cut above the rest

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

love beyond the known and the comprehensible

Am doing business on a very small scale. I deal in cotton salwar suits. Buy it from a place in Andhra and sell it to my friends, neighbours and relatives.
Today i had an enquiry from my street Garbage Picker.
The woman works, perhaps for the municipality. She collects the garbage cans from the houses; transfers to an open cart and throws them in another area.
The woman wanted to know whether i wld give credit. I asked at what pace? ( If u know what i mean?)
She said at the rate of 20- 30 rs even after getting to know that my salwars cost between 200 to 325 rupees. I agreed. She and another of her co- workers came into my house to see the stuff. They liked but exclaimed that they wld not choose.

The reason being that their children wld reprimand them for their poor selection and the lack of discernment of the quality of goods :(
They said that they wld come with their kids and select as per their choice and satisfaction.

I felt so sorry for them. They sweat out their lives and bear the stench only to be treated as the wasted, illiterate and the dumb ones.
One of them came with her daughter. The daughter chose the costliest one of Rs. 325. The mother did not bat an eyelid. Asked for a discount. Paid 50rs and agreed to pay the balance in part payments of Rs.30 a week.

I was stunned and the effect is this post.

I say that i was stunned for yet another reason. When i purchased the salwar suits, i was wondering whether the 325 ones wld be too expensive for the vellore crowd.
Now u can understand my SHOCK.

Wild blind Love in action too.

A Tamil saying describes this scene very vividly.
"Pettha manas pitth ; Pillai manas kall"
Translated as
The parental heart is mad whereas the child's heart is a stone.

3 Comments:

  • True.... very true... I am really moved by this

    By Blogger Unknown, at 6:50 AM  

  • it's the dream of being a very beautiful princess :)
    those girls keep on comparing themselves to rich ones, they want to wear the best money could get, the want to smell nice, they want to look pretty, they want to "feel" equal, no matter what the price is...
    the truth that they still don't realize is, ur the one who's wearing the dress, the dress doesn't wear u, u'll always be the same person no matter what u wear (but maybe a little extra confident :)
    i believe that the mother only agreed to buy the dress to teach her daughter a lesson, and to fill that part in her that feels unsatisfied with who she is... but it's indeed a very costy lesson... i hope the daughter learns it ;)
    (i remember i once wanted a 600$ dress, although i know my mom could easily have paid for it, she said: "u want it, u get the money to buy it" and by the time i did, the dress was sold out... but deep inside, i no more wanted it :) i didn't feel that i needed it anymore...i learned my lesson ;)

    By Blogger Rain Drop, at 10:29 AM  

  • I dont know abt the mental frame of those people. Perhaps u r right.
    But one thing i agree with is ur mom's wisdom. That makes for good upbringing. :)
    Also Glad that u learnt the value of things.

    By Blogger rowdyrascal, at 2:14 AM  

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