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Godforsaken

None | Byofftrack | Parmarthi Raina
Apr 25, 2006 02:01 AM IST

The good Samaritan was actually a crook who had simply disconnected the fuel pipe running from the fuel tank at the rear to the engine while the car was parked outside the temple.

‘Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in God?’ my friend Amar asked me, looking quite excited.

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“In God, yes; in miracles, not really. But what’s up?” I said. Amar continued, “Well, a real miracle happened to me the other day. You know I am not exactly the temple-going type, but last Sunday my wife persuaded me to go to the Hanuman temple in Old Delhi. I parked our car just outside the  temple. After spending about half-an-hour inside, we got into the car and were headed back home. Barely two kilometres down, the car’s engine spluttered and went dead. I opened the hood and peered in to see if I could find the fault. Everything seemed in order. I was puzzled why a perfect sounding engine had suddenly given up on us! And there was no way I would find a workshop or a car mechanic on a Sunday morning.

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“Suddenly a man came up on a bicycle and told me that he was a car mechanic on his way to Khan Market, where he worked. I gave way to him and he fiddled with the carburetor and the spark plugs, which he said were fine. He then took off the cap of the distributor and triumphantly declared that the contact breaker needed to be changed. When I asked him where we could get it, he dug his hand into his pocket and said it so happened that he had one left over from his work the day before. He said it would cost me Rs 300, including his labour. I had little choice. Five minutes later, the engine was purring like before. You cannot imagine my relief and I thanked God

for sending an angel in disguise. It was nothing short of a miracle!”When Amar finished, I asked him what car he was driving.

“A Maruti 800,” he replied.

“Did the mechanic even for a few seconds go toward the rear of the car after repairing the car and before starting the engine?” I asked.

“Now that you mention it, yes he did. But why do you ask?” he said.

“Well, my dear Amar, you have been duped!” I laughed, “This is an old trick. Your good Samaritan was actually a crook who had simply disconnected the fuel pipe running from the fuel tank at the rear to the engine while the car was  parked outside the temple. He then followed you on his bicycle knowing that as the residual fuel in the pipeline got consumed, the car engine would stop working. Then your God-sent angel replaced the contact breaker points, entirely unnecessarily, went to the rear of the car and reconnected the fuel pipe, charged you twice the normal charges and went his way, richer by Rs 300. You were duped, not saved, by the gods.”

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