Seen through the Window

It was just another day. Life was the same for me. Nothing had changed. The same room, the same table, same old books and the same old window. But this window has a special part in my life for variety of reasons. This window overlooks almost the entire stretch of Bazar marg. A ice cream parlor, ek chai ki dhukan, a small time kiosk and a bustling street is all that I see. As I was seeing through this window, quiet and somber, a truck pulled up in front of my building with the loud screech of brakes. As it stopped I heard the clink of bottles. ”Oh, its for the nechewala daru shop” I thought to myself. And this is for the brethren of “ high spirits” my building houses a “ Wine and a Beer shop” and so reads the signboard. (In chennai signboards read just “ wines”. Strange are the ways of life)

Now all the cartons are to be unloaded- Director’s Special, Royal Challenge, Royal Stag, Bagpiper and Smirn off. The boxes looked colorful. There were three men to shoulder this task. The work began. One man stayed inside the truck to take it out and pass it on to the rest of the two, as they walked to and fro carrying the cartons. I was still seeing thru the window counting the cartons- may be its an hangover that still remains after having served as “ Articled Clerk”(a term I disliked) for the audit firm during my CA course. The truck has been almost emptied. There were only three cartons left. The man inside the truck surreptitiously opened the carton and pulled out one bottle and put an empty bottle of the same kind in its place. The other men guarded what he was doing. oops! looks like a collusion!. Finally the three cartons, minus one “full” bottle in each one of them, were also taken inside. At the back of my mind I thought about the “Replacement mechanism” which companies had. Pity them!!
This exudes that our values have become so debased that people resort to fraud and malpractices as if it is a national game. This is just a tip of the iceberg!!!