Balancing Acts

Something was not right. Aditi was not feeling good. At one mommy of time while walking back to home from the market she thought of turning back. A tussle was going on her mind. One thought whispered in her mind that whatever has happened has happened and there is no need to bother about it. To counter it another thought immediately popped up reminding her this will be a sort of cheating on her part. Her home was not too far from the local fruit and vegetable market. Getting good quality was almost sure here. Especially on Tuesdays it was certain. There were all kind of shops here. Big shop means big seller and premium quality and hence higher rates. Smaller shop a little less price of the same fruit or vegetable having good quality but not that could beat the premium one.

The place where her regular vendor used to be there was occupied by somebody else. It was later when she spoke to this new guy selling fruits and vegetables there and enquired about Radhe she got to know that he was not well and thus he had sent his nephew to take care of the shop that day. Sham, Radhe's nephew didn't seem that expert and experienced in selling but he was able to manage somehow.asha While Radhe was quite fast in weighing, money transactions, and overall managing his customers, Sham was very slow. That's why he had an extra rush of customers than there on the other shops. This shop was not that big big e most of the customers there were the regular ones of Radhe. Sham was quite slow in relieving his customers and that was increasing further rush and an immense pressure on him to be a bit faster.

In this bit of hurry probably Sham returned me larger currency notes than what Aditi had paid him for the items she purchased. She noticed it in a spur of the moment but absorbed it silently. At that moment she was not knowing the amount Sham returned her was almost three times what she paid him. It was not only everything free for her today in that market but there was a big bonus along with those free items. The bonus amount was double the cost of the items she had purchased. Aditi just collected the items and money and turned back quickly to go home. No more purchasing for today, she murmured as she turned back. Sham was as usual busy in settling the accounts and relieving his customers one by one. Just as she turned at the shop to go back home she was just about to hit a tall man.

The tall man was standing just behind her. He was sufficiently tall enough to notice what she had paid to Sham and the notes Sham returned back to her. The tall man would have noticed only if he intented to do so. But probably he had not as he seemed to be more worried to get his turn to buy vegetables and fruits. Aditi could notice a ray of hope and smile on his face as he saw her turning back and clearing his way to get to the counter. Aditi quickly moved herself out of the way of that tall man and started walking towards home. It was a short walk and she didn't mind walking. Otherwise also it was a moment of excitement for her. She just wanted to reach home and share this story with her husband. Raghav was an idealist and quite cautious about such things.

Aditi knew when she will tell Raghav about this he will not like it at all. To a large extent he would try to force her to go back to the market and return the excess money back to Sham. That would be a real moment of pride for her when she will refuse Raghav to do this by convincing him that she hadn't done anything wrong. It was the seller who returned extra money and at that juncture she was not in a position to count it. She had just put the money in her purse and realized it later on the way that Sham had returned her extra money. She was quite sure she will be able to convince Raghav despite both knowing that this is something wrong that has happened and Aditi should have returned the money as soon as she realized about it.

In fact a little after walking away from the market, Aditi felt it's wrong and she should go back to return the money to that poor vendor. Throwing this idea aside she kept waking towards home and somehow was carrying a piece of happiness within her as if she had won a big lottery. The tussle in her mind between 'go back and return the money' and 'just forget it' was still there but there was some unwanted desire that forced her to go for the second choice. Aditi also felt that if she had any intention of not taking that excess money, she would have done it there and then only, before stepping out of that shop. Now whatever has happened has happened. It might have been a balancing act by God. The seller must have returned less money to somebody else in that hustle and bustle.

Aditi had almost reached home. She thanked God for that small gift today and knocked on the door. Raghav opened the door in a flash of a second as if he was eagerly waiting for Aditi. His face was quite dull. Aditi thought that could be due to overwork in the office. She was very anxious to tell him about her winning moment of the day. Her whole happiness went for a toss when Raghav shared the breaking news of the day. While returning back from the office his costly real diamonds studded wedding ring slipped out of his finger and he lost it. When and where, he didn't know. Though he tried his best to find it but that was just a weird search as he was not at all sure where did that ring that was totally fit in his finger slipped out of his finger.

This was a big jolt for Aditi. She was just trying to figure out the balancing acts.