Ismail tracked down his former colleague, Edla Lachanna, in Dharmapuri in Telangana's Jagtial district (Image: Meta AI)More than three decades after borrowing a small sum from a friend in Saudi Arabia, a man from Kerala travelled across states to fulfil a promise he had never forgotten. With no phone number, address or other contact details, Ismail tracked down his former colleague, Edla Lachanna, in Dharmapuri in Telangana’s Jagtial district and repaid a debt that dated back nearly 35 years.The two became friends in 1991 while working in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, where they shared accommodation with three other expatriate workers for almost five years, several media reports said. During that period, Ismail borrowed 120 Saudi Riyals (around Rs 1,000 at the time) from Lachanna.Soon afterwards, Lachanna returned to India. In the days before mobile phones and social media, the friends gradually lost contact. Despite the modest amount, Ismail said he never forgot the loan. Determined to keep his promise, he recently began searching for Lachanna using only his memory that his friend belonged to Dharmapuri, the reports added.After locating the town, Ismail travelled there and sought help from residents before finally tracing Lachanna’s family on July 9. As Lachanna was working in the Gulf at the time, the two reconnected through a WhatsApp video call. Ismail handed over Rs 25,000 to Lachanna’s family.Expressing surprise at the gesture, Lachanna said he never expected Ismail to return the money after so many years, let alone repay such a large amount.Lachanna said he was unsure whether Ismail had included interest while calculating the repayment. “At that time, 120 Riyals was equal to about Rs 1,000. Since many years have passed, I think he may have added interest before repaying me, but I am not sure. I am thankful to him for returning the money,” the Khaleej Times quoted Lachanna.