Secret Donation
Most of the families in the village were from a lower middle class background. Amidst them, the businessman lived in a similar house. The businessman was not as rich as those in the city but was certainly in a better position than the people in the village. But he did not like to spend money. Since his daughter-in-law was expecting a child, he asked a person who went to the town to get some fruits worth two hundred and forty rupees. He immediately lodged this as an expense in the book. Giving the fruits to his wife, he said lovingly “Give these fruits to daughter-in-law. She has become very weak. You also have some of these fruits”
The businessman’s wife gave some apples, sapota and banana to her daughter-in-law. Hiding remaining fruits in her saree, she went out. The businessman asked his wife “Did you have some fruits?”
“Yes, I ate some of those fruits and I am going to meet Ramesh’s mother”. Said the businessman’s wife spreading the saree to cover more.
The businessman told his clerk “Ramesh’s financial condition is not good. His wife is pregnant as well. Who knows my wife better than I? I am miser but I get some spiritual merit due to my wife’s good deeds. I am the son of a trader, money’s movement cannot remain unnoticed by me. Please correct the accounts. Keep one hundred and twenty rupees for family expenses and another one hundred and twenty for donation”
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Eklavya
At the wedding reception of his boss’s daughter, Vineet noticed an old man walking with a hunch and couldn’t take his eyes of him. When he tried hard to recollect, he remembered him as Professor Pavan from college. He also remembered the incident when he left his sister’s wedding, not listening to his family, and reached professor’s practical class. As they were coming out of the class, Vineet laughed loud out of habit at one of his friend’s jokes. While laughing, he noticed Professor Pavan. The professor immediately called Vineet and said “You should be ashamed for making fun of your professor”
“Sir, I was not laughing at you. I was laughing at a joke that we had shared”
“I know why you were laughing. I will now see how you will pass this course”, said the professor as he put a red mark against Vineet’s name in the book.
It was mandatory that a student passed the course independently apart from the theory portion in the practical. That depended entirely on the professor. A poor Vineet shuddered at the thought of losing the year and pleaded frantically with the professor. However he was not moved. It was well known that the professor favoured students from his caste. Some of the good students from that caste were Vineet’s well-wishers. They went to the professor’s home and pleased with him “Sir, Vineet is a very good student and comes from a poor background”. But the professor had created an impression on Vineet and was not willing to change that. But atleast it worked to an extent that the professor did not fail Vineet but at the same time, he did not give him good marks as well.
As he felt his boss’s hand on his shoulders, he remembered the burden he felt in college.
“Vineet, let me introduce you to my guru”
“He is not just your guru, but mine too. Sir, haven’t you recognized me?”
“How can we forget each other Vineet?”
“Sir, I say it again today. I was not laughing at you. Won’t you forgive me even now?”
“You must be angry at me.”
“No, because you neither failed me nor ask for my thumb. I am capable enough to compete against your students now.”
*****
