Kerala Man Repays 35-Year-Old Debt To Former Saudi Colleague

A remarkable story of honesty and enduring friendship has emerged from Telangana, where a Kerala man repaid a decades-old debt after tracking down his former colleague nearly 35 years later. Ismail travelled to Dharmapuri in Jagtial district on July 9 to return ₹25,000 to his longtime friend, Edla Lachanna, whom he had lost contact with after they worked together in Saudi Arabia in the early 1990s. The repayment was made for a loan of 120 Saudi Riyals, worth about ₹1,000 at the time it was was borrowed.

Ismail and Lachanna became close friends in 1991 while working in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Along with three other expatriate workers, they shared accommodation and lived together for nearly five years. During that period, Ismail borrowed 120 Saudi Riyals from Lachanna with a promise that he would repay the amount when he was financially able to do so. Soon afterwards, Lachanna returned to India, and the two gradually lost contact in an era before mobile phones and social media.

Although the amount was relatively small, Ismail never forgot the loan or the promise he had made. Determined to repay the debt, he recently began searching for his former colleague despite having no phone number, address or personal contact details. The only information he remembered was that Lachanna belonged to Dharmapuri. Using online resources and local inquiries after reaching the town, Ismail eventually located Lachanna's family.

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After reconnecting with his friend, who was working in the Gulf at the time, Ismail handed over ₹25,000 to Lachanna's family and later spoke with him through a WhatsApp video call. The amount far exceeded the original loan, leading many to believe it included interest accumulated over the decades, although Ismail did not publicly explain how he calculated the final sum. The gesture drew appreciation for the sincerity with which he fulfilled a promise made more than three decades earlier.

Lachanna said he was deeply surprised and touched by Ismail's decision to return the money after so many years. Describing him as an honest and kind-hearted person, he recalled their days together in Saudi Arabia, where they regularly cooked and shared meals after work. He said the repayment reflected the strength of their friendship rather than the value of the original loan and expressed gratitude for Ismail's unwavering commitment to keeping his word.

Lachanna added that he was unsure whether the ₹25,000 included interest but noted that 120 Saudi Riyals was equivalent to around ₹1,000 in 1991. Regardless of the calculation, he said the repayment represented a rare example of integrity and loyalty in today's world. The heartwarming reunion has since drawn widespread admiration, with many praising Ismail for honouring a decades-old promise despite the passage of time and the challenges involved in finding his old friend.

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