Employment

Part 23

Hello friends, there is a measure change in the schedule of postings on this blog. I shall be posting new episode every twenty days in place of ten day. This change is required because I am preparing for my Doctorate in philosophy and for that I need time. So next episode Will come on 20Th August. I shall resume regular timing after finish my work on that project. Sorry for the inconvenience.

When they arrived at the shop they saw that the shop was busy with customers and Ramnath was engaged in his work. They waited outside of the shop a few steps from the shop so that Ramnath may see them. After completing one deal with his buyer he looked around and saw the trio standing there to be summoned by him. He waved to them and called them in. They slowly approached the cash counter where Ramnath was sitting and stood. Ramnath with a tongue-tied smile welcomed them and asked to be comfortable on the seat next to the counter. Ramchandra told the purpose for which they have come, produced the loan matter papers, and said in stifled voice, "Ramnath according to my calculations, which I have put in details on this paper, I have brought the final installment amount", and then he looked to Veena, she promptly removed a bundle of notes from her wallet and gave in Ramchandra's hand. Ramnath looked to the papers, cleared his throat, and in equally stifled tone said, "These calculations are on the basis of simple interest, but sorry to tell you that due to over delay for he payment I want to get compound interest on the loan amount and I have different figures for you".

"What do you mean by that"? Ramchandra roared in raised voice.
"It is very simple now you will have to pay me compound interest on the loan amount and that is final, excepting if you are ready to give me some promise"!

This was an awful new situation for Ramchandra and he looked to Veena to know what she has to say. Veena was sternly watching the moneylender with scorn on her face. Ibna sensed that the matter is taking some unduly awkward turn and so she became more alert and stood next to her friend firmly showing no sign of apathy for the moneylender. Voices were raised by both men as Ramnath insisted that he shall not accept this simple interest and if Ramchandra is not ready to accept and give a promise, he shall have to pay compound interest but if he accepts the conditions and comply accordingly all interest on the loan will be forgotten and he will be a free man.

"What promise and what condition"? Ramchandra now in shaken voice whispered.

In the meantime some customer pushes in and insists that he be cleared first and so the matter remained and that was time for the trio to get over the new situation. They gathered together and Veena taking Ibna in confidence told her what ruckus was all about. Ibna suggested that in case he insists for compound interest let him tell the difference that you have to pay, before you talk on any promise giving issue first let us know the damage. That was a very appropriate point and Veena tells her father to let him spell out what extra money he wants.

As that customer moves out Ramchandra asks Ramnath, "What is the extra amount that will be"?

On that question Ramnath holds a callous smirk on his face, moving his head in the affirmative gesture spits on one side the tobacco he was chewing, and looking to the trio says, "I calculated and according to my calculations you will have to pay me extra 3782 rupees and 32 paisa".

"That is no big deal" Veena blurts out emotionally with a smile of relief. On that Ramnath looks to her with a scornful eye; sensing that the amount he has committed appears to be to small for this girl.

"All right I shall bring that amount next week and that should settle the matter". Ramachandra speaks with a smile.

"Next week? Sorry Ramchandra, I cannot wait for that, you shall be paying me that amount right now or else give me a promise"! Ramnath exclaims loudly.

People in the shop were all listening to the conversation going on in the two men. All knew the teacher and his daughter Veena very well, and they being people from the village were well aware of the scuffle going on between Ramnath and Ramchandra over that loan. They also had just seen how Veena and her friend had helped in Yashoda's marriage by offering to give the car and so they had inquisitiveness for what the end of this scuffle could be. Many of them even after having finished their purchases were not moving out but in stead waited on to see the end. The crowd began to grow and that came on Ramnath's nerves. He shouted toward them, remonstrated to them, and asked them to clear out but nobody was bothered about his shouting, they were all interested in Veena and her side so much so that they began to laugh and grin looking out to each other. This behavior of customers unnerved Ramnath but nevertheless, he continued to insist that the money must be paid immediately. One young man in loud voice demanded to know what promise Ramnath wants to extract from the village teacher. That disturbed the moneylender terribly. He looked to that man mockingly and warned him that he should not know that as the matter is private and nobody else in the village need bother about it but that command was neglected by others and now more men and some women neared the counter and began to ask about the promise that he wants from the man in place of the interest. They were interested in knowing that as the moneylender was not very popular amongst the village people. However, Ramnath was not wanting to openly say anything about the promise he wanted from the teacher.

Now that was too much for Veena and looked to Ibna desperately, for how to evade this predicament. Ibna thought for some time and winking to her friend with a smile of confidence, she opened her purse and took out four notes of thousand rupees. The village people were witnessing the whole show and that with great interest, in that sleepy village they never often get to such entertaining moments and now they looking to the foreign girl with those notes, a sound of Ahhaa… came from them all followed by a hissing sound of smothered laughter. Ramnath saw that and he looked very much down in the dumps. Veena instinctively took them and gave to her father. Ramchandra holding those notes in his hands produced them to the moneylender.

Veena roared to Ramnath saying, "Please pay the balance and sign on the papers to finish the matter. Ramnath was totally unprepared for such a turn and looking to the foreign girl spat out some curses. The village people realized that the show is over and so cleared from the shop. Ibna saw her friend's father was completely drawn down and so she held the elderly man's arms and suggested to him mutely, "Let us move out, Veena shall manage the rest matter."

Ramchandra was dazed so much so that he could not understand what was happening, he mutely followed the Arab girl and slowly they stepped out from that shop. Soon Veena followed them after a few steps and the papers of loan properly signed by the moneylender, gave them to her father but he refused to take them and told his daughter, "Keep them to you for a while". They slowly kept walking towards their house, Ramchandra now gradually came to his proper senses and new realization that he is a freeman gave him relief, now he slowly began to smile. That made the two girls very relieved. They were walking down the alley to their house.

As they were about to open the gates of the compound they saw a motorbike slowly approaching them. The young man rider said, "Hello", to Veena, it was pretty dark there but Veena could see him, he was son of Ramnath. She casually returned the greeting mutely and they brushed aside him and entered their compound, the young man did not wait and though the encounter was very brief, but to Veena that was very perturbing.

This Story continues in the next posting.
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