'Raja Interiors and Furniture' said the bold sign outside. Suresh paused for a second and then decided to go in check out the shop. Inside, the showroom was well laid out and the pieces of furniture looked well made. They had a touch of classic styling but seemed suitable for modern apartment living. As he looked around, a tall man approached him and asked him what furniture he was looking for. He looked vaguely familiar to Suresh and in a flash he realized this was Raja. His mind went back a few years when he was in college and was home for the holidays.
***
'Can you make it?', father asked the carpenter. Raja, the carpenter hesitated. He was a young man in his thirties with a sullen look. He was not sure what to make of father . He was actually being asked to make a front door with a carving. It seemed ages ago that he had made a carving. And that was for an art gallery. Most people simply wanted furniture. Of late, even those orders had dwindled. Everyone preferred factory-built stuff.
Father had sought him out and appeared to be really interested in the wooden carving. 'Yes, I can', Raja finally replied. 'But I have to procure the right wood for it. And it will cost seven thousand rupees. I will need an advance of three thousand'. 'Sure, no problem,' said father who was pleased that Raja had agreed to make the door. And so the deal was struck as Suresh who was on his holiday watched with interest.
Suresh had recently visited his ancestral home in his village with his father. He was inspired to see all the woodwork in those houses. The front doors made of solid wood usually had a lotus motif carved on them. The key was about four or five inches long and required two hands to operate sometimes. The main hall inside had a pillar in the centre supporting the beams and had some ornate decorations carved on it. The ends of the beam which hung over the pillar had equally beautiful details. The look was iconic and beckoned to a bygone era.
There was not a lot of furniture in the homes. People mostly sat on the floor over mats and such. An easy chair or a cot may be found but other than that the house was quite bare. There were a few cupboards which may have been made of teak or rosewood. Perhaps only the very wealthy had chairs, tables, etc. in the old days.
Carpentry had always fascinated him. When he was younger he would stop and watch the carpenters work at the construction sites round. Many new homes were coming up at that time and the workers typically moved from one site to another working on doors, windows and such. The sight of the jack plane shaving the slivers off rough wooden beams, shaping them into regular sizes with smooth surfaces was absorbing. The sweet smell of wood chips and saw dust pervaded the air. The carpenter would then use the chisel and hammer to create the joints to assemble the frame as his assistant would stand by at his beck and call.
Suresh's father had recently bought a house. Well, a plot of land to be more accurate and he was having a house built on it. He wanted to bring some of the traditional look from his ancestral home to the new house. He was also keen to furnish the new house with furniture that was made along classic lines but still would fit in well in a modern home.. He had wondered if carpenters still made them. Upon asking around, a friend had recommended Raja. He first asked Raja to restore an old piece of furniture he had picked up and was impressed with his skills. He then decided to engage him, first to make the door and then some furniture.
A week after Raja had left with the advance, Suresh was getting anxious. There was no word from him. He started wondering if father was right to trust Raja. Father made a few inquiries but with no success. After about ten days, Raja showed up again. But it was quite a different Raja. It seemed as though he had shrunk since the previous time. He avoided eye contact and Suresh thought he was ashamed of something. It was clear that Raja would have preferred to be somewhere else.
Maybe he gambled the advance away, thought Suresh. 'Did you get the lumber?', father asked hoping that there was a different explanation. Raja was silent. Father repeated the question. 'No, I ..', came the stuttering reply. 'I had to spend the money on an emergency. My mother took ill and is now in the hospital', he continued. He was looking away and was clearly struggling with the emotion. 'I will repay the money somehow soon. Please give me some time', he said looking down.
Suresh looked at him. He was distressed to see Raja like this. 'Poverty strips away a man's dignity. What separates me from Raja other than money?', he pondered. He was at that idealistic age. True to his form, father did not seem angry or agitated. He thought for a while and then said to Raja gently, 'Let us not worry about the money right now. How is your mother?'. Raja told him that his mother was improving and he could get back to work in a couple of days. 'Very well, then. Come back in a week and we will discuss this further'. Raja seemed relieved to hear this and went away after again assuring that he would return with the money soon.
Raja did not come back in a week. Suresh assumed that Raja was a lost cause. He somehow felt betrayed. It seemed that his faith in human nature had been diminished a little. He was sure that father would never see that money again. He had said as much to his father who however seemed to be more understanding and rather accepting. 'I know he has every intention of repaying the money', he said, 'But it is very difficult for him to come up with that kind of money. It may seem not too significant to us but it can ruin someone like Raja. We have to give him all the time. And if he is never able to return the money, so be it. After all it was used for a good cause'.
Suresh's holiday was over and he had to get back to his college. He never broached the topic with his father again but seeing no carved wood on the front door on his next visit, he assumed that Raja had never returned. He decided it was best not to bring up the topic with his father. His father too did not mention it. He had not thought of this episode all these years and now here he was face to face with Raja. From the looks of the showroom, he had clearly prospered since he last saw him.
***
'You are Raja, aren't you?', Suresh asked and added somewhat sharply, 'You may not remember me, but I have seen you many years ago. You were to make some furniture for us but you went away with the advance money'. Suresh expected this to cause Raja to feel guilty but the latter seemed delighted. 'You are Mr. Raman's son! I am so happy to see you. How is your father doing?'. Suresh was puzzled. Upon talking to Raja further he came to know what had happened all those years ago. He realized that his assumption about Raja was totally wrong. Raja told him the whole story.
'After I left your house that day, I desperately wanted to pay your father back. I would never use a client's money for anything other than the job and I felt very guilty and ashamed. So I borrowed the money from a professional money lender and took it back to your father. Anyone in his position would have been just relieved to get their money back. He however, questioned me thoroughly on how I had raised the sum and found out what I had done. He refused to accept the money and told me that I should never borrow money to pay another loan. He then asked me to first return the money to the lender so I could be free of the usurious interest.'
'It was too late for the door. As the construction was getting delayed, he had decided to go with a standard door. He then said that I should treat the money owed as a loan. He would wait until I was able to earn and save enough to pay it back, a little at a time, and he would charge no interest as that was against his principles. I vowed that I would work hard and repay him soon. I decided to come here to the city where the prospects are better. By God's grace I have made it this far. I wished I could have paid the money a little at a time but it was a struggle for a while before my luck turned. When I had the three thousand rupees saved up, I went back to repay your father. I was also determined to pay him a fair rate of interest. But your family had moved in the meantime and I could not trace your whereabouts. So it is my good fortune that you have dropped in today. Where do you live now? I would very much like to see your father again', he finished in an excited voice.
Even though Suresh knew his father's kindness and compassion well, he was moved by this revelation. He now had to tell Raja of his father's passing two years before. Raja's eyes filled with tears and he was quite upset to hear the news. He then said, 'Well, at least I can pay you the money that I owe. I have been keeping track of the interest too. Please accept it'. He then brought out his cheque book and started writing out a cheque. Suresh stopped him gently and said, 'I cannot accept this. Please use the money to help someone in need as you were helped then. That would please my father immensely. That is what he would have wanted. I am sure he never had any intention of accepting this money'.
***
'Can you make it?', father asked the carpenter. Raja, the carpenter hesitated. He was a young man in his thirties with a sullen look. He was not sure what to make of father . He was actually being asked to make a front door with a carving. It seemed ages ago that he had made a carving. And that was for an art gallery. Most people simply wanted furniture. Of late, even those orders had dwindled. Everyone preferred factory-built stuff.
Father had sought him out and appeared to be really interested in the wooden carving. 'Yes, I can', Raja finally replied. 'But I have to procure the right wood for it. And it will cost seven thousand rupees. I will need an advance of three thousand'. 'Sure, no problem,' said father who was pleased that Raja had agreed to make the door. And so the deal was struck as Suresh who was on his holiday watched with interest.
Suresh had recently visited his ancestral home in his village with his father. He was inspired to see all the woodwork in those houses. The front doors made of solid wood usually had a lotus motif carved on them. The key was about four or five inches long and required two hands to operate sometimes. The main hall inside had a pillar in the centre supporting the beams and had some ornate decorations carved on it. The ends of the beam which hung over the pillar had equally beautiful details. The look was iconic and beckoned to a bygone era.
There was not a lot of furniture in the homes. People mostly sat on the floor over mats and such. An easy chair or a cot may be found but other than that the house was quite bare. There were a few cupboards which may have been made of teak or rosewood. Perhaps only the very wealthy had chairs, tables, etc. in the old days.
Carpentry had always fascinated him. When he was younger he would stop and watch the carpenters work at the construction sites round. Many new homes were coming up at that time and the workers typically moved from one site to another working on doors, windows and such. The sight of the jack plane shaving the slivers off rough wooden beams, shaping them into regular sizes with smooth surfaces was absorbing. The sweet smell of wood chips and saw dust pervaded the air. The carpenter would then use the chisel and hammer to create the joints to assemble the frame as his assistant would stand by at his beck and call.
Suresh's father had recently bought a house. Well, a plot of land to be more accurate and he was having a house built on it. He wanted to bring some of the traditional look from his ancestral home to the new house. He was also keen to furnish the new house with furniture that was made along classic lines but still would fit in well in a modern home.. He had wondered if carpenters still made them. Upon asking around, a friend had recommended Raja. He first asked Raja to restore an old piece of furniture he had picked up and was impressed with his skills. He then decided to engage him, first to make the door and then some furniture.
A week after Raja had left with the advance, Suresh was getting anxious. There was no word from him. He started wondering if father was right to trust Raja. Father made a few inquiries but with no success. After about ten days, Raja showed up again. But it was quite a different Raja. It seemed as though he had shrunk since the previous time. He avoided eye contact and Suresh thought he was ashamed of something. It was clear that Raja would have preferred to be somewhere else.
Maybe he gambled the advance away, thought Suresh. 'Did you get the lumber?', father asked hoping that there was a different explanation. Raja was silent. Father repeated the question. 'No, I ..', came the stuttering reply. 'I had to spend the money on an emergency. My mother took ill and is now in the hospital', he continued. He was looking away and was clearly struggling with the emotion. 'I will repay the money somehow soon. Please give me some time', he said looking down.
Suresh looked at him. He was distressed to see Raja like this. 'Poverty strips away a man's dignity. What separates me from Raja other than money?', he pondered. He was at that idealistic age. True to his form, father did not seem angry or agitated. He thought for a while and then said to Raja gently, 'Let us not worry about the money right now. How is your mother?'. Raja told him that his mother was improving and he could get back to work in a couple of days. 'Very well, then. Come back in a week and we will discuss this further'. Raja seemed relieved to hear this and went away after again assuring that he would return with the money soon.
Raja did not come back in a week. Suresh assumed that Raja was a lost cause. He somehow felt betrayed. It seemed that his faith in human nature had been diminished a little. He was sure that father would never see that money again. He had said as much to his father who however seemed to be more understanding and rather accepting. 'I know he has every intention of repaying the money', he said, 'But it is very difficult for him to come up with that kind of money. It may seem not too significant to us but it can ruin someone like Raja. We have to give him all the time. And if he is never able to return the money, so be it. After all it was used for a good cause'.
Suresh's holiday was over and he had to get back to his college. He never broached the topic with his father again but seeing no carved wood on the front door on his next visit, he assumed that Raja had never returned. He decided it was best not to bring up the topic with his father. His father too did not mention it. He had not thought of this episode all these years and now here he was face to face with Raja. From the looks of the showroom, he had clearly prospered since he last saw him.
***
'You are Raja, aren't you?', Suresh asked and added somewhat sharply, 'You may not remember me, but I have seen you many years ago. You were to make some furniture for us but you went away with the advance money'. Suresh expected this to cause Raja to feel guilty but the latter seemed delighted. 'You are Mr. Raman's son! I am so happy to see you. How is your father doing?'. Suresh was puzzled. Upon talking to Raja further he came to know what had happened all those years ago. He realized that his assumption about Raja was totally wrong. Raja told him the whole story.
'After I left your house that day, I desperately wanted to pay your father back. I would never use a client's money for anything other than the job and I felt very guilty and ashamed. So I borrowed the money from a professional money lender and took it back to your father. Anyone in his position would have been just relieved to get their money back. He however, questioned me thoroughly on how I had raised the sum and found out what I had done. He refused to accept the money and told me that I should never borrow money to pay another loan. He then asked me to first return the money to the lender so I could be free of the usurious interest.'
'It was too late for the door. As the construction was getting delayed, he had decided to go with a standard door. He then said that I should treat the money owed as a loan. He would wait until I was able to earn and save enough to pay it back, a little at a time, and he would charge no interest as that was against his principles. I vowed that I would work hard and repay him soon. I decided to come here to the city where the prospects are better. By God's grace I have made it this far. I wished I could have paid the money a little at a time but it was a struggle for a while before my luck turned. When I had the three thousand rupees saved up, I went back to repay your father. I was also determined to pay him a fair rate of interest. But your family had moved in the meantime and I could not trace your whereabouts. So it is my good fortune that you have dropped in today. Where do you live now? I would very much like to see your father again', he finished in an excited voice.
Even though Suresh knew his father's kindness and compassion well, he was moved by this revelation. He now had to tell Raja of his father's passing two years before. Raja's eyes filled with tears and he was quite upset to hear the news. He then said, 'Well, at least I can pay you the money that I owe. I have been keeping track of the interest too. Please accept it'. He then brought out his cheque book and started writing out a cheque. Suresh stopped him gently and said, 'I cannot accept this. Please use the money to help someone in need as you were helped then. That would please my father immensely. That is what he would have wanted. I am sure he never had any intention of accepting this money'.
