Читать книгу Once Upon a Coin - Aditi JD Bhardwaj - Страница 6

I might have been the one with imperfections, but I won my luck not to be rejected. I realized in my very first journey that no matter how small one may be – it is its value and importance to others that count. I can bring about celebrations and blessings by just being a silent companion of any amount. Life had many more learning’s to offer me.

As my first home, I went to a businessman’s factory. I was brought fresh from the bank, with my siblings – we shone brilliantly and were stacked in lots of 500 coins each. The labourers separated us manually; we hugged, rubbed and screamed good bye to each other.

We all were to be adorned over shining envelopes, they had figures I could not understand, a human body with an elephant’s head and a beautiful smiling rich lady, standing on lotus. Later I did realize that I was a symbol of that smiling rich lady and was to be worshipped in absence of her physical presence on this planet, and I was not just a coin but the coin of good fortune.

The next day I was all set on a second journey. Glued over fancy envelopes, I along with my other coin kins were parcelled to unknown destinations.

I was not sure of the time that had lapsed since my transit from the envelope making shop. My eyes blazed with the bright sunlight. A young boy carefully unwrapped and dusted the straw and rough paper collected over us. He then, placed us in a long rack and I was so pleased on my luck because he stacked me as the first one in that series. I could clearly see the neatly done shop. The signboard on its wall read – “Student’s Shop and Stationery”.

A narrow lane ahead of the shop made its way to an adjoining park. I could only see the rear part of the park; there were few benches, a slide, a jogging track, and series of tall green trees.

‘Man made me, but whoever made man and his world is so much better skilled and mightier,’ was my instant opinion, as I watched this wonderful place with my eyes zoomed to maximum. Cool air tickled over me and the envelopes flickered. A noise on the desk brought me back from my thoughts. I was soon to realize my identity. A small boy with stout body and blushing cheeks asked for a dozen ‘best wishes envelopes’ from the stationery boy.

Within minutes of being in the stationary shop, I was travelling with the boy swaying in a green plastic bag.

“Here granny, I got you envelopes,” shouted the stout boy as he placed the packet over a plastic chair kept in a beautiful lawn. The morning sun, played hide and seek with the intermittent clouds. A flimsy weak handpicked us out of the bag. She was old and had wrinkles on the face, but her skin had a shine of kindness and grace that she had earned after living for atleast 70 (if not less or more) years on this beautiful earth.

“Chintu get me my glasses dear. You seem to have bought beautiful envelopes this time.” – Said the graceful old lady.

Chintu brought the spectacles and spread his hand in front of her. The wobbly mouthed septuagenarian affectionately kept a 5 rupee coin on his cushioned palms and smiled. Chintu hugged her and ran away, storming the gate.

Granny closely inspected the envelopes, and annoyingly stopped at me. She tried to scratch my birth mark, I hope you remember I am a destiny’s child and bear an error of 201 – rice grain mark.

She scratched me hard again and then decided to leave me in peace; she picked up a pen lying next to her and wrote something with trembling hands. She then, placed two crispy notes of 100 and a 50 inside the envelope on whose face I shone like a celebrity.

It was afternoon now, a well fed Chintu slid open the envelope and asked his granny, “Granny, why have you kept money inside this envelope?”

Granny replied “Because my dear this is an envelope of best wishes and blessings. The one rupee coin adorned over it is the ‘Shagun’. The money inside the envelope is of no value unless the one rupee is attached to it”.

“Why Granny?”

“Thanks Chintu for asking, you are my voice to Granny.” I said in my mind.

“Son, for every auspicious thing, for every blessing, for every worship and celebration we need the ‘Shagun’ – good luck and that good luck is brought to us by the one rupee coin,” informed granny, “I am going to give this to your parents tomorrow – as it is their anniversary.”

Not sure if little Chintu, did understand my importance, but I was clear headed now, I was floating in my elements - Wow! Wow! Wow! So glad I am not big a currency note, not even smaller or bigger a coin, I am damn! So lucky at first I exist when I am not supposed to and then I am THE ONE RUPEE – ultimate honour yeah!

The night was spent in a warm room, inside a wooden drawer – Granny checked thrice for me inside the drawer, before she went to sleep. I was tired, but could not sleep for long imagining my importance and value to the humans – I am a lucky coin!!

My sleep got abruptly disturbed, by a trembling touch of fingers, fishing for me in the drawer, probably, the person outside was searching for me, without looking into the drawer. It was Granny; she hurriedly placed me on a plate decorated with flowers, incense, a lamp, some rice and vermilion. She then sprinkled scented water over me, and kept two flowers by my side.

By the time Granny finished with her rituals she was joined by her son and daughter-in-law. She pleasingly blessed them while placing the envelope bearing me and her blessings in between both of their hands.

The family then dispersed for lunch and their routine affairs.

It started raining heavily in the evening, dusty winds started filling the house with sand and dirt. Granny hurriedly closed all the doors and windows of the house and started to call out for Chintu.

I fell off the reading table, where I had been kept by Chintu’s mother. Down under it was dark, smelly and dangerous. An army of ants started to walk over me, I guess some sugar had got stuck on me with the scented water and here I was being feasted upon.

I felt the tickling all over me, and kept praying for someone to come and pick me. I had to spend the whole night lying in that dark corner.

A broom swept me out in the morning. Chintu’s mother took the money out of the envelope and neatly folded it to be kept inside the table drawer.

It was a long wait inside that drawer, months passed by and I kept scuffling inside, many hands opened the drawer but none picked me, no one took me out.

One day Chintu’s cushioned palm frisked for me inside the drawer. He was actually looking for something else but noticed me instead. He flipped open the envelope and found it empty; he looked around, and then snatched me away from the envelope. I came out with a cello tape wrapped around; he carefully peeled the tape and slid me inside his warm and dark pocket.

He went outside the house running and headed straight for his friend’s home. It was locked; he started returning back with slow steps.

He bought 10 marbles for me, and returned home. Happy kid! Happy coin!

Chapter’s take away –

Value: Place Vs face

“Learn to value yourself. Your value is not about your physique, bank balance or reputation in the society. It is about your wisdom, your ability to make every minute of your life count. For the same coin its face value always remains one, but at one instance it becomes the ultimate blessing and token of prosperity and at the other the value to buy some marbles.

Our value to others is imperative - it doesn’t matter how much we spend on our face value – it is our place value that counts!