A 50 Rupees Smile

A story that has changed my perception about life-

It was around 6 pm in the evening. My cousin sister and I were reverting after hours of nonstop shopping. On our way back home, I came across an aged guy vending mangoes on the road.

I bunged up my car and asked about the price. He modestly replied that one mango would cost me about 10 Rs which was extremely inexpensive and reasonable.

However, I was not going to give as I have that extraordinary talent named 'bargaining' which works only on these street vendors. Custom that I saw everywhere.

I expanded my set of solid scholarly bargaining aids to take down the price to Rs 15 for two mangoes. He fearfully settled for it too. I was about to pay him when my sister disrupted.

"Hey, if you are so virtuous at negotiating, why did not you do it an hour back while purchasing a single chocolate for Rs 200? And abruptly Rs 20 is so pricey? He is not retailing mangoes to enlarge his real-estate commercial or to add a new luxury. He is laboring throughout the day to make ends convene and nourish his family. So, let it be."

She removed out a Rs 50 note from her case and gave it to the old man. His destitute look changed into a deeply gratified smile. And that smile completed my day.

I regretted for not having noticed this mere fact earlier but at the same time, I was grateful to my sister for pointing it out.

Mostly, it's not even about the money. We Indians have an inborn skill and readiness to bargain which emanates quite logically from us due to the environment we are fetched up in.

However, when you are ready to hit your bargaining skills, I would say pause for a moment and analyse the circumstances of the seller. Money which is totally unimportant to you might let some families sleep with their stomach filled.

My viewpoint of money and it's calculation with cheerfulness transformed that day. There are some morals that schooling does not impart in you, something that you got to acquire by understanding. And this event for me is absolutely one of them.