Wednesday, March 02, 2016

In exchange for what?

It's really sad and disgusting to watch people bargaining with small vendors selling small things with a little profit margin.

Bargaining is good and applicable on certain things and the seller will also tell you his limits. But when you buy and last moment refuse to take your stuff just for a question of Rs 10/-, which might mean nothing to you, is pathetic!

What will you do with that Rs.10/-? Nothing much, I guess. Even minimum fare by auto is more than that! You might buy a packet of chips for your kid just like that. And that amount packet will have 6-7 chips at the most. Or buy a chocolate. But all this not out of necessity. While the vendor, to him every extra penny counts.

I would even understand if the buyer was not financially well off, but big people acting petty really pisses me. And these very people have some business where they sell things at fixed prices.

Yesterday I saw a well off woman with a daughter/ daughter-in-law in tow (who was in expensive clothing) and had a kid on her waist. They were buying crockery from a roadside vendor selling stuff from haath gaadi. The small cups were available for Rs.120/- a dozen only which was a decent amount. But importantly she had agreed and even packed what she bought and then started bargaining over 10 rupees. The look of pain in the vendor's eyes when she dumped the cups while he kept saying that she shouldn't do that after buying, I cannot forget. I could see tears almost waiting to roll out. He did agree eventually to reduce 10 bucks, but in exchange for that Rs.10/- the lady got his pain and unhappiness. Was it worth?

Every time I see people hurting, causing inconvenience, fighting, I think - 'what are they getting back in return'? You are getting back something which you would never want. For every illness, discomfort we face, God sets things right for us. He forgives us. He gives us a bargain. Mostly from the person who hurt us. The Lord's mathematics are perfect.