Two short stories

BOHNI

(Hindi word for first earning in the morning)

As soon as his cycle tire puncture was fixed, police constable started to move.

-‘Sir,  my charges?’ He asked.

-‘Don’t you know who am I?’

‘I know but it’s my ‘bohni’ time sir’

The police constable started searching his pocket but had nothing. Suddenly he saw a cycle rickshaw approaching and waved the rickshaw puller to stop.

-‘You’ he roared like a wounded lion ‘don’t you know plying rickshaw with three people is an offence?’

-‘It is my mistake sir. It was my ‘bohni’ time, that’s why I agreed to carry them’ rickshaw puller pleaded.



-‘Ok …Ok … give me ten rupees and vanish’ the constable demanded. Without second thought, the rickshaw puller handed over the amount and sped away to avoid further penalty.

The constable gave five rupees to the puncture repairer keeping the balance in his pocket. Along with puncture repairer and the rickshaw puller, the constable too got his share of ‘bohni’ for that day!

INNOCENCE

He was observing the Banana vendor (Kelewali) from a distance. Finding her alone with her child, he swiftly came to her.

‘What’s the rate?’ looking around, he asked mischievously.

For a moment she glanced at the customer and putting her sari -pallu down hesitantly said –‘Fifty rupees’.

‘Too much, make it forty and I shall come in the evening.’ So saying he drove away on his bicycle in one of bi-lanes of the street.

Hearing the conversation, the child looked perplexed.’ How come Mama, you are selling the banana for fifty to him while to others you quote twenty rupees a dozen?’

Before she could react, the child ran away to catch a kite in the street.