More than thirty years after borrowing a small amount from a friend in Saudi Arabia, a man from Kerala embarked on a journey across states to honor a long-standing promise. With no phone number, address, or any other means of contact, Ismail managed to locate his former coworker, Edla Lachanna, in Dharmapuri, situated in Telangana’s Jagtial district, to repay a debt that originated nearly 35 years ago.

The two individuals formed a friendship in 1991 while employed in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, where they lived together with three other expatriates for nearly five years, according to various media reports. During this time, Ismail borrowed 120 Saudi Riyals, approximately Rs 1,000 at that time, from Lachanna.

Shortly thereafter, Lachanna returned to India. In an era before mobile phones and social media, the two gradually lost touch. Despite the modest sum, Ismail stated that he never forgot about the loan. Driven by a desire to fulfill his commitment, he recently began searching for Lachanna, relying solely on the memory that his friend hailed from Dharmapuri.

After identifying the town, Ismail made the journey there and sought assistance from local residents. Ultimately, he was able to trace Lachanna’s family on July 9. As Lachanna was abroad for work at that time, the two reconnected via a WhatsApp video call. Ismail then presented Rs 25,000 to Lachanna’s family as repayment.

Upon receiving the money, Lachanna expressed astonishment, admitting he never anticipated Ismail would return the debt after so many years, let alone repay a significantly larger amount.

Lachanna also mentioned that he was uncertain whether Ismail had included interest in the repayment. “Back then, 120 Riyals was roughly equivalent to Rs 1,000. Given the passage of time, I suspect he may have added interest, but I cannot be sure. I am grateful to him for repaying the loan,” Lachanna was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times.