Courtesy begets courtesy

It was like any other tiring day for Kumar in the office. The reception lounge was crowded with customers with all of them waiting for their turn to meet him. He was a sales officer in a government company selling steel rods and structurals.The demand then for steel rods was very heavy far exceeding the availability. Housing activities were at peak. The rods were sold in the market by private traders and producers at a premium .Being a government company, the prices were fixed and much lower than the market prices. As a result all the house builders mostly drawn from middle class made a beeline to this office. There was a good system of registration of demands and supplies were made on first come first served basis. Kumar was an honest officer following strictly the rules laid down by the company.
The afternoon was relatively less busy. One visitor who met Kumar mentioned that he was an inspector of police and that he had applied for a small quantity of steel long back and was awaiting the company’s offer. Kumar promptly checked the records and found his turn had come due. He offered him a coke and meanwhile arranged the offer to be given to him on the spot. The inspector was greatly impressed with the customer service and thanked Kumar profusely before leaving.
It was about a month later Kumar was to leave by Shatabdi for Chennai urgently on an official business with his colleague. His colleague had to cancel his journey at the eleventh hour as he was unwell. Kumar was at the office up to 1 p.m...When he reached the counter for cancelling the colleague’s ticket and obtaining refund it was already late .He was then approached by a decent gentleman telling him that he was to travel by the same train urgently as his father had taken ill suddenly. Considering the fact that he hardly had fifteen minutes for the train, Kumar readily agreed and exchanged the ticket for the money. It was then a policeman appeared from nowhere and charged him with selling the ticket on black. Kumar pleaded with him that he was an officer in a government company and was in a hurry to catch the train. He requested him to let him go assuring that he would not commit such a mistake of selling directly. But the policeman was adamant and took him to the police out post in the station platform. All his fervent pleas to the constable to let him go fell on deaf ears.
Once he entered the police outpost, the inspector who was seated in the chair stood up and came forward to shake Kumar’s hand. With a beaming smile he said “how come you are here, Sir? Please take your seat.”
Kumar was bewildered at this bonhomie and was not able to place him. Seeing this, the inspector said ”Have you forgotten me, Sir? I met you a month back at your office for an offer of steel rounds. You not only obliged me promptly, you had even offered me cool drink as it was very hot and I was perspiring.”
Kumar replied “I have come here, Sir, under different and rather embarrassing circumstance. “
Even before he completed the inspector asked the constable as to why he brought his respected friend to the outpost. The moment he began narrating the incident, the inspector bellowed at him in anger” you idiot, rush to the guard, Saab is coming.”
Turning to Kumar he said “I am extremely sorry for this incident. I am unable to offer you even a cup of coffee as the train is about to depart. I cannot forget how nice you were then. Please do not mistake me.”
He came with Kumar up to the compartment and saw him off. As Kumar sat down in his seat with the train slowly moving, he realized that courtesy always begets courtesy.