The Room of Many Colours by Ruskin Bond
Author:Ruskin Bond [Bond, Ruskin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9788184754636
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-09-08T00:00:00+00:00
The Boy Who Broke the Bank
NATHU GRUMBLED TO himself as he swept the steps of the Pipalnagar Bank, owned by Seth Govind Ram. He used the small broom hurriedly and carelessly, and the dust, after rising in a cloud above his head, settled down again on the steps. As Nathu was banging his pan against a dustbin, Sitaram, the washermanâs son, passed by.
Sitaram was on his delivery round. He had a bundle of freshly pressed clothes balanced on his head.
âDonât raise such dust!â he called out to Nathu. âAre you annoyed because they are still refusing to pay you an extra two rupees a month?â
âI donât wish to talk about it,â complained the sweeper boy. âI havenât even received my regular pay. And this is the twentieth of the month. Who would think a bank would hold up a poor manâs salary? As soon as I get my money, Iâm off! Not another week do I work in this place.â And Nathu banged the pan against the dustbin several times, just to emphasize his point and give himself confidence.
âWell, I wish you luck,â said Sitaram. âIâll keep a lookout for any jobs that might suit you.â And he plodded barefoot along the road, the big bundle of clothes hiding most of his head and shoulders.
At the fourth home he visited, Sitaram heard the lady of the house mention that she was in need of a sweeper. Tying his bundle together, he said, âI know of a sweeper boy whoâs looking for work. He can start from next month. Heâs with the bank just now but they arenât giving him his pay, and he wants to leave.â
âIs that so?â said Mrs Srivastava. âWell, tell him to come and see me tomorrow.â
And Sitaram, glad that he had been of service to both a customer and his friend, hoisted his bag on his shoulders and went his way.
Mrs Srivastava had to do some shopping. She gave instructions to the ayah about looking after the baby, and told the cook not to be late with the midday meal. Then she set out for the Pipalnagar marketplace, to make her customary tour of the cloth shops.
A large, shady tamarind tree grew at one end of the bazaar, and it was here that Mrs Srivastava found her friend, Mrs Bhushan, sheltering from the heat. Mrs Bhushan was fanning herself with a large handkerchief. She complained of the summer which, she affirmed, was definitely the hottest in the history of Pipalnagar. She then showed Mrs Srivastava a sample of the cloth she was going to buy, and for five minutes they discussed its shade, texture and design. Having exhausted this topic, Mrs Srivastava said, âDo you know, my dear, that Seth Govind Ramâs bank canât even pay its employees? Only this morning I heard a complaint from their sweeper, who hasnât received his wages for over a month!â
âShocking!â remarked Mrs Bhushan. âIf they canât pay the sweeper, they must be in a bad way. None of the others could be getting paid either.
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