The story so far: Parvati tries to prove that Golakh Nath is the better man and he deserves his fortunes to be reversed. This time, in the form of a fruit vendor, she waits outside the temple with a basket of apples and a bunch of bananas, silently urging Golakh Nath to buy the apples. And to her delight, he does.
I’ve hidden a ring inside each banana. Even if Golak Nath gives away one banana, he is left with six,” she told her husband.
“Let’s go down,” Lord Shiva said.
They walked down the hill. They saw Mani Ram sitting beneath a tree, peeling a banana. His cloth bag was on his lap.
“I’ll eat all the free bananas,” he muttered. “I’ll take home the apples.”
Monkey business
They walked past Mani Ram. Golak Nath’s basket was under a tree, unsupervised. Some distance away, he was plucking wild flowers to offer to the gods, the next day. A monkey perched on a branch of the tree eyed the basket greedily. Suddenly, the monkey leapt to the ground, grabbed the bananas and darted up the tree. In his haste, the monkey overturned the basket. All the apples rolled down the hill.
“Don’t you dare say a word,” said Parvati warned her husband. Shiva rolled with laughter.
“It’s my mistake, I should have known about the monkeys,” she grumbled.
“Golak Nath had no business leaving his basket unguarded under a tree,” said Shiva. “Hills, and particularly trees, have monkeys.”
“I’ll try again tomorrow,” said Parvati.
When Shiva and Parvati reached Magadhpur the next day, it was the day of a festival. Everywhere they went, they met huge crowds — buying flowers, fruits and sweets to offer to the Gods and vegetables to prepare the feasts.
Mani Ram headed towards the temple, followed by his servant carrying his fruits and vegetables in a large basket on his head.
Golak Nath carried a few dried vegetables in his bony hands and also headed towards the temple.
Shiva wondered what his wife would do now. They were behind a tree, waiting for Mani Ram and Golak Nath to walk past. Parvati held two gold axes in her hands, she had coated them with slush, to hide its value. Spying Mani Ram, she flung one axe on the road. Mani Ram was busy scolding his servant and didn’t see the axe in his path. He stumbled over it.
“Which silly person has thrown this on the road?” Mani Ram said loudly. Lifting the muddy axe in his hand he examined it. “It looks good. Once the mud is cleaned off it will be usable,” he muttered. Carrying the axe in his hand he continued walking.
A bored Shiva, aware of the outcome, and an eager Parvati continued to wait for Golak Nath. When he neared, Parvati flung the axe in the path. When he saw the axe, he lifted it for a closer inspection. Parvati smiled. Her plan was finally working. Golak Nath’s fortune would now change.
“Watch,” she nudged her husband, he was watching a bird build a nest in a tree.
Golak Nath studied the muddy axe for a long time. “It’s dirty. I’ll have to spend a lot of time cleaning it. Why waste my time? I don’t really need an axe,” he muttered. Flinging down the axe, he walked away.
“It’s my mistake,” Parvati said. “I should have flung an object that Golak Nath could use, then he wouldn’t have left it behind,” she explained Golak Nath’s actions.
“Didn’t I tell you he is silly,” Shiva replied. “Even Mani Ram had no need for an axe. But he took it hoping to put it to some use. Golak Nath too could have taken it and put it to use.”
“How many times have I asked you not to compare Golak Nath to Mani Ram,” Parvati said angrily. “Golak Nath is a simple man.”
“He is lazy and foolish,” said Shiva. “Even though he had no use of an axe, he could have taken it and sold it. It is metal, and he would have got some money. What use did Mani Ram have of an axe?” Shiva asked his wife.
For once, Parvati had no ready answer.
“I’ll try something different tomorrow,” she said determinedly.
To be continued...
