The fuel chain by Mahavir Jagdev
Courtesy Mahavir Jagdev : In mid-1970s I was driving on my trusted Lamberreta scooter from Kanpur to Lucknow. There were no fuel gauges on scooters that time, one had to make ones own judgement about the fuel in the tank and how many miles the vehicle would travel.
A few miles short of Lucknow I ran out of fuel. I had been on the look out for a petrol station for quite a while, but they were few and far in between those days. I was literally stuck up on the road with the sun going down fast. I waved down at the cars and scooters passing-by asking for petrol. Most of the vehicles carried on without stopping. The few persons who stopped did not have a pipe or a bottle to transfer the petrol into my scooter's fuel tank. I had almost given up hope. Than old man on a motorcycle stopped and asked me if I wanted petrol. Yes, I said in sheer desperation. He opened the toolbox and took out an empty bottle and a plastic pipe. Dipping the pipe in his motorcycle's fuel tank he sucked out the petrol and filled up the bottle and handed it to me. I put the petrol in my scooter and started it, what a relief it was.
When I asked the old man about the payment for the petrol, he refused to take any money. Instead he said, “I have been carrying this bottle of petrol for many years for you. If ever you find someone stranded on the road asking for petrol, just pass it on and I will receive the payment for this bottle of petrol”, and he drove off. Since that day I had been carrying a plastic pipe and an empty bottle in my car, waiting for my man.
One morning in mid-1980s I was driving from Chandigarh to Patiala in my car. Short of Patiala I saw a young couple standing besides a scooter and waving at the passing vehicles for help, but no one stopped. From a distance I knew he was the man I had been looking for all these years. I stopped my car near him and asked him if wanted petrol. Yes, he said almost in joy. I took out the empty bottle and the plastic pipe from my car boot. Filled up the bottle with petrol from the car fuel tank and handed him the bottle of petrol. He was surprised to find out that not only was I willing to give him petrol but was fully equipped. He emptied the petrol in his scooter tank and started it.
In all his earnestness he asked me, “How much do I pay you for the petrol?”. I remembered the old man's words and replied,”You want to pay me the money for the petrol which I have been carrying for the past ten years for you”. The young boy could not make out what I was trying to convey, till I said, “If ever you find anyone stranded on the road asking for fuel, transfer this bottle of petrol and I will receive my payment”, and I drove off. Hope he kept the chain going.
