The Trinket

Savita, I am going to the bank and don’t know when I will be returning. You finish your work and shut the door on your way out. I have the keys to the house in my bag.

Ok.

Don’t rush with your work today. Diwali is round the corner so please clean up the places like under the beds, almirahs and desks where you normally don’t do. Once a year is not too much of an ask, I suppose.

Theek hai Bhabhi…will do.

Savita was all alone in the house and this would happen very often. She had been a regular in this house for over twelve years now and she had earned the trust of the Sharma family who even gave her keys to enter when they went on holidays to water the plants in the house. Diwali meant a month’s bonus which Bhabhi would give her and that was a good sum each year. She was determined to clean the house spic n span in the next couple of hours which may possibly get her some extra bonus this year.

As she pulled out the suitcases from under the bed, she bent low and entered the vacated space with her broom. There was so much dirt that she had to put her saree pallu on her nose to stop inhaling the dust. She also saw the cobwebs in the corners under the bed. As she came out from beneath the bed, after having swept out the dust, her eyes fell on a small shinning object. She picked it up and saw a beautiful gold earring with an emerald stone embedded.

Oh…this must be the earring that had gone missing almost six months ago when Shefali was getting dressed to go to her friend’s wedding. How much we searched for it then…we looked for it everywhere for so many days but just couldn’t find it. Mrs Sharma was so angry at her daughter for having lost one of the earrings for this had been given to her by her mother-in-law. She will be so happy when I give it to her.

Savita completed her operation clean-up and went home with the earring safely kept in her small purse which she always carried. She did not want to leave the precious thing on the dressing table. She wanted to see Bhabhi’s face as she handed it to her in person….Ufff…I am certain my bonus will be a minimum double…two month’s wages would really light up the Diwali.

Savita reached her home after doing the work at another couple of house in the same building as the Sharmas.  Her daughter Urmila had cooked a simple lunch which they both sat on the floor and ate. Urmila went to the living room to do her studies while Savita after a while lay on the bed for an afternoon siesta.  Usually, she would drop dead the moment she would hit the bed for all the work since early morning would tire her out completely. For some reason today, she just wasn’t able to sleep. There were many thoughts that were going through her mind. The war had just begun…

Keep it said one voice. It is been six months since the earring was lost. The Sharmas have already accepted that the thing is irretrievably lost. They don’t miss it anymore and no one will ever suspect her of anything.

Don’t keep it. It is not yours said the other voice. The Sharmas have always been good to you so you should return what is not yours.

Arrey pagal Savita. If you take this to the goldsmith you will get nothing less than thirty to forty thousand. For the Sharmas that is nothing but for you, it is so much. Keep it, sell it and forget it.

No,  Savita, no. In life you need good people. For twelve long years, the Sharmas have been so good to you and your family. Have they ever denied you leave…no. Have they deducted any money towards your absence including long leaves when you go to your native village…no…never. Have they ever been late in giving you your monthly money…no.  Have they not given you a raise each year…yes they have. How can you cheat such people?

Don’t listen to her Savita. You lost Ramesh last year to Covid and now have no one except yourself to take care of Urmila. You don’t need good people, you need money to live a life. All that stuff about payments and no deductions is just to poison your mind. They paid you well because you worked hard and well. They did not deduct any money because if you had turned away from them, they would not have been able to manage their home. They need you more than you need them. You can always find many other people who will give you work and pay you even better.

Stop your rant immediately. It is not me who is poisoning Savita’s mind. It is you and that too with evil thoughts. Don’t listen to her one bit. Trust is the most valuable thing you earn in life. Money comes, money goes. It takes ages to build trust and reputation but you can lose them with one small act. Never ever think of staining your years of spotless reputation. What money you will get wrongfully, I know you will never be able to reap its benefits. This is true since time immemorial. Go and return the earring to Bhabhi and earn yourself an extra good will, love and respect which no money can buy.

Yedi hai kya…Urmila needs fifty thousand for her admission to engineering college in two months from now. Ramesh hardly left you with some money and whatever little is there will be needed when you get your daughter married. Think again. This forty thousand will be well used for Urmila’s education. For the Sharmas it would mean nothing more than a few dinners at five star hotels and a bagful of designer clothes. Living in a SRA quarter, on a hand to mouth existence, all this gyan your other holy inner voice is giving you about trust, reputation and what not, is not applicable to you. For you the fight for existence is critical. Nothing else matters.

Savita, think for a moment whether Ramesh would have approved such an act? No, never. He was such an honest man and a sincere worker that after his demise the factory owners made sure the office quarter was transferred permanently in your name. That is the power of being good and doing good. What will you tell Ramesh when you meet him up there that you stole something and cheated a good family….how will you ever face him? We have a life now and a life after and we live them both on this earth. The good that we do and the evil we do in this life, have an impact on the next life.

Who has seen the next life? She is fooling you. When you return this earring, the Sharmas will become richer and you poorer by the same amount. This is your chance to bring down the inequality. There is nothing called after life. Ramesh is no more than ash and dust now and you will never meet him or anyone. These stories are spread just to deter you from improving your life. You need money, Urmila needs money and as a mother it is your responsibility to make sure she gets the education she deserves. When you meet Ramesh in the so called after life, you can tell him that his daughter is now an engineer and not just a technician like him. He will be overjoyed and will never ask you about the means. Be practical and keep the earring.

As the war within went on unabated, Savita saw her darling daughter through the parted curtain, studying seriously. Urmila had always been a sincere and hardworking student and Ramesh would proudly tell everyone about her exam results which had consistently been good and definitely better than all other children in the vicinity. Yes, she deserves to go to a good college and without adequate money, she will end up in an regular science college doing graduation and end up no better than her father or me. Savita got up from the bed and straightened her saree, took the purse and a grocery bag in hand and went towards the door.

Kya Aayi, you didn’t sleep today? Where are you going now?

I am going to the market to get some vegetables. I will be back in some time.

Savita went out and quickly picked up some veggies and then walked into Vishal Jewellers showroom. This is where she had been gradually buying small jewellery items for Urmila’s wedding. The people there knew her well. She sat down as one of the salesmen came up to speak to her.

Tell me sister what can I show you today?

No, I am not here to buy but want you to tell me how much it will cost to make a pair for this earring. She took out the single piece and put it on the velvet cloth before her.

Vishal took it in his hands and looked at it closely and spoke softly….I don’t think we can make such fine jewellery any more. This design is something my workers will not be able to replicate plus this stone is quite rare. It must be very old.

Yes. It belonged to my mother- in- law who had given it when I got married to Ramesh. When we shifted from our village to the city, we lost one piece. I thought of making the pair and give it to my daughter for her wedding. Anyway, now that making a pair is not possible, can I sell it and get money instead? How much will I get?

Vishal checked in fine jewellery and weighed it and did some calculation mentally….ahhh, I think I can give you about thirty five thousand at best because I too will need to melt it down and make something else instead. Maybe, I can add a few more thousands for the stone as well.

Let me think it over and I will come back to you tomorrow, said Savita as she put the earring back in her purse and walked back home.

That night she could not sleep as the war erupted again…to keep or not to keep. Both sides had good solid arguments and she was more inclined towards selling it before catching a few winks. She got up  early, did her household chores and left for work to the Sharmas house. It was a Saturday and Mr. Sharma was there to open the door with a big smile as usual and then he went back to reading the newspaper. Savita went into the kitchen where Mrs. Sharma was putting poha on two plates for breakfast. She then placed another plate and put a heapful of the hot food and offered it to Savita.

Eat this first before starting your work.

Bhabhi, yesterday while cleaning the house, guess what I found….I found this earring under the bed.

Mrs. Sharma saw what was in Savita’s hand and opened up her arms wide as she embraced the maid tight and started weeping aloud. Hearing the commotion, Mr. Sharma came into the kitchen and soon found out the reason. He threw the newspaper into the air and took Savita’s hands and started dancing in circles.

Thank you Savita. You know how much I wanted this earring back. I will call up Shefali now. It is still late evening in the US now.  She will be so happy. How much I cursed her for having lost it then. I am so happy today.

After the video call with their daughter, Mrs Sharma said…We too have some good news for you. Bhaiyya will tell you.

Savita went to Mr. Sharma and stood before him. He had a white envelope in his hands.

You remember we had filled up an application for a scholarship for Urmila some time ago? My close school friend happens to be the big boss of the company that offered the scholarship to children who had lost any of their parents to the pandemic. He has sent me this letter yesterday confirming that Urmila’s education will be taken care of by them till graduation and if her scores are good, they will continue for higher education as well. Call the bright girl now and let me hand over the prized letter to her in person.

Savita started crying. As tears swelled out, she bent down on her knees, put her head to the floor in the direction where the Sharmas stood.

Arrey nahin Savita. Don’t do this. Your daughter has earned it. And if she needs anything else, we are there to help. Shefali says she will also chip in now that she is working there in a good place.

That afternoon Savita could not sleep yet again but there was no war. There was only peace.

SS