18/03/2026
Transcription
For years, everyone along the border believed that Ravi was a smuggler. He was, in fact, famous for it. Again and again, he crossed the border between India and Pakistan riding a donkey.
GUARD: "Stop! Get off the donkey immediately!"
Each time, the guards stopped him and carefully searched everything he carried. They emptied his sacks onto the ground and inspected every item: tools, vegetables, cloth, rope. They checked his documents and examined the donkey's saddle to make sure it didn't conceal a hidden compartment. On several occasions, they detained him for hours, as though he were a murderer. Yet they never uncovered any contraband. One officer thought he must have developed a sophisticated method they were not aware of. He believed nobody would cross the border that often if they weren't trafficking something. Another guard disagreed.
GUARD: "If he were transporting illegal goods, we would have found evidence by now. He can't have been carrying anything without us noticing. We have always been very thorough."
Speculation began to spread among the border guards. Some believed Ravi might be involved in organised crime. Others suspected he was part of a smuggling network operating on both sides of the border. A senior officer even suggested that Ravi might have been testing security procedures to expose weaknesses.
GUARD: "He might have been gathering information." "He could have been reporting back to someone."
As months turned into years, the searches became more intrusive. The guards measured and photographed the saddlebags. They compared one crossing to the next, looking for inconsistencies. They kept written records, convinced that a pattern would eventually emerge. Still, nothing.
The absence of proof only deepened their suspicion. Ravi's calm behaviour unsettled them. He never appeared anxious. He never attempted to bribe anyone. If he had been innocent, they reasoned, he would have stopped crossing long ago to avoid the harassment.
Over time, Ravi grew older, and his journeys became less frequent. Eventually, he retired and settled in a quiet village near the border. Without regular crossings to monitor, the investigation quietly faded.
Years later, a former border guard happened to pass through that village. He recognised Ravi instantly, sitting outside his modest house, repairing a wooden cart. The guard hesitated before approaching.
GUARD: "I'm no longer an officer, there are no charges pending. No interrogation. Just curiosity. For years, we suspected you of smuggling. We examined every possession. We documented every crossing. If you weren't transporting illegal goods, then what were you doing? And if you were, how did you avoid detection?"
RAVI: "You were right to be suspicious."
GUARD: "So you admit it? You were smuggling something."
RAVI: "I was."
GUARD: "Gold? Weapons? Stolen merchandise? What did we miss?"
RAVI: "I was smuggling donkeys."
