pedas which people came to buy from very far-off places, especially during special occasions and festivities.

Welcoming him warmly Bakul made arrangements for some delicacies to be offered to his friend.    As his guest savored the gourmet treat, Bakul asked him the reason for his visit.  Neelkanth’s face became sedate as he gave a reply, “Yesterday I was witness to some strange events, my friend!   Your famed intellect may help me comprehend the sequence of events especially the one which occurred in the evening!”

As Bakul listened carefully, Neelkanth narrated to him in detail about the previous days’ occurrences.

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Neelkanth was a staunch devotee of Lord Ganesha.  Every week he used to visit the temple of the elephant God near his vicinity and made rich offerings before the deity which included gold coins or even jewelry. 

On this day, he had decided to visit the temple for which he woke up early in the morning, placed some gold coins in a piece of light purple colored silky cloth and bundled it.  He then set out to the temple just as the sun began to cast its gentle rays upon the land.  

As he was moving along, suddenly a man who had covered his face with a white cloth stalled his way.  Pointing a sharply pointed knife at him, he urged Neelkanth to quickly surrender all his belongings to him.  Petrified, the rich businessman gave away his chain and the bundled cloth that contained the money which he was going to offer in the temple, to the stranger.  The man took the loot and ran away from there.

Crestfallen at this incident, Neelkanth decided against going to the temple and sat under the shade of a huge tree.  “Why did God allow this to happen?  I was going to do such a noble task and he allowed that thief to steal my offering to him!” 

Thoughts like these crossed his mind which disturbed him even more.  Just then, a sage happened to pass by that area.  He was saffron clad, had grey matted hair, a flowing beard, serene eyes and held a kalash in his right hand.  He looked at Neelkanth and stopped by.

“Why are you sitting here appearing so dejected?  Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked with concern.

Neelkanth looked at him with forlorn eyes.  He shook his head in disgust and then filled the sage with all that had happened. 

The sage smiled at him wryly, “You blame God for all that which happened to you now!  Tell me, did God tell you to make him the offerings that you have been given him all this while?”

Neelkanth answered in the negative.

Pointing towards the sky, the sage ejaculated, “He is the Almighty!  All that we have are his offering!  Thus, what do we have of our own to offer him?  You have formed your own mode of thinking to please God and when that did not work, you are blaming him for it! 

Is it not unfair?  My child, instead of brooding over what has happened, think of what you can do now to receive the blessings of the Almighty!”  So saying, the sage walked away.

Neelkanth tried to grasp what the sage had tried to convey but his mind was a confused lot.  For the moment, he decided to keep this at the back of mind and got up.  He then went to the local Panchayat to complain about the theft.  The Adhyaksh, who was in charge, made a detailed note of the items stolen.  Although the thief had masked his face with the cloth, Neelkanth was still asked to describe his appearance to the extent possible like his hairs, eyes, clothes, height and the overall body structure.  Thereafter, the person in charge assured him that his complaint would be investigated, and he would be informed if there is any lead in the case.

Neelkanth, thereby, returned to his shop and began his daily routine.  Atleast on a couple of occasions, he used to come out of the shop to get some fresh air. 

That day when he did so, he could see a lady looking on both sides of the street to cross over.  From her ragged clothing Neelkanth could make out her poor condition.  The lady walked up to him and asked him if he was the owner of the shop. 

As Neelkanth agreed, she began to converse with him with folded palms, “Some time back my son, Ved, had tasted pedas of your shop from one of his friends’ place.  He has been adamant ever since that he wants to eat more of these sweets.

We are very poor people, sire!  My husband lost his employment after he became bedridden owing to a back-ache problem.  Although he has recovered, he has still not managed to get employment anywhere.  I am a housemaid in a couple of residences and my earning hardly makes end meet in the family.  I had asked the household owners to give me some advance this month which they declined. 

Now, the situation is such that if I purchase pedas from your shop, it would be very difficult to make ends meet till I receive my wages.   Your sweets are too costly for us to afford!

To quell Ved’s ceaseless demand for the pedas I told him that I shall get them on his birthday which was still some time away then.  Today is his birthday!  He is very upset that he has not been offered the pedas as promised. 

Sire, we hardly catered to his various demands as a child.   However, today on his birthday I do not have the heart to disappoint him!

If you can offer me a couple of Pedas, I shall forever be grateful to you and do whatever labor you deem fit to repay the debt!  Please, O Sire!”  the lad begged.

Neelkanth felt sorry for her.  He asked her to wait and went inside the shop.  Soon, he returned with a box full of Pedas and handed it to her, “Here!  Take it!   Give this to your son!  Please do not worry about making any payment!  It is a gift from me for your son on this special occasion!

 Today I could not make any offering to the Lord owing to some unfortunate incident.  When your son eats these Pedas joyfully, I will feel that I have made my offering of the day to my Lord!”

The lady thanked him effusively with teary eyes and was about to touch his feet which the businessman averted.  

She then took her leave.  After this incident, Neelkant enjoyed immense peace of mind!  Neelkanth had now grasped what the sage was trying to convey.  Serving the needy was perhaps the best means to find favor in the eyes of the divine!   

After the businessman returned home in the evening, he heard hard knocks on the door.  On opening the door he could not find anyone around!  Then he looked down and found a familiar light violet colored bundled cloth lying beside the door!

Surprised, he picked it up and looked around. 

There was no one around.  He went inside the house and kept the bundle on the bed.  He quickly untied it and lo!  All his gold coins and chain that the thief had looted from him in the morning were inside that bundle!  Neelkanth could not believe his eyes!  His joy knew no bounds!  However, soon this joy was clouded by a sense of incomprehension as to who had returned this to him?