7/27/2019 bangalore times.doc
2/2
outside, while Mithkari asked me if I had paid the 50 rupees
donation for the Ganesh Chaturthi
festival which was 10 days away. I told him I had. He looked at
me in a paternal way and said,
'Patle ho gaye ho.' 'You have become thin.' I smiled politely.
He then asked me, 'Kitna dunvaapas. Aap batao. Dekho haraam ka
paisa nahin chahiye mujhe. Bolo, Kitna?' 'How much
should I return? Look, I don't want dirty money. Tell me, how
much?' His kindness
overwhelmed me. Thankfully, he didn't wait for me, and asked,
'6000?' I couldn't believe myears. I had thought we would get fifty
percent back if we were lucky. I was on the verge of
thanking him when Ghanashyam spoke up. 'Arre nahin nahin. 5000
kaafi hai.' Mithkari nodded
his head. 'Haan 5000 kaafi hai.' He looked at me and asked me
again if I was okay with it. Seeingthat he was really concerned, I
nodded. What a wonderful man, I thought. He is robbing me of
only 2000 rupees.
On our way out, I looked at the garbage strewn streets with
children playing and wondered aboutMithkari. He wasn't such a bad
guy. Ganesh chaturthi tents were being erected over the
garbage.
Balasaheb's loud speaker was announcing the greatness of Shri
Ganesh. Bangalore's lights
burned through the darkness.
