Mangal was sitting on his mother's lap, waving at his Nanaji , from inside the bus. Mangal was migrating to the city with his mother. A year ago from his migration, his father, lost a case on their ancestral property. And the family of his father's side made their life worst. To earn bread for his family, Mangal's father moved to the city and Mangal's mother with him shifted to her father's house. After finding a job there and secured a reasonable amount his father called them to the city.
After living in a rented house for several years, Mangal's father decided to build a house. He brought a piece of land from his saving and loan that he took from his saitji. He then took a loan from a bank and built a house for his family.
During the initial years, paying interest didn't impact their expenditure but as Mangal started getting promoted in the higher classes paying interest on the loan was started getting harder for Mangal's father. So, they decided to stop Mangal's study and put him in a job.
Mangal, who was intelligent, soon found himself in a food shop, washing dishes. Mangal accepted his faith and understood his father's situation. He worked hard in the shop and his quick learning ability, helped him in getting promotions. He, after 8 years, found himself in the position of head chef. His fame had spread all over the city. He was the heartbeat of the shop; people believed he had some kind of magic in his hand.
Mangal got married after 2 years of his promotion. His wife, Sushila, was an average looking women with great wit. Mangal's mother always felt proud of her daughter-in-law. And Mangal's father always said well about his son and daughter-in-law.
Mangal's married life was going well, he had few hurdles but in the end, everything was fine for him. He paid off his house loan and all her father's debt. He was blessed with two children; he was firm to make them study and never forced them to quit study and work. His shop also expanded and now, earning most in the city. Mangal's sait was also very happy from him and because of Mangal's talent and his loyalty, he occasionally came to shop.
One day, while returning home from a marriage function, his parents met an accident. His father died on the spot and his mother became heavily injured. She was admitted to the hospital for 6 months. Fortunately, doctors were able to save her but her half body became paralyzed.
The incident with his parents hit him mentally. His mother now needed much medical attention and to meet the expenditure, he started working more in the shop and continuously demanded raise from the sait, but he denied giving raise to him. Once the idea of stealing came to his mind, but his wife stopped him from doing that. And despite his protest, his wife started working as a household maid in the nearby society. His children were also eager to work but he strictly stopped them. He asked his children to work hard in their studies.
His children, because of circumstances, became mature before their age. They started helping at home and stopped demanding new things. Now, they don't like junk food and happy with whatever, their mother made, or, whatever, their father brought from the shop for dinner.
Mangal and his wife were working hard to stable their financial condition but one night everything had changed for them. They had never thought that something like this could happen to them.
A robbery happened at the night in the shop. Locks were not broken but opened. Mangal was the only one who had keys to them. He tried to prove his innocence but all evidence was against him. His saitji considered all his talk as hogwash and launched an FIR against him. The police investigation took place and Mangal had a hard time with the police. After the legal battle for 3 long years, Mangal got free from the case. But that legal battle had caused him a lot, his reputation was ruined and his home was mortgaged. He barely had his savings left.
He tried to find a job but was unable to do that. After searching a lot, he got placed in his old customer's office, as a peon.
In the meantime, saitji's shop had closed down. His sait was not able to run the business without him. The new chef didn't have magic in his hand and forging into account became a regular activity. So, Mangal's sait decided to shut it down and put his money in the bank. He is now surviving on his FD interest and fruit business.
Mangal was not earning much from his peon's job, but he didn't want to change it as it had less work to do.
Mangal soon had to change his decision of settling at the job as he was not able to pay his children's tuition fees and he required more money for their higher education. To keep the promise that he made to himself and for his children's better future he took a bold step.
He went to his saitji's house.
Saitji was basking in the garden, on the sofa, and reading the morning news paper, a cup of tea was there on the wooden table.
"Ram!Ram! sait," Mangal said, and sit on the ground in front of saitji's feet.
"Oh! Mangal," Saitji said, "How you have been?"
Saitji didn't look at Mangal and was busy reading the newspaper.
"He still does not trust me," Mangal thought, "Should I-"
"What brings you here?" Saitji said.
Mangal hesitated for while his mind was saying him to go back but he mustered up his courage and took a chance.
"I want to re-open our old shop," Mangal said.
Saitji took a long pause, shuffled the newspaper, and said, "Okay, but now I am too old for the revitalization of a business."
"With your blessings," Mangal said, "I will handle it my own."
"Okay!" Saitji thought for a while, called his servant, and asked him to bring the red diary.
He looked at his diary, did some calculations, and said, "You have to give me 1 lac in advance, also of that, 15000 fixed per month and 20% of monthly profit."
Mangal was delighted to hear the deal as it was very cheap for the location.
"I am ready, saitji." Mangal said.
"Okay, by the end of this month give me advance money," Saitji said.
"And one more thing saitji," Mangal said.
"What? You want my fruit business also," Saitji said, "I won't give you that at any cost."
" No! No! Saitji," Mangal said, "I just wanted to ask... do you still trust me."
Saitji stared at the door, stood up from the sofa, and went inside his home. A few minutes later, the gardener came, put tea on the table for him, and said, "Saitji will be busy in his daily routine. So, he will be not meeting you". Mangal's question remained unanswered.
"Why would he trust me, he said ' yes' because he needed someone to take care of his business," Mangal thought, " maybe he trusts me, otherwise why would he said yes."
Mangal became confused and stopped thinking about that. At night he discussed with, both, his mother and wife, about the deal. They all insisted Mangal carry forward that deal.
Mangal withdrew money from the bank, took a loan from his father-in-law, and mortgage his wife jewellery. He managed to collect 2,00,000 rupees.
Next week, he went to saitji's home, with his wife. They did all legal work there and saitji handed over the key of the shop to the Mangal. It was just an iron key but for Mangal, it was the key to his better life. His all dreams would come true from this key. This key would open the door of a new world for Mangal.
Mangal re-opened the shop the next morning. The news of Mangal returned as a cook had spread like fire in the city. All his patrons started visiting his shop again. The magic in the hand of the Mangal still had its power.
Mangal earned a good amount in the first month. Even after paying to saitji, he had 20000rs profit. Mangal was happy with his profit. He made a plan for the shop and to buy a home.
In half of the next month, the worst thing happened to Mangal, i.e., the spread of coronavirus. Lockdown happened in his city and his shop was also closed.
Profits from the previous month soon get exhausted. And surviving for Mangal's family became hard. They had to withdraw their last saving.
When everything was going bad for the Mangal, saitji appeared in front of Mangal's house.
Mangal, who was aware of the saitji way of extorting, hid in the bathroom. He asked his wife to shoo him away.
"Is Mangal at home?" Saitji asked from the door ajar.
"No, he went outside." She said, hiding behind a door ajar.
"Okay," saitji said adjusting his coiffure, "I came here to give this 30000rs to him."
"Thank saitji," she said. She took the bundle and said thank you many times.
"Ask Mangal to meet me tomorrow," Saitji said. He left after this as relaxation time was soon getting over.
Mangal was wonderstruck by saitji's this deed. But Mangal was still afraid to face him. After arguing for a while and denying going there, Mangal agreed because of his wife's pressure. He went to saitji home the next morning.
"Ram- Ram, saitji." Mangal said.
"Oh Mangal, I went to your home yesterday, where were you roaming in the lockdown?" Saitji said while reading the newspaper, "Don't roam without purpose, otherwise, you will attract great trouble." Saitji showed the newspaper to Mangal and pointed on the photo where police were getting strict on the people roaming without purpose.
"I went to buy vegetable, saitji." He said.
"Oh vegetable," Saitji said, "I thought your wife buy that."
"Oh! Sushila! She does not know anything about vegetables and fruits," he said, "I had to do all the shopping for grocery."
Saitji was impressed by Mangal's skill. He thought for a while.
"Oh I see," Saitji said, "Would you like to join my fruits business, my vendor cannot come for a long time, he went home."
" Sure, saitji," he said, " I can start now."
"No come from tomorrow," Saitji said.
Mangal left for home. He was happy about finding employment, but the only thing that worried him was, he did not know anything about vegetables and fruits. He never went to buy them in his life. He started the business form the next day. Saitji had given him a pickup truck loaded with fruits and a paper with a rate of all fruits.
The first two days were normal for him. The third day was very harsh for him, as his charlatan of vegetable sellers caused him much. He sold some rotten mango to the buyer, who went berserk on that. The buyer even slapped Mangal and even after Mangal's begging he destroyed most of the fruits. Mangal on returning to saitji thought, saitji would fire him and even cancel their previous deal.
Saitji did scold Mangal but after that he forgave him. He advised him, never to lie again.
"Am I fired?" Mangal asked.
"No! I will teach you how to sell fruits." Saitji said.
"Why you helping me this much, saitji, after all, I am just a robber," Mangal said.
"No you're not," saitji said, "it was my fault."
"Means?!" Mangal said.
"That robbery was done by our rivals, they stole keys from you, I got to know about this very late but then I withdrew my case. I know I never came to say sorry to you. My guilt and ego, never allowed me to do that," Saitji said, "for the expiate of my deed, I agreed to reopen that shop and give you every help that is needed for you."
Mangal didn't react to this. He stood like a statue over there. Mangal was never confident about his innocence.
For his family, he forgave saitji and again started selling fruits. He learned from his everyday mistakes and cherishes the art of selling fruits and negotiation. He became a well-known seller of the mango in the town, most of the people now recognized him as the mango seller. Mango's business was lucky for him and even taught him too much skill that it helped him in his snack shop business. He renamed his snack shop to the Mango seller's snack shop.
He still doing good and learning from his past mistakes. His wife quitted working at home and joined his business. He is still dreaming big dreams and trying his best to fulfill them
