Raman's footwear

Vaman Rao had a dabba shop on KG road Bangalore selling cigarettes, beedies, bananas, newspapers, magazines and things of that kind which theatre goers would often buy. The front half of the shop’s door would collapse to make a kind of counter behind which he stood and attended to his customers.

Raman, a friend of Vaman Rao, would often come and sit on a portion of that counter, dangling his legs on the road side. Raman had bought a brand new pair of footwear from the Bata shop opposite and leaving the new footwear below Raman sat as usual on the platform dangling his legs and watching the crowd. Customers came and customers went, Vaman Rao was busy behind the counter. When It was time for Raman to go home --horror of horrors, where was the brand new Bata footwear? Some one had slipped into it and vanished leaving a pair of battered and much mended chappals behind!! For several days Raman spent his time scrutinising the feet of the passers by on KG road with the hope of identifying his lost footwear, but alas to no avail.