Thanks to a heart-warming display of honesty and generosity by a 31-year-old Bhutanese taxi driver in Thimphu, an Indian tourist could salvage all his lost belongings this afternoon. Tshering Dorji, the taxi driver went beyond his call of duty by returning the Indian tourist’s misplaced bag which contained cash and other important possessions.
It seemed like it was just another day at the office for Tshering Dorji until he came across a misplaced bag at the Tashichhodzong viewpoint in Ziklukha on his way back to town. Upon opening the bag, he came across documents belonging to Yogen Tshering Bhutia, an Indian tourist from Chowrasta in Darjeeling. Among the items were notes amounting to Nu 43,000 and Rs 16,000, ATM cards and personal identification cards.
He took it upon himself to take the belongings to the police as he could not trace the person’s contact number.
Tshering Dorji said, “after picking up the bag and checking what was inside, I couldn’t find anything that could connect me with the rightful owner, however, I knew the person was a tourist. So I went straight to the police station where the owner arrived after five minutes. With the help of a police personnel, I could hand over the bag to the owner.”
Yogen Tshering Bhutia, the grateful recipient, expressed profound appreciation for Tshering Dorji’s honesty and reliability and gave him Nu 5,000 as a token of gratitude.
“I have an experience of losing my wallet along with important documents in the past. So seeing this happen to another person makes me feel sad which I can also resonate with. And the tourist must have also come here knowing how beautiful and peaceful our country is, so it is right that we return such things especially since the amount was really huge. I am currently overwhelmed with my friends and family calling me now and then regarding the incident. Having the same experience, I feel that I have done the right thing and feel proud of myself,” added Tshering Dorji.
This heart-warming story is a testament to the goodness that can be found in people, and it highlights the brotherly affection between the people of two truly friendly nations.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Kipchu
