Chapter 1
Last Saturday when I was in my shop, Lathika chechi, one of our staff members came to me seeking permission to leave early. I gave her permission. While she was leaving, I saw a plastic chocolate jar in her hand; a jar in which they kept one rupee chewing gums and chocolates in shops. I asked her casually, “Where did you take it from?”
Her face sort of saddened and replied in a reflex,” I didn’t take it Praveen, I had requested the next shop lady to give me an empty jar to store rice and she gave it to me today.”
When I was driving home, I was thinking about her reply. It was as if I had accused her of stealing the jar from somewhere. I framed the question that way since I assumed she might have taken it from the empty land behind our shop where people dispose waste, but I guess she mistook it as if I was accusing her of stealing.
Lathika chechi is a 39 year old woman with 2 kids; a son studying in 8th standard and a daughter in 4th. Her husband who was a drunkard had abandoned her long back. She was staying with her husband’s family but lately shifted to a rented house as her daughter complained that a relative was trying to molest her. I have noticed that for the past few weeks she has been trying to arrange things for the newly rented house as she had to start it all over again. From gas to cooking utensils to food items, she had to buy everything. Even the small tin packing in which panties come, she takes it home after the products are sold, to use as spices container.
I was feeling bad the whole day thinking she might have felt bad about my question. Next day was my cousin’s wedding and I knew if I went directly to the marriage, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it and so I left early to the shop. As it was a Sunday, there were only two staff members, it being a half day. I asked Rajan maaman to get me tea so that I could talk to Lathika chechi alone. I didn’t want it to look as if I was apologizing or that I understood that she misunderstood what I asked yesterday.
I started, “Chechi, you know? I am really proud of you; the way you take care of your kids without anyone’s support, giving them security and good education. You should let your kids know by explaining to them how hard you are working to give them a good future so that when they grow up they will know the value of life and the sacrifices you have made.”
I said all this in a go, half looking at her and half at the computer screen. When I looked up, I saw her crying in mixed emotion. I didn’t acknowledge it and continued, “You should always know that I consider you as my elder sister. You can come to me anytime you need anything. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t scold you if I see anything wrong at work.” She was smiling now and said that she knew that I actually considered her like my elder sister and she was very proud of that.
By then, Rajan maaman came back with the tea. Everything was OK by then and I was all set to go for my cousin’s marriage. I went to my car and brought the carton stacked with dinner sets, plates, glasses, spice-containers and a few showcase pieces that were found in our store which my sister got as gifts on her marriage four years back. I gave them to Lathika chechi and told her that I brought it for her just because I thought she took that chocolate jar from the empty land where they dumped waste, and I wanted her to have new ones. I walked back to the car feeling happy that my mission of letting her know that I never thought she had stolen the jar was now accomplished.
I don’t know if I over did the whole thing. I could have just left it at that and hoped she didn’t misunderstand. But I chose to rectify it. What if she thought I actually believed she had stolen it? It was my duty to lift her self-esteem. I believe the strongest man in the world is the one who can lift the self-esteem of another person. So if I let her misunderstand my words and hurt her self-esteem, that would have made me a weak person and I really didn’t want to feel it that way. Of course, no one would know, but then I know and in the end, it is all that matters.
