The Decent Policewala

I don’t know if you would find this to be as amusing as I thought it was, but it was something I never expected. In fact, for a moment, I really thought I was on candid camera or something and someone was probably playing a prank on me.

It so happened, that late evening yesterday I went out to buy some stuff from a shopping complex right behind my housing society. As soon as I was finished and drove out, I was stopped by a policeman. It was a make-shift check post and I was asked to show the car’s registration papers and my driving license as per the normal procedure.

The cop who stopped me was a lean lanky figure with bushy whiskers, fair skin and gentle eyes. As soon as he looked at the car’s registration papers, he began questioning me about the details. I wasn’t perturbed by his interrogation as this I believe, is the part of routine procedure. 

It was what he said after he confirmed the model and the year that I was all amused. He started with “भाई साहब, आप यहीं रहते हैं?” and pointed to the buildings of the society behind his back? (Oh yeah, I was surprised. One normally doesn’t associate good behavior or an informal conversation like that with a constable from Haryana Police).

“हाँ जी” I replied.

'”यहाँ  तो लोग गाड़ियां बेचते रहते हैं?” he said, “आपकी नज़र में कोई गाडी हो तो बताइए. Alto, 800, Santro कोई भी चलेगी”.

“OK”, I said.

“आपकी वाली भी, अगर आपने देनी हो तो” he continued in the same spirit.

I was really amused now. Couldn’t figure out if he had stopped me for verifying the papers at all or just to finalize on a second hand car. He proceeded onto give me his number, not fine me for an expired ‘Pollution Under Check’ certificate (mine expired a week ago) and even shook hands and smiled as I drove away.

The only thing which he perhaps did not do was to point his gun at me and run away with my car. (He seemed to be a little too nice for being a cop which got me really suspicious).

All the same since I ‘promised’ to look for a suitable deal for him, all you people out there let me know if you would like to sell your old hatchbacks to a relatively decent ‘पुलिसवाला’ and I shall let him know.

This episode also reminded me of one of the comic characters I had almost forgotten. For those who have favored shoddy Indian comics over their glitzy American counterparts, here’s a piece of nostalgia for you.