CHAPTER 7
Fakru demands money
FEW YEARS LATER:
Ram had joined a private school in
Hyderabad. His father Shekhar took him to school every day. In the evening, his
mother Shrilaxmi used to pick him up from school. Ram grew up learning Ramayana
and Mahabharata from his mother. He was a very clever student and always came
first in class.
Maula had put Rahim in a government school
in Jalandhar. Rahim grew up in a Muslim environment. His father taught him Urdu
and the Quran. Rahim too was a bright student.
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Ram passed the 7th standard. He approached
his mother. “Mommy, I have passed 7th with 1st class.”
She hugged him. “Very good. I knew you will get 1st
class.”
Ram said happily, “I will go and tell papa.”
She gave him a sweet box. “He will be in the shop. Go
and gave him sweets. He will be very happy.”
Shekhar had a tailoring shop. Ram went into the shop.
His father was cutting a cloth to stitch a pant.
Ram went up to him and said happily, “Papa, I got 1st
class.”
Shekhar hugged his son.
Ram gave him sweets. “Take sweets. Mommy gave.”
Shekhar took a sweet and put it in his mouth. “You
wait here. I will bring something for you.”
He left the boy and went out. Ram sat down on a stool
waiting for his father to return.
Suddenly rowdy Fakru arrived with his assistant. He had
a long beard. He approached the man who was stitching a cloth. “Where is your
boss, that Shekhar?”
The man got scared. He got up and put a chair for
Fakru. “He has just gone out. He will be back soon.”
Fakru said angrily, “I told him to send the mamul. But
he keeps postponing.”
In those days and even now, rowdies of the area harass
the shopkeepers to pay some amount every month which is called ‘mamul’. If the
shopkeepers do not pay, they hit them or break the items in the shop. Hence out
of fear, all the shopkeepers prefer to pay rather than argue with them.
Fakru sat down and lit a cigarette. A burning ember fell
down on the cloth. The man immediately picked up the cloth. “Sir, the cloth
will get spoilt.”
The boy Ram was observing everything. Suddenly Shekhar
came with ice cream. He saw Fakru and was a bit scared.
Fakru said angrily, “Eh! Where is the mamul? Why are
you making my men come again and again?”
Shekhar said, “Forgive me, sir. I did not get earn
enough this month.”
Fakru got angry. “Are you playing a drama with me? I
will show you who I am.”
He started pulling the clothes.
Shekhar pleaded, “Sir, I am telling the truth. It is
not the season, you see.”
He opened the empty drawer to show Fakru.
But Fakru was not going to listen to any excuses. Fakru
said angrily, “You can afford to buy ice cream worth 20 rupees for your son but
you can’t afford to pay me.”
He took the cloth. “I am taking these clothes. You
bring the mamul to my house and take the clothes back.”
Shekhar was shocked. “Please, sir. The clothes belong
to the customers.”
He tried to stop him.
Fakru snatched the ice cream from his hand. Ram was
shocked. Fakru ate the ice cream. “Eh! If you keep getting such costly ice
creams for your son, how can you save any money?”
He tried to leave. Shekhar stopped him. “If I give the
clothes back only I will get money.”
Fakru said sarcastically, “You give your wife’s
ornaments to the pawn broker and get money.”
Skekhar caught hold of the clothes tight. “Please give
the cloth.”
Fakru hit him. Shekhar fell down. Ram got angry. “Why
did you hit my father?”
He picked up the scissor and threw it at Fakru. The
point hit his forehead and blood oozed out. Fakru was shocked. He looked at his
assistant. “Catch him.”
Ram did not run. He approached Fakru. Assistant hit him.
He fell down. Shekhar caught the boy. Assistant hit Shekhar.
Shekhar said, “You can hit me. But don’t hit my boy.”
Fakru said angrily, “I am leaving now. If I see this
fellow in the shop again, I will football with you both. Make sure to pay by
tomorrow, otherwise even your sewing machine will be gone.”
Ram watched the men leave. He was very angry but felt
helpless. After all, he was just a 7 years old boy.
*********************************************
Srilaxmi caressed her son’s cheek. “You
don’t go there again. It is a Muslim colony.”
Ram asked, “Why shouldn’t I go to papa’s shop? That
fellow was taking the clothes and hitting papa.”
Shekhar said, “We are staying in Patabasti. It is full
of Muslims. All of them are not like that. But that Fakru is a big rowdy. Every
month I have to give him money.”
Ram became serious. “Why should you give him your hard
earned money? You shift your shop from there, papa.”
Shekhar said sadly, “I have established business here.
I have been here for 20 years. If I shift, I will not earn so much. But you
don’t worry about all this. You just concentrate on your studies.”
Ram said, “I was thinking of becoming a doctor till
now. But now I feel like becoming a police and hitting him. He hit you so badly.”
Shekhar took Ram in his arms. “I will always be happy
whether you become a doctor or a police. I am ready to work hard and educate
you.”
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