Much travelled around the world, the Pauls found themselves tripping on home ground, when Mr S Paul and Ms K. Paul and her friend decided to visit the Balaji temple at Tirupati. A South Kolkata travel agent arranged their trip and they arrived at the Tirupati railway station in the evening. The hotel was at Tirumala and a car was booked to take them to the hotel. It was dark when they set off and it started to drizzle.
The road was absolutely deserted and the vehicle slowed down because the road had turned slippery. Worse, the road was serpentine, making the journey trickier still. It was almost midnight when they reached Tirumala. But where was the hotel? They could not locate the address. The driver, tired and irritated after a long day, threatened to leave them on the deserted road.
They asked a local if he had any idea where the hotel was and fortunately he told them that there was a hotel a few kilometres down the hill. The road looked treacherous for a car and they would perhaps have to walk. They pleaded with the driver to take the risk and drive them to the hotel and he finally took pity.
All’s well that ends well and they could find one hotel with lights on and doors open. Without asking any question, they went in and took the room that the manager offered. The driver was warmly thanked and tipped generously. For the rest, Lord Tirupati ensured a smooth stay.
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