No one stole Mamma's laptop

Times have come to naught it would seem!

This apathy factor of everyone around us― we are just not bothered about others….whether someone lies bleeding on the road or a robber runs away with stuff or someone guns down a person in broad day light….what are we doing as spectators and why aren’t we moved enough? Why? Why?

I have donned the task of a ‘cop’ going around the sultry summer sun in the busy market place, questioning onlookers or even hawkers, trying to find out who stole my laptop…..

The day was full of activities...the housemaid didn't turn up on time so I set about completing my household chores trying to meet the deadline. Like an automaton I managed to complete washing, swabbing and cleaning on time. As soon as I procured the car keys from inside the drawers, hung my laptop around my shoulders and my lunch box and went down the steps two at a time to my car...it was already 10 AM and I had to be in office by 11!

I decided to call office to inform that I would be in late and lo and behold! the cell wouldn't respond! I tried all tricks to get it working but Satan was upon me....Not the person to give up so easily I decided to get down near the mobile repair shop which was down the road.

Thankfully the shop was open and the engineer was there! He checked my cell while I talked to my project manager. After disappearing into his workshop the guy could not repair my cell and decided that I needed to change my old toy...

Seeing sense in his observation, I decided to visit the ATM to get cash and buy a new Smartphone for myself! I went to my car to get my purse....then went to the ATM to get cash...then went around paying and selecting a new model, signing the invoice....The shop had begun to crowd...there was the morning beggar, the tea- wallah boy...the college-going student who must have thought to just drop in to have a look. I looked at my watch...it was already time. Having purchased my new toy, with the black heavy box in my hand, my brow dampened with sweat and a big grin on my face I started for work....

I opened the car door only to realize that someone had dropped in some big glass sheet on the co-driver’s seat...no wait the realization dawned suddenly that it was not a glass sheet but my window pane had caved in. I banged the door shut and went about the parking space searching for the vehicle which broke my window pane...but wait this was not some vehicle that scratched against my window pane! Suddenly I comprehended that I must look for my laptop...and yes of course it was not there!

The whole realization stuck me and shook me like a lightning bolt...that some rogue must have broken the window pane just to grab the laptop!

The next few hours were nightmarish....I went running to the Sentry standing near the gate of the ATM to ask if he had seen anyone..."we only guard the ATM," he said...I scampered to the cobbler who was right next to the car, thought he would have seen some one. He feigned ignorance too...I dialed 100 from my new cell...no one picked up....no one seemed to have seen anyone who broke opened glass window and went away with a laptop!!

I found myself in the Police station waiting endlessly...going over the turn of events again and again preparing myself for the myriad of questions that would come my way...

The crime detection branch wanted to see the state of my vehicle...I went with the plainclothes men to the site where my wounded car stood the onlookers' scrutiny.
The men hardly went about their job of enquiring the people around...they just waited and saw the broken car…it was a busy market and to have a thing stolen at 11 in the morning was atrocious...I stood there with the men asking people, talking to the crowd which was pretending to be ignorant seeing the police bikes....It was in vain..

After the unfortunate day when I returned home wounded and feeling defeated my son asked me, “who stole your laptop?" and I replied..." No one stole Mamma's laptop, coz Mamma's going to find out that one day."
But wait I am still looking for my laptop. The office charged me dearly for losing it since it was issued in my company's name. All the hard work was stolen!

It’s sad that no one will ever bring out candles at midnight in memory of my laptop so that the media can take a note and start investigating...the people around the market will not commit to nothing and the cops? Oh they have earned their bread by typing a long FIR so that I can claim it some day...isn’t that enough?

Not one to be let down...I am still on the job..silently watching every move the people around the place is making and will one day break this case even....