A man from Kerala traveled to Telangana to repay a 25-year-old debt of Rs 25,000 to the family of his former colleague, Edla Lachanna. The repayment followed a determined search after years of lost contact.
Decades-Old Promise Fulfilled
Muhammed Ismail, a resident of Palakkad, Kerala, arrived in Dharmapuri, Telangana, seeking Lachanna’s family. The two had worked together in Saudi Arabia in the late 1990s, where Lachanna, originally from Jagtial district, had lent Ismail money during a financial hardship. Ismail had vowed to repay the amount once his situation improved.
After returning to India, Ismail faced continued financial struggles, delaying the repayment. Over time, he lost touch with Lachanna, retaining only the memory of Dharmapuri as a possible location. Using this detail, he located the town via Google and traveled there, inquiring locally until he found Lachanna’s family home.
Forgotten Loan, Remembered Duty
Lachanna’s family was unaware of the debt when Ismail arrived. They contacted Lachanna, who is currently working in the Gulf, and informed him of Ismail’s visit. Lachanna had reportedly forgotten the loan, but Ismail had carried the obligation for nearly 25 years.
Following a phone conversation, Ismail handed Rs 25,000 to Lachanna’s family, settling the long-overdue debt. The act closed a chapter that began with a gesture of trust in Saudi Arabia and ended with a journey across states to honor a promise.
