Navin’s Eight-Hour Deadline: Awards and rewards
The Hindu
A crash, a thud and a stroke later, Mrs. Rao became a hero. What was Navin to do now?
Story So Far: Navin’s mission to get his neighbour’s house burgled fails when his old neighbour turns out to be a Karate black belt.
Navin bit his lip. Things were not going well. The police sirens woke the neighbours and a crowd followed two policemen into the house. Navin even saw his parents there. After hearing Mrs. Rao’s story, the police praised her quick reflexes and one man escorted the now-conscious burglar into the police van. The older policeman returned the stolen items to Mrs. Rao.
“Ma’am, there is a reward of two lakhs for nabbing this burglar. Our chief will personally present you with the cheque. Though his accomplice has escaped, we are certain we will nab him in a few days. We will nominate you for the Senior Citizen Bravery Award,” the policeman said as he was leaving.
The crowd cheered and clapped. Mrs. Rao looked delighted. Navin scowled. The old lady was richer by two lakhs and would also be nominated for an award. The police behaved almost as if she’d nabbed a dreaded terrorist instead of a local burglar.
“Please return to your houses,” the policeman told the crowd. “Ma’am, I’ll post a couple of man outside your house for a few days, just in case the accomplice returns.”
“Thank God, I forgot to take my sleeping tablet today,” Mrs. Rao told Navin’s mother. After locking the door, Mrs. Rao returned to her room. Navin lingered in the living room, mulling over his next course of action.
“That was very good, Navin. You have made an old lady very happy,” Greta appeared before him. “You didn’t even need eight hours. You accomplished your task in less than two hours. It was clever to first open Mrs Rao’s living room window, then her bedroom door to lure the burglar. Then you enticed him with the keys. Dropping the glass was the real masterstroke,” her eyes twinkled happily. Thankfully, she wasn’t aware of his real intentions.
A first-generation entrepreneur, Ramoji Rao is credited with changing the Telugu media landscape launching the Eenadu newspaper with innovative news coverage and page design. Later, he moved into Television launching the ETV as an entertainment channel and also the first 24-hour news channel in Telugu.