Malappuram: Fifty years is long enough for most people to forget a debt. But Abdullah was certain he would never find peace until he repaid the ₹93 he owed- a small sum that had weighed heavily on his conscience for decades. Determined to settle it before his last breath, he began a search that eventually led him back to a small shop in Andhra Pradesh, becoming an unlikely example of honesty and personal ethics.

For half a century, Abdullah lived with the memory of the unpaid amount. Though the sum was modest, the financial hardships he faced at the time had prevented him from clearing it, and the guilt lingered like a major loan. After years of searching, he finally located the shop- only to find that the owner and his son had died in the meantime. Undeterred, he continued looking until he traced the shop owner's grandson.

When Abdullah handed over the present-day equivalent of the old debt, his face lit up with sheer relief, which was worth far more than the money itself. C P Abdullah (73), a native of Velimukku Palakkal, travelled 800 kilometres to clear his half-century-old debt.

Abdullah had once run a hotel business in the Gani Gally locality of Kurnool One Town in Andhra Pradesh. He owed ₹93 to the shop from which he bought groceries. Later, he closed the hotel and moved into another sector, becoming a successful businessman. He was the first to start the marble and Kadappa black stone business in Malabar and now owns multiple enterprises.

Though he tried to clear the debt in the intervening years, he failed to trace the shop owner. One day, he shared his anguish with local social worker and differently-abled activist Shefeek Panakkadan. When Abdullah said he would never find peace until the debt was repaid, Shefeek suggested making one more attempt.

Subsequently, Abdullah and Shefeek set out for Andhra, in the company of Safeel Muhammed and Mujeeb Palliyali. They also contacted Abdullah’s nephew, Ismail Aanappuram, in Andhra Pradesh to make inquiries. But the search proved futile. Eventually, the group reached Andhra and tracked down the shop.

The debt had been owed to one Ibrahim Miya, but he and his sons, Gafar and Jabbar, had died. Only his grandson, Maqbool Ahammad, remained. Maqbool was stunned when he was told the purpose of the visit. He declined to accept the money, saying the very act of coming all the way was fulfilling enough. But Abdullah insisted and returned only after handing over a larger sum by calculating the value of money equivalent to the old debt. Members of the local Malayali community, Ismail Aanappuram, Mustafa Kokkaparamban, and Jaseel Kazhungum Thottathil, were also present.