The friendly discount37

In Pondicherry I went to a sari store whose owner had been my classmate in the Ashram. We had studied together for five or six months.

He immediately recognised me when I came in. Then he started insulting his workers mercilessly so that he could show me who was the boss. He was insulting them without rhyme or reason!

Suddenly he got a phone call from his house about some emergency, and he went away on his motorbike.

After I finished shopping, the bill came to 1,100 rupees. My friend’s assistant said, “Since you two are good friends, I am sure the boss will reduce the price. So do not fill in the amount on the cheque. Just take the material and tomorrow I will ask him what discount to give you.”

I said to myself, “I didn’t ask for a discount. He is such a nice fellow.”

The following day I was shopping in the same area, so I went into the store and asked the assistant if he had spoken to the boss.

He said, “My boss didn’t come back to work. But you don’t have to worry. He knows your brother Chitta so well.”

I said, “For God’s sake, take the 1,100 rupees. Then I don’t have to worry.” But he insisted that I not fill in the amount on the cheque.

Two hours later, while still shopping in the area, I saw my friend on his motorbike. I shouted to him, “For God’s sake, tell me the reduction on the things I have got from your store so that I can pay.”

He said, “I already told them this morning.”

When I got home, I said to my brother, “This fellow is such a liar. Now you have to go there.”

So my brother went to the store with 1,100 rupees. When he saw that they were going to give me a reduction of only 23 rupees, he got mad. He said, “You keep your 23 rupees. We will not take any reduction at all.”

There the story does not end. Afterwards, my brother said, “I tell you, you will definitely get the same saris much cheaper in other stores.”

So I took one of the saris I had bought and found almost the identical sari for less than half the price at another store. At my friend’s store I paid 89 rupees, and in this store it was only 43. I couldn’t believe that I had bought so many saris from my friend for twice the amount that other stores were selling them for.


LS 128. 2 March 1986