'Yes, but last week a nice family came to our house. They have two sons, both
based in London. They will take both my daughters. Want to do it as early as
possible.'
in one ceremony?'
'Yes, imagine the saving. But if it is one ceremony, they want it in style. I have
sold the godown, but I need a buyer for the
goods.'
'How much is the stock worth?'
'Two lakhs of sale value. Of which retailers like you took twenty per cent
margin, and 1 kept another ten per cent. The true cost is a round one lakh forty
thousand.'
'I'll take it for one lakh,' I said on impulse. Ish and Omi looked it me in
surprise. What crazy scheme was I up to now?
'One lakh forty is the cost, and now you want to buy it off me at a loss?'
i am buying everything.'
'Give me the money by next month, you can take it for one ten,' Pandit-ji said.
I said one lakh. No more.' I said in a firm voice.
'When can you take the stock? The godown buyer needs possession fast,'
Pandit-ji said.
'Today,' I said.
When I told Ish and Omi about the deal later, worry lines crisscrossed their
foreheads. I saw a gold-mine trade. India had performed great in the recent
series. The summer vacations would start in a few weeks. If I sold it all, I could
double my money.
'You know what you are doing, right?' Ish was doubtful.
I looked at him. My risks had let him down before. Yet, you can't do business
without taking bets.
'Yes, I do. Do you trust me?'
'Of course,' he said. 'But his daughter is gone.'
'What?' I said, puzzled.
'You had a thing for her,' Ish reminded me.
'Oh,' I said and looked away. You have no idea who has a thing for whom
buddy, I thought.
★
Business exploded in the next three months. Every Indian kid played cricket in
May and June. Experts had called the India-Australia series historic. The actual
matches had taken place during the exams. The pent-up cricket fix came out
properly only in the vacations.
'Is this how Harbhajan grips the ball?' a seven-year-old tried to fit the cricket
ball into his tiny fist.
'Laxman and my batting styles are identical,' said another boy in the park.
Customers at the temple shop tripled. Our wholesale business fared even
better. Retailers never stopped calling.
'What? Pandit-ji is going back to Kashmir? Anyway, two boxes of balls in City
Mall sports shop?' said one.
'I've taken over Pandit-ji's business. Call us, we deliver in two hours,' I told
another large shop in Satellite.
'No, cash down only. Ahmedabad has no quality stock. You want now, pay
now,' 1 said to a credit seeker.
avery
(avery)
#1