Principal Vijay Kumar
bBeing the eldest of the Rawas, family circumstances and father’s illness taught him the lesson of responsibility in the fifth grade. All the time, the same thing was going around in the mind that how can I get my father’s hand in earning. Selling tablets and biscuits in buses had become a part of life. On the day when he used to bring good money to his mother, he used to feel like a child himself. To save money on fuel, it was comforting to collect and bring sorghum from the fields.
As soon as the winter season starts, Chhinj fairs start being held in nearby villages. Three or four men of the village used to set up shops in fairs. Among them, Gopal Chacha of our street used to run his own shop. One day an idea came to me, if Gopal uncle takes me to the fair of Chhinjh, then I can also earn some money by carrying pairs of shoes from my shop. Talked to Gopal uncle about it. He said from the front, “Uncle, you are still very young, what will you sell?”
“I will take a pair of shoes from my shop to sell.” Uncle tried to explain to me but where did I believe! Finally he had to say, “Okay, let’s talk to your father.” Father also refused to send me saying that I was too young.
I went to my mother after not seeing the matter. He spoke to his father, “Let them sit in the shop, let them go.” If he won’t bring anything by earning, he will come by learning something or the other.”… And father allowed me to go with Gopal uncle.
I put twenty-five pairs of shoes in an old bag and went to shop with uncle Gopal. Going to the fair, Gopal uncle left my sack next to his shop. For hours I kept asking people to buy shoes but none of the customers even asked the price of the shoes. I sat down in a daze. Gopal Chacha was deeply sympathetic to the plight of our family. He asked me, “How many rupees are all these pairs of yours?”
“Father asked to sell for six rupees.” Uncle took out one and a half hundred rupees from his pocket and placed it on my hand and said, “I will do the rest with your father, you go and see the fair.” This work is not up to you.” I was thinking of myself as a very successful shopkeeper after taking one and a half hundred rupees from my uncle and I was thinking in my heart that now my father will not refuse to send me to every Chhinj fair.
While walking in the fair, my classmate collided; Saying, “Lala, these villagers used to kill the children after the sniping of the mighty men was over.” The demolisher would get ten rupees and the demolisher would get five rupees. I can’t find my partner. I will make you my partner only if you are ready to collapse.” So, even if he had not made a condition before me, I would have collapsed… Even in our family, no one had been in the hole and he was stronger than me.
The classmate threw me down in the process of taking ten rupees and started to thrash me. The management of Chhinj pulled me out from under him with great difficulty. Seeing my innocence, the managers also gave me ten rupees. Seeing that I got ten rupees, my partner’s joy of victory became bright. I enjoyed the fair with five out of ten rupees and mixed five rupees with money for a pair of shoes and gave it to father. Gopal uncle gave the remaining thirty rupees to father and refused to take me to the Chhinj Mela.
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