Some days become memorable because something wonderful happens. However, there are also days that stay in our minds because everything seems to go wrong. I remember one such day very clearly.

During my summer vacation, I returned to Mumbai from Pune. At the railway station, a friend handed me a jar of homemade pickle and requested me to deliver it to his brother, who lived in Andheri. The following Sunday morning, I set out to deliver the pickle. I reached Vikhroli railway station and planned to take a train towards Dadar. To my disappointment, I found that all train services were delayed for an indefinite period.

I then went to a nearby bus stop. A long queue had already formed there. After waiting for nearly two hours, I somehow managed to get into an overcrowded bus. A few stops later, I realized that my wallet was missing. Luckily, I had kept some cash in my shirt pocket. But my troubles were not over yet. Soon afterwards, the bus broke down and all the passengers had to get off. Left with no other option, I hired a taxi and continued my journey. On the way, a traffic police officer stopped the taxi. The driver was unable to produce a valid driving licence and was taken to the police station. Once again, I found myself stranded and wondered why everything was going wrong that day.

I then took an autorickshaw and headed towards Andheri. A few kilometres later, while taking a sharp turn, the rickshaw overturned. I fell out and so did the jar of pickle. It shattered on the road. Thankfully, I escaped with only minor injuries. At last, I reached my friend’s brother’s house. Unfortunately, the door was locked. The neighbours informed me that he had gone out early in the morning to attend a family function.

Tired, hungry and disappointed, I returned home late in the afternoon. The next day, I called my friend’s brother and told him about the unfortunate events of the previous day. He felt sorry for me and expressed his regret.