35 Years After Borrowing Rs 1,000, Kerala Man Returns Rs 25,000 To Ex-Colleague With Interest

More than three decades after borrowing a small amount of money from a friend in Saudi Arabia, a Kerala man went looking for him with nothing but a fading memory and a promise he still wanted to keep.

With no phone number, address or contact details, Ismail set out to find his former colleague, Edla Lachanna, whom he had not seen in years.

On July 9, his search eventually took him to Dharmapuri in Telangana's Jagtial district, where he finally tracked down his friend and repaid a debt that had stayed on his mind for decades.

Friends In Saudi Arabia

Ismail and Lachanna became friends in 1991 while working in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. They shared accommodation with three other expatriate workers and lived together for nearly five years.

During that time, Ismail borrowed 120 Saudi Riyals from Lachanna. The amount was worth around Rs 1,000 then. He promised that he would return the money when he was able to.

Soon afterwards, Lachanna returned to India. As there were no mobile phones or social media at the time, the two eventually lost touch.

Though the amount was not very large, Ismail never forgot about it.

Recently, he decided to find his old friend and return the money. The task was not easy. He did not have Lachanna's phone number, address or any other contact details. The only thing he remembered was that Lachanna belonged to Dharmapuri.

Using online searches and that one piece of information, Ismail located the town and travelled there. After asking local people for help, he was finally able to trace his former colleague.

After reconnecting with Lachanna, Ismail handed over Rs 25,000 to his family.

At the time, Lachanna was working in the Gulf. The two spoke through a WhatsApp video call.

'He Is A Very Honest Man'

Lachanna said he was surprised when Ismail repaid him Rs 25,000 for a loan of just 120 Saudi Riyals that he had given him nearly 35 years ago.

Calling Ismail an honest and good-hearted man, he said the gesture reflected the strength of their friendship and thanked him for keeping his promise after all these years.

He said, "Both of us lived in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. In the evenings, we would go to his room, cook food and eat together. That is how our friendship grew. Later, I gave him 120 Riyals, the Saudi Arabian currency. It has been almost 35 years since I lent him that money. I do not know how he calculated Rs 25,000 for those 120 Riyals. He is a very honest and good man. That is why he gave me more money. It is simply a reflection of our friendship."

He added, "I do not know whether he included interest in the amount. At that time, 120 Riyals was equal to about Rs 1,000. If we sent 120 Riyals through a bank in 1991, we would receive around Rs 1,000 in India. Since many years have passed, I think he may have added interest before repaying me, but I am not sure. I am thankful to him for returning the money."