Madan Halwai Story: As soon as I smelled the hot samosas, I understood that I had reached Madan Halwai’s shop.
I peeped out of the carriage and saw that Madan Halwai’s servant was frying samosas.
I stopped the carriage right there. Just then Abha (my wife) said –
Abha: That’s it, as soon as you came here, you jumped into the Halwai’s shop.
Me (Saurabh): Hey, look at the nice smell of samosas. It’s not like you come here every day. Now that you have come, let’s take them home.
As soon as I reached Madan Halwai’s shop –
Me: How are you uncle? Please get ten samosas packed.
Madan Halwai: I saw you after a long time, Babua. Your mother and father used to wait for you every day.
Me: Yes uncle, you are right, but what can I do, there is so much work in the city that I don’t get time.
While talking, the servant packed the samosas, I took the samosas and quickly sat in the carriage. Then Bunty, my five year old son, said –
Bunty: Papa, give me a samosa too.
Abha: No, go home and wash your hands and feet, then I will make tea and then eat.
In a short while we reached home. It was nice to meet Amma and Babuji. Bunty again insisted on eating samosa. How can a grandmother break the heart of her grandson? They immediately took out a samosa and gave it to him to eat.
Bunty walked towards the roof with a samosa in one hand and a kite in the other. His grandmother had collected a lot of kites. He started preparing to fly the kite after eating the samosa.
Everyone was sitting in the courtyard below and eating samosa. Then Abha brought tea –
Subhash: Babuji, Madan’s samosas are amazing. Times have changed but his samosas haven’t changed.
Babuji: Yes son, people are attracted by the taste of his samosa.
Amma: Leave it, son. Tell him for how many days he has come. He will stay here before leaving.
Subhash: Amma, I will leave the day after tomorrow. I am not getting leave. Abha and Bunty will stay with you for a few days.
Amma’s face became a little pale but then thinking about the grandson, she agreed.
Bunty was flying kites in his own world. Where could one get all this in the city?
On the third day, Subhash went back to his work. Bunty had a holiday so Abha and Bunty stayed back.
After a few days, Subhash went to pick up Bunty and Abha. On reaching Madan Halwai’s shop, he saw that the shop was closed.
When he reached home, he found out that Madan Halwai’s son was very ill. He was taking care of him.
The next day I returned home with Abha and Bunty.
After a few days, the doorbell rang at about one o’clock in the night. When I opened the gate, I saw Madan Halwai standing in front.
Madan: Bhaiya, I am sorry, I am troubling you at this time. Your father gave me the address, so I came.
Me: What’s the matter? Is everything alright? Come inside.
Madan: Bhaiya, my son is in the hospital. He has to undergo an operation. I desperately need two lakh rupees. Please help me. I will return it as soon as I reach the village.
Me: Ok, come inside, let’s see.
Madan came and sat on the sofa. Abha gave him a glass of water. Madan started drinking water in a hurry.
I looked at Abha and she refused with a gesture.
Me: Bhaiya, I don’t have that much money. If it was a matter of ten or twenty thousand, it would have been a different matter.
Madan: Bhaiya, get it from someone. My son is getting an operation tomorrow. Get it for me at any interest rate.
Me: Ok, I will see which hospital it is. You go there. I will do whatever I can. I will come to the hospital in the morning.
Madan told me the name of the hospital and started to leave. While leaving, he took my hand in his hand and said –
Madan: Bhaiya, you are my only support in the city. Take care.
After he left, Abha said –
Abha: There is no need to give him money. We don’t have any relative.
Me: Abha, trouble can come to anyone. I think we should help him.
Abha: But what will we do if he doesn’t return the money?
Me: We will see. Anyway, he will go to the village and tell Babuji. He must have sent me with a lot of hope.
Abha did not say anything but it was visible from her eyes that she is not liking all this.
I was in a dilemma the whole night about what to do. The next day I made up my mind that I will help him. I went to the bank in the morning and took the money from there and went straight to the hospital.
Madan was standing at the reception.
Me: Bhaiya, take this two lakh rupees. Deposit it.
Madan’s eyes filled with tears on seeing me –
Madan: Bhaiya, thank you very much but now there is no need for this, today at four in the morning my son left me.
Me: But how, today his operation was to take place.
Madan: It’s all God’s game Bhaiya. But I will never forget this favor of yours.
In a short while the ambulance arrived. Madan was crying badly. There were some other people from the village with him. They all put Madan’s son in the ambulance and left for the village.
Today I did not feel like going to the office. I came straight home. After coming home I told everything to Abha, she also felt very bad.
Many months passed. After many months I got a chance to go to my home again. I was going alone. When the horse carriage reached near Madan Halwai’s shop, I saw someone else sitting there.
Me: Bhaiya please pack ten samosas and where is Madan Bhaiya.
Boy: Sir, he had passed away many months ago.
Me: But how?
Boy: You know his son had died. He also passed away after fifteen days in grief. His wife was already not there. Now we have bought this shop.
My eyes were filled with tears. I brought samosas home. But today those samosas did not have that taste. I ate a little samosa and left it. When Amma asked, I hugged her and started crying.
I had no relation with Madan. But since childhood, eating samosas from his shop had developed a bond between us. Due to which he came to my house to ask for help.
I will keep thinking about this all my life. I wish I could have helped Madan. I wish his son had been saved.
