Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Lost And Found

In our everyday life, we knowingly or unknowingly lose a lot of things. If lucky, we may get the lost thing but it happens very rarely. Today, for most of us mobile has become a part of life, wherever we go, it needs to be with us and if I’m not wrong, most of them also tend to lose it.

The first mobile I bought, after 3 years(quite long for one mobile), I lost it and never got back. Later started using one more mobile(gifted by my brother). Recently while travelling in auto to my office, I left my mobile in auto only. I called on my mobile number, but no one was picking, finally it came switched off. Whenever I travel in auto, I have a habit of seeing the driver’s detail that is put in a panel format at the back of driver’s seat. Luckily I remembered his driving license number. I was quite attached to this mobile, and somehow I wanted it back, so with this little information, I made up my mind to go to police station and give it a try.

I went to nearby police station, there I was asked to go to Shivajinagar police station (where I can get the driver’s details based on his license number). So I rushed to Shivajinagar police station, I gave the driver’s license number and within 5 minutes, driver’s name, address was got, the Police who gave the details was kind enough and he scanned and gave its print out to me. He advised me to go and launch a complaint in CubbonPark police station and if I have my mobile EMI number, then that would be helpful in tracking the mobile. Thanking them, I moved to CubbonPark police station. My complaint was taken, but was told that even if they get the driver, he might always say that he doesn’t know anything about it. So the best option is to give my mobile’s EMI number. Luckily I had my mobile’s EMI number which I gave it to them and left from there.

After a week, I got a call saying it has been tracked and to come to police station. I was very happy and went thinking I’ll get back my mobile. When I went there, two ladies(mother and daughter) were there. Police told that my mobile was being used by a number and when tracked, they found that it was in that girl’s name. But the girl kept saying that the number does not belong to her and she has no idea about it. The number that was tracked had her address, but she didn’t have any idea about that number. Police tried to make a call to that number, but it came switched off. The lady police over there took up the case and told that she will find out by getting the call list of that particular number and track the actual person. She gave her contact number to me and told I can call her and enquire about the status.

After a week, I called the lady police, she told that the call list had come, but the numbers in it are also coming switched off. I requested her to give me the numbers in the call list and told I will try from my end to find out. She gave me two numbers and I started making calls to them. One of them came switched off. The other number got connected, I told the person that I’m calling from Airtel, we are doing a survey and picking up some numbers randomly and calling them, I requested him to cooperate with me and answer some of my questions. He believed me and started answering my questions, I asked him whether it was a prepaid or postpaid connection, how is he finding the airtel network, what is his name and what is his mailing address. He gave up all the information. Finally I thanked him and told if any problem, then please do call 121 for help and kept the phone :-)

Immediately I called back to police and gave her the address, she was quite impressed and wanted to know how I managed to get it. I told her what happened and after hearing she told you are doing police’s work, I just said I’m just doing to get back my mobile. Every 2-3 days once, I kept calling that lady police and enquiring about the status. Finally after two weeks, I got a call from her saying they found the mobile and I can go and collect it. That evening, I went to police station, met the lady police and she handed over the mobile to me. The mobile was with the auto driver only and the SIM he used, he had given a wrong address which had landed that poor mother and daughter in police station.

Well, I just can’t say how I felt holding my mobile back in my hand, I felt as though I have achieved something impossible, it was a different experience. I had never been to police station nor made false calls to anyone, but here I had done all this. One thing I want to add here, normally the opinion we have about police is bad, but with this experience, my opinion changed. Atleast whichever police I came across during this phase were all kind enough and were very helpful. People say without giving bribe nothing happens in police station, but believe me, I didn’t give a rupee to anyone for this and neither did anyone ask for it. This was indeed a very good experience for me.