They
enter the shop warily, as if intimidated by the glow of the gold and diamonds
shining from the showcases. Quite obviously, they are not the jewelry-buying
types. The shop owner asks what they want and one of them takes the lead in
requesting to be shown a small idol of Ganesha made of Panchaloha. The owner
directs his assistant to bring out a few samples which are displayed to the
group.
Each
of the three men pick up one or the other idol, look at it this way and that
and swing it in their hand to feel its weight. One of the men is middle-aged
and his appearance and mannerisms make him appear a little slow on the uptake.
The other two are elderly men – perhaps his dad and uncle – and seem to be
indulgent of their younger companion. The shop owner and assistant watch them
alertly, careful to keep track of who is handling which idol and to make sure
no piece disappears.
After
about 15 minutes of looking at around 8 different idols, enquiring about their
price time and again, and exchanging lengthy opinions over each of those, the
men still haven’t made up their mind. The shop owner is getting impatient
although there are no other customers in the shop except the one writing this
piece.
Then,
the middle-aged man asks for the price of two pieces he has narrowed down on. With
a condescending look on his face, the shop owner again quotes the price of one
as Rs. 1000/- and the other as Rs. 1400/- One of the elderly men asks the
younger guy if he has enough to pay for the idol and offers to help out if
there is a shortage. The younger man says he will manage and go to the ATM nearby
if necessary.
The
shop owner watches these discussions impatiently. Then, in a tone that the
well-heeled reserve for those hard up, he suggests they purchase the less
expensive one because it’s almost the same size as the other, with the only
difference being in the weight.
Almost
as if that statement helped him decide, the younger man, in a firm voice, says
he has decided to go with the one costing Rs. 1400/- As the shop owner is
packing it up, he asks if they will be using it for the pooja on Ganesh
Chathurthi. The guy looks straight at him and says, “Yes, it is our custom that
first, we will do pooja for it and then, give it in daan (donation) to someone.”
Panchloha
Ganesha idol cost: Rs. 1400/-
The
look on the shop owner’s face: Priceless
the closing punchline is super... well written
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThought provoking.very nice
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shreyas!
DeleteAnu... This is "no words to express"..
ReplyDeleteI read with so much interest and was dumbstruck reading the end. You have written it really really....... Well. One feels as if one was in the same shop and the scene is unfolding in front of one's self. Lovely.. This reminds me of the whatsapp forward that someone forwarded some time ago... The rich lady, in the context of her son's wedding looks for a "cheap" saree for the maid with the least of her resources whereas the maid looks for the best that she can buy with her highest possible/sparable resources.
Thank you, Vatsala. Yes, that message was nice, too
Delete