05 Mar 2022 16:17

Joined:	23/09/2015
Level:	Gold
Points:	58908

Points:	5

I no longer go there

They were a lovely couple. Both of them had a pleasant demeanour. Due to their business acumen and behaviour, their kiosk was doing a booming business in the locality. The man was a Bengali and the woman was from Nepal. They had two small children. Occasionally the children used to play in front of their kiosk. Everything was going on well.

I was a regular customer of the couple. The man used to converse in Bengali. The wife also tried to speak to me in Bengali. I liked the couple and their children. I earlier wrote about them here.

I always thought that they were a happy couple and as they had a booming business, they were financially very sound. But I was wrong.

During the first lockdown in 2020, I was very depressed due to my personal loss. I almost locked myself in my residence. But somehow I managed to overcome my depression. When the lockdown was over, I went to the market and found the shop closed. After enquiry I got the terrible news.

The Bengali-Nepali couple had taken a huge loan from a private money-lender to open the kiosk in the market. Due to the lockdown, they failed to pay regular instalments to the moneylender. The moneylender could not give much time. Further, they could not pay the salary to five-six employees of the kiosk. They ultimately took the easy route. Both husband and wife committed suicide.

I could not ask about the beautiful little children of the departed couple. But I never found the children in the locality again.

------------

Nature abhors vacuum. Now the kiosk is again open. Another person has started to serve Indian-Chinese food from the kiosk. But, I have stopped visiting the kiosk. I even avoid to move in front of the stall. Whenever I go near it, the picture of a very happy family appears in front of my eyes.

I can almost see the husband and the wife smiling, serving the customers and watching their two small children running around in front of their kiosk.

#753367

05 Mar 2022 17:37

Joined:	02/06/2009
Level:	Platinum
Points:	120294

Points:	4

It is a very bad situation and even today we don't know what happened to the kids.
Many stories like this are there.
A person and his wife were sick in our village. Doctors confirmed that the sickness is not due to COVID. So their son and daughter in law came there to take care of them. After two days these two were also sick and four of them tested COVID positive. They were admitted to the hospital. The person lost his wife as she succumbed to Corona. The daughter in law lost her husband due to the same. She went to her parents. Now that person is alone in the village and has no one to take care of him. Whenever I see him or talk to him I feel pity for him.
COVID played with many families like this.

drrao
always confident

#753379

05 Mar 2022 18:46

Joined:	11/12/2021
Level:	Gold
Points:	1529

Points:	4

It is very painful when you happen to hear the sad news of the loved ones committing suicide. Some people take loan at a heavy interest and start their business. They take a very big risk of doing this.It is always better to start business with the little resources you have in hand. Yes, the author is right. I also faced such a situation long time back. A mother along with her teenage mentally retarded daughter set themselves on fire long time back.I could not digest the news for many months and the mother's beautiful smiling face used to haunt me repeatedly for many days.

#753398

05 Mar 2022 21:06

Joined:	10/12/2016
Level:	Platinum
Points:	88911

Points:	3

A sad story shared by the author. During the Covid pandemic many people suffered and many lives were lost. Some people lost their jobs. Some left their place of work and went to their remote home town. The company or business units which they left had recruited new people. So the situation went very bad. There are so many sad incidents which happened during that time. Recollection of those memories only hurts us.

Knowledge is power.

#753399

05 Mar 2022 21:47

Joined:	16/02/2022
Level:	Silver
Points:	104

Points:	5

Its heart wrenching to read this kind of tragic incident. So many people suffered during this covid pandemic. Some even struggled to get a meal for a day. Many families have committed suicide due to financial pressure. Daily wage workers suffered to a great extent due to this covid situation by loosing their only source of income. During the nationwide lockdown, so many shop owners, street vendors, traders etc all faced their greatest hardships in life. So many people were unable to migrate from big cities back to their home villages due to the halt of transportation. When we hear this kind of incident as mentioned by the author, we all feel helpless. All we can do is to pray that not another one will happen. Everyone says suicide is not a solution to financial crises but, people who are underprivileged are forced to do it because of our society.

#753404

06 Mar 2022 05:37

Joined:	12/10/2009
Level:	Platinum
Points:	250432

Points:	5

It is very unfortunate that many among us who are known and had the happiest lives were now shattered, left alone, not having the basics to move about, and yet bracing up for the better future. But these are the people who have caught with the happenings so suddenly that they could not make provisions or exigencies to future. Life was so cruel on many as they have been denied with two square meals, parting with children and above all the agony of future risks would always haunt them. The middle class people who were eking out their lives on daily basis were the most affected and greats are those who have received some sort of solace help from others and neighbors, but many are suffering and waiting for philanthropists and great help from people like Sonu Sood. Should we have more people like him in future ?

K Mohan
'Idhuvum Kadandhu Pogum "
Even this challenging situation would ease

#753448

06 Mar 2022 17:16

Joined:	25/11/2014
Level:	Diamond
Points:	32200

Points:	5

The author has presented a story that compels us to think about the darker aspect even though the positive side is only visible at a glance. It is not surprising that the characters and situations depicted in his story are not available in the real situations. We have seen the end of booming business for which we were not all prepared during the pandemic phase. Those who started such business were looking apparently very interesting and amicable. They were even friendly once we talk them. However, the inside story of their business could not be known or even we did not dare to talk in that direction.
Corona period has badly affected both business men and the people working in private sectors and both of them has witnessed the bad weather loosing their incomes. However, the unfortunate part which the author has dealt with ie the tragic end of the couples due to their extreme steps of taking suicide reflected the bad taste of the story though in real life, it is not uncommon.

I no longer go there

About IndiaStudyChannel.com

GENERAL

STUDY ABROAD

EDUCATION