The streets of northern Calcutta are predominantly narrow and mostly surrounded on both sides by the intricately old fashioned buildings, old in look as well as the tradition bound folks living in them. Although, the buildings have been adorning the city for more than a century now, they have always been steady during the numerous earthquakes that Calcutta has experienced.
For several decades, the residents of these buildings have been enjoying their lives with the zamindari resources left as their inheritance. But, in the past few years, these sons and grandsons of the then zamindars have also faced a financial crunch, and hence, have resorted to taking jobs at various private organisations. Due to growing need of money, these owners have rented their groundfloors to various people, as a result of which the entrance to these houses usually remain open at nights. People come in and go out all the time, and nobody cared who went in.
Some have opened their own grocery stores in the ground floor of their houses. Even, Dilip Majumder did so. To attract customers, he used to offer lucrative discounts on the wares. But the fact that his grandfather was a zamindar in the British tenure, went against the lowly status of a shopkeeper that he currently was.
To run a family in these times of a growing economy was pretty difficult. Sometimes, he resented being a shopkeeper and the way he used to sell the items to his ever-bargaining customers.
One day, a gentleman named Srikanto came to his shop for buying a packet of salt. The packet cost 16 rupees. Srikanto handed him a 20 rupees note and was waiting for the change to be returned, when he saw something that startled him. He had seen something shinning brightly above the blue shelf. Although, he knew what it was, he remained silent, and didn't say anything about it to Dilip. Srikanto immediately left the shop for his home.
The next morning, Srikanto again came to Dilip's shop to see that shinning object, with a pretention of buying grocery items. For five days continuous, he came to the shop and looked at that shinning object and bought things, most of which were unnecessary. By now, Srikanto was convinced that the shinning object was a gold coin.
After two days, Srikanto decided to barge into the shop and steal the gold coin. At night, Srikanto, wrapped up in the woolen shawl, went to the narrow street where Dilip's shop was located. Since Dilip's wife and kids had gone to her mother's place for the children's holidays, Dilip was all by himself in his house.
In these buildings, anybody could enter. Srikanto slowly went to the key jacket, searched it thoroughly. But he couldn't find the keys.
After the entire days work, Dilip was in a dead man's body. Nobody or nothing could wake him up, until the quota of sleep was satiated. After an hour of ransacking through the case, he found out the bunch of keys that he had been silently trying to search for an hour. He took the keys and as he opened the front door of the shop, it made a lot of noise.
This noise was familiar, and Dilip woke up, but was silently observing. After getting the gold coin, Srikanto was about to keep back the keys when Dilip could see his face, but Srikanto was still unaware that Dilip was looking at him.
Srikanto silently left the house with the gold coin.
Dilip knew what had happened, so he didn't react. After two days, Srikanto came back to the shop, to buy a few things, and to see Dilip's reaction. However, he was again startled to see the same shinning object at the same place from where he had stolen it.
Dilip looked at Srikanto's gaze and said, "Are you wondering how it came back?" He paused to look at Srikanto's surprised look and continued to say, "Well, here's another one for you" as he handed over a similar coin to him.
"I knew it was you, because I had seen you keeping the keys of the shop in the keychest. But, alas, these are all fake electroplated coins with Lakshmi engravings. These are merely good luck coins, costing only 5 rupees each. I keep these in my shop so that foolish inquisitive customers like you come to my shop again and again. And, when I find that a customer has become loyal, I give them a coin as a good luck wish. Do you really think I would be so rich to openly keep a gold coin and yet be a shopkeeper? "
Looking at the guilty and ashamed face of Srikanto, Dilip said, "My dear friend, it is good that you are repenting for your deed, but always remember, value of things doesn't exist in its outer golden appearance, rather it is the good luck underneath its skin that brought you to my shop to buy numerous unnecessary things, only to help increase my sales."
Srikanto left the shop, ashamed.
For several decades, the residents of these buildings have been enjoying their lives with the zamindari resources left as their inheritance. But, in the past few years, these sons and grandsons of the then zamindars have also faced a financial crunch, and hence, have resorted to taking jobs at various private organisations. Due to growing need of money, these owners have rented their groundfloors to various people, as a result of which the entrance to these houses usually remain open at nights. People come in and go out all the time, and nobody cared who went in.
Some have opened their own grocery stores in the ground floor of their houses. Even, Dilip Majumder did so. To attract customers, he used to offer lucrative discounts on the wares. But the fact that his grandfather was a zamindar in the British tenure, went against the lowly status of a shopkeeper that he currently was.
To run a family in these times of a growing economy was pretty difficult. Sometimes, he resented being a shopkeeper and the way he used to sell the items to his ever-bargaining customers.
One day, a gentleman named Srikanto came to his shop for buying a packet of salt. The packet cost 16 rupees. Srikanto handed him a 20 rupees note and was waiting for the change to be returned, when he saw something that startled him. He had seen something shinning brightly above the blue shelf. Although, he knew what it was, he remained silent, and didn't say anything about it to Dilip. Srikanto immediately left the shop for his home.
The next morning, Srikanto again came to Dilip's shop to see that shinning object, with a pretention of buying grocery items. For five days continuous, he came to the shop and looked at that shinning object and bought things, most of which were unnecessary. By now, Srikanto was convinced that the shinning object was a gold coin.
After two days, Srikanto decided to barge into the shop and steal the gold coin. At night, Srikanto, wrapped up in the woolen shawl, went to the narrow street where Dilip's shop was located. Since Dilip's wife and kids had gone to her mother's place for the children's holidays, Dilip was all by himself in his house.
In these buildings, anybody could enter. Srikanto slowly went to the key jacket, searched it thoroughly. But he couldn't find the keys.
After the entire days work, Dilip was in a dead man's body. Nobody or nothing could wake him up, until the quota of sleep was satiated. After an hour of ransacking through the case, he found out the bunch of keys that he had been silently trying to search for an hour. He took the keys and as he opened the front door of the shop, it made a lot of noise.
This noise was familiar, and Dilip woke up, but was silently observing. After getting the gold coin, Srikanto was about to keep back the keys when Dilip could see his face, but Srikanto was still unaware that Dilip was looking at him.
Srikanto silently left the house with the gold coin.
Dilip knew what had happened, so he didn't react. After two days, Srikanto came back to the shop, to buy a few things, and to see Dilip's reaction. However, he was again startled to see the same shinning object at the same place from where he had stolen it.
Dilip looked at Srikanto's gaze and said, "Are you wondering how it came back?" He paused to look at Srikanto's surprised look and continued to say, "Well, here's another one for you" as he handed over a similar coin to him.
"I knew it was you, because I had seen you keeping the keys of the shop in the keychest. But, alas, these are all fake electroplated coins with Lakshmi engravings. These are merely good luck coins, costing only 5 rupees each. I keep these in my shop so that foolish inquisitive customers like you come to my shop again and again. And, when I find that a customer has become loyal, I give them a coin as a good luck wish. Do you really think I would be so rich to openly keep a gold coin and yet be a shopkeeper? "
Looking at the guilty and ashamed face of Srikanto, Dilip said, "My dear friend, it is good that you are repenting for your deed, but always remember, value of things doesn't exist in its outer golden appearance, rather it is the good luck underneath its skin that brought you to my shop to buy numerous unnecessary things, only to help increase my sales."
Srikanto left the shop, ashamed.
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