Anjali Rai, folded her hands and rested her forehead over them. She remained that way for a long time. She tried to recall the face of the girl who had run away with the chain the previous day. She could only remember the sun glasses she was wearing. It was the third time something like that had happened to her. The Manager wasn?t kind enough this time. He had told her in the morning that he would cut Rs. 3000 from her salary. That was a big cut. She would have to fend for herself that month with the remaining Rs.1500. A month with Rs.1500 in a city like Mumbai, that too when you have the rent to pay and a family to feed ?
Tear drops welled up her eyes. She blamed herself for being careless. She realized age was catching up with her. Being a sales lady in a supermarket in Mumbai wasn’t easy. Mumbai was a city of thieves. Ruthless thieves. They would flick things right from under your nose. It was no use complaining the police. Chain snatching or picking pockets was no more a crime in Mumbai. The police would simply ignore it. They would even give you bad words if you insisted. They had other bigger and respectable things to do than go behind a chain snatching tapori in Dharavi or Ghatkopar. So if you were a sales person in charge of jewellery or watches, it is understood that you are solely responsible for all your items and nobody is going to save you if your property is stolen.
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..She blamed herself for being careless. She realized age was catching up with her. Being a sales lady in a supermarket in Mumbai wasn’t easy….
As it was noon, there were just few people passing by her counter. She locked the small glass door and got down to checking the bills. That was a task she had been doing everyday and every hour so to say, without fail. It was a kind of time pass for her and it ensured that everything tallied perfectly at the end of the day. It took her sometime to tally the whole month?s bills and when she looked up she was surprised to see something odd. There was a packet of Cadbudry eclairs on the counter. Some one must have forgotten it she thought and left it alone for awhile. As no one came to claim it, she rose up and picked up the packet. There were no eclairs in it, but there was a shining chain inside. She could not believe her eyes. It was the stolen chain !
She looked around to see if someone was playing a joke. The thief had returned the chain.
Why would anyone steal a Rs.4000 chain and return it the next day ? Or was it a dream?
She locked the counter and walked towards the Manager?s cabin, chain in hand. In her excitement she missed a set of eyes watching her from the stationery section.
To be continued ??
Author: Remy DSouza- Kuwait
