The car stopped in the middle of the Leopard Trail Road. Alok Sengupta, retired civil engineer tried to restart the engine a few times, the car made scaarrr… scaarrr noise but did not start. Beside him sat his 12 years old grandson who is visiting his grandparents, a week ahead of his parents coming from Seattle, USA. Alok picked him up from the Delhi airport and was on their way home to Sohna where Alok had moved after retirement, building a decent house with lots of greenery around. He came out of the car and opened the hood of the car but in the pitch dark he couldn’t see anything. He was cursing himself for not retaining the driver for this trip even though Sutapa, his wife insisted but he dismissed the idea. He lighted a cigarette and contemplated calling his friend Aro who lived in Gurgaon. Just then a voice from the woods called out, “Sir, I can repair your car if you permit.” Alok was startled and looked enquiring at the source of the voice, about 15-20 metres from him, a man was standing under a tree, only his silhouette could be seen not the face.

“Who are you?”

“I am a mechanic by profession Sir.”

“How come you are here at this late hour?”

“Sir, we keep an eye on this and other highways, just in case someone needs us.”

“Okay, see if you can bring the car to life.”

The man came out from the shadow of the trees and approached the car. Alok switched on the torch on his mobile to help the mechanic.

“Switch off the light Sir, I don’t need any light.”

“How will you work in this darkness?”

“No worries, Sir, we are used to the darkness.”

 The mechanic swiftly went under the car and started twinkling with the auto parts. Alok waited patiently puffing away cigarettes one after the other. As a civil engineer working with the PWD, he had made this road cutting through the jungle and hills. He had insisted on having at least two gas stations on this 26 km stretch of the winding road but his idea was turned down for reasons not privy to him.

“How much longer?” Alok asked.

“Just another few minutes… almost done, Sir.”

After another ten odd minutes, the mechanic called out from under the car, “Please take your seat in the car and start the engine.”

Alok, with a bit of uncertainty, sat on the car, his grandson fallen asleep. He pushed the start button and magically the car engine revved up.

“It’s done Sir, go ahead and drive safely.”

Alok was hesitant to move thinking the man was still under the car, he shouted out, “You come out from under the car.”

“I am already out Sir.” The voice came from a distance in the woods.

In the dim light of the stars he could see the man standing under a tree in the distance. He switched on the headlight of the car to see him clearly but the man had gone behind the tree.

“Sir, go ahead straight and you will reach at the bridge which will take you to the main highway. I am glad that I could be of help to you.”

Alok followed the advice, although he was well versed with the road having built it few years ago. Soon he reached the bridge which led him to a tea stall just before hitting the highway. He stopped, the skies are lighting up slowly, it will soon be morning. He needed a warm cup of tea. He woke up his grandson to check if he would like some warm milk but he refused and went back to sleep.

He asked for a Masala Chai and lit up a cigarette, if Sutapa was around, she, surely would have admonished him. The took a sip of the warm chai and let the liquid flow down his throat warming his whole body. Just then a man wrapped in a shawl approached him and gave him two pieces of paper. Before, Alok could react, the man walked away and vanished.

Alok finished his Chai, paid up and sat in the car. Before starting the engine, he decided to check the papers. The first sheet was a death certificate and the second sheet was a letter to the authority signed by him only. It was an application for compensation to the family of a victim who died when a part of the under-construction bridge collapsed during a spell of torrential rain. The victim was Sanjay Singh, a mechanic by profession. He was riding on the service road when a concrete slab from the bridge fell on him. He died on the spot. Alok had fought with his superiors and taken the matter to the office of the then Chief Minister to ensure the family of deceased Sanjay Singh is suitably compensated.

Alok, looked at the sky which was turning red with the first lights of the sun and thanked the mechanic Sanjay Singh for helping him in a dire situation. The night mechanic paid his gratitude.