Barrister Babu: A Tale Retold

04 ~ Karma

~Karma is a bitch/boomerang ~

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It was a while after Bondita and Mini left for Chandan Nagar that Anirudh came out of the study on his own.

He went to Mini's house to check if they were there but Bhaumik informed him that both the women had gone to Chandan Nagar already. Taking his directions, Anirudh decided to go there.

He had to pass by the Tulsipur bazaar which was an extension of the first one. The scene in the market shocked him. He asked one of the bystanders as what was going on.

So the man starts telling what was happening before he came here.

~ A couple of minutes previously~

Bondita and Mini stopped by the market as there was a huge crowd surrounded in the middle of the market.

They parked the car and got down and started to walk towards the commotion and people parted to make a way for them.

As they went to the front, they saw 2 women arguing about something and one of the kids was crying. Bondita instantly recognised the kid as her student and he saw her too.

"Bondita Didi!" He exclaimed and ran towards her. Bondita scooped him up in his hands and Mini stopped the fight.

"What is going on here?" Bondita prodded on.

"Oh ho. You caused the problem and you're asking what is happening?"

"Kaki, be more precise. I'm not understanding what you're trying to tell."

"What education are you spreading? You taught the kids the wrong way to count money."

"I never did that, maybe you should try changing the way you count."

"Oh hello! I know how to count -"

"Then show me how do you count. Let me also see."

The woman started by saying that she sent his son to the market to get vegetables and he got 10 rupees as balance. Bondita asked how would she spend the money. The woman replied that for buying 10 different vegetables the 20 rupees would be used up.

Bondita now called the shopkeeper who sold vegetables to the woman in question and asked how many kilos she'd buy, to which he said 1 kg of edible/day-to-day stuff (Tomatoes, Onions, Potatoes, Bhindi, Brinjals, Radish, Gourds, Garlic, Curry leaves and Coriander). She then asked the original cost of everything and also what would the woman pay.

The shopkeeper said that 1kg = 1Rupee and the woman gave him 2 rupees everyday she bought stuff from him. So, for 10 items, instead of paying 10 she paid 20.

Bondita understood the problem and reprimanded the man for not correcting the woman. This is what she said.

"Well, Kaka, it is your fault that you didn't correct her. You knew she was over paying and you took advantage of it. You're in the wrong for this. Arey if you wanted more money, then increase the cost by a rupee or two? What's wrong in that?"