Man gets debt-free after 35 years as he finds generous friend's home in India
Ismail and Edla Lachanna. Image: collected
A man from the Indian state of Kerala has set an inspiring example of honesty and friendship by repaying a debt he owed to a friend 35 years ago.
According to NDTV, Ismail had borrowed 120 Saudi riyals from his friend Edla Lachanna while the two were working together in Saudi Arabia in the early 1990s. At the time, the amount was equivalent to about 1,000 Indian rupees.
On July 9, Ismail travelled to Dharmapuri in the southern Indian state of Telangana with only his old memories to guide him, as he did not know his friend's current address. After seeking help from local residents, he managed to locate Lachanna's family and repaid the long-overdue debt.
Ismail and Lachanna had worked together in Saudi Arabia and were close friends. They lived at the same address for nearly five years. During that time, Ismail borrowed the money from Lachanna to meet an urgent need and promised to repay it.
Soon afterward, Lachanna returned to India. With no mobile phones or social media available at the time, the two eventually lost contact.
Although the amount was relatively small, Ismail never forgot the debt. Recently, he decided to fulfil the promise he had made decades earlier. Armed only with the knowledge that his friend was from Dharmapuri, he travelled there and, with the help of local residents, eventually found Lachanna's home.
Lachanna himself was not there, having returned to the Gulf for work. Instead, Ismail handed 25,000 rupees to his family as repayment of the loan, including what he considered fair compensation for the passage of time. The two friends later shared an emotional conversation over a WhatsApp video call.
Lachanna said he was astonished to receive 25,000 rupees in return for a loan of just 120 riyals made 35 years earlier. He said he was deeply moved by his friend's honesty and unwavering commitment to keeping his word.
Recalling their time together in Saudi Arabia, Lachanna said they cooked, ate and lived like family, forming a bond that endured despite decades of separation. He described Ismail's decision to repay the debt after so many years as a remarkable testament to integrity and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his longtime friend.
(Source: NDTV)
