I have been the kind of person who always sees the good in the world. I have been the kind who wants to do good, and expects to receive good in return. I believe in maintaining the harmony of Nature.

But recently, my confidence has been challenged quite extremely. A delivery boy from Zomato came in to deliver food to my neighbour, but on his way out, stole a pair of one of my favourite shoes. They were kept in the shoe-rack outside my home, but, that thief thought that they were kept there for him to steal away.

After scrubbing through hours of CCTV footage, I finally caught the exact moment this act took place. I even got the details about the thief from the security guard's entry log. His name is Hemendra Meena. I got his contact details, and told him to return what did not belong to him. He denied having done anything at all. This made me angry. I went to the police station to file a complaint, but even the police didn't cooperate much. "Cooperate for a pair of shoes?" you might ask. A fair question. But it's not just about the shoes. Today, he found the courage to steal someone's shoes. Tomorrow, he may find the courage to commit a more serious, a more dangerous crime. Will that act be justified then?

After heading back home, disappointed, and sad, knowing that despite having all the evidence I need, I couldn't teach the guy a lesson. I no longer cared about the shoes, I cared more about the justice.

Later, I saw a few of the society committee members discussing the matter in detail, and how the safety of the society was under threat. One gentleman, pulled a few strings, and the police are now actively looking for the thief.

I have also reported a fraud to Zomato, and have asked for strict actions to be taken against the man, and I to be compensated for the loss of my time and resources.

At the end of the day, as I am writing this blog post, I am thinking to myself, "Did I do something extreme just to find the shoes? Was the effort to catch the shoe-thief even worth it? Am I actually thinking about justice or revenge?" I don't know. I feel like it was my duty to do something about fixing what I thought was broken. It may result in justice, or disappointment. But one thing that I know I learnt from it is that in life you must remember that the world is out there to satiate its own needs. If you feel like feeding the world, remember to not over-extend yourself along the way. You may not have anything more to give to the world, but the world will strip away anything that you may have left. I am not referring to money, fame, respect. I am talking about everything!

Anyway, after being completely spent, my roommate and I went out to have a good dinner. I had a cappuccino, spicy garlic noodles, and a veggie pizza. Not something that I eat regularly, but I had these items to remember this day. To remember that I am my own saviour, and that my trust should not be given, rather should be earned.

Would love to know your thoughts about it.

Pancham