Gradually, Harnamdas started getting better. After a month, he could stammer and speak. The doctor had given instructions that he should live under peaceful conditions. But the moment he could speak a little bit, he was very restless. He would tell Devaki, ‘The entire business is going down the drain. I don’t know what this boy is doing. He has taken all the work in his hands! I had instructed him to make Dinanath the manager, but he did not pay heed to it. He is wasting away my life’s earnings.’
Devaki tried to comfort him saying he shouldn’t worry. The business was going on well, earning a lot of profit. But she was also scared to give importance to this issue fearing another paralytic attack. She tried to divert his attention every time. Harnamdas would shower Haridas with questions the moment he returned from work and got angry if Haridas tried to change the topic. He said, ‘Worthless brat, you’re slashing my throat in cold blood. Wasting away my wealth! Do you know at all how I have saved every penny? You’ve decided that you will make me beg at this age.’
Haridas would not answer these allegations. He knew it would have only aggravated the situation. Because of his silence, Harnamdas was sure that the business was in tatters.
One day, Devaki mentioned to Haridas, ‘For how many days and for how long will you hide things from Lalaji?’
Haridas replied, ‘I want to take him and show him once I repay the money for the new machine. By then even the three-month period of rest instructed by the doctor will be over.’
‘But where is the need to hide this? He talks about it through the day. This increases his worry, it doesn’t decrease it. It would be better if he is told everything.’
‘Will he believe me if I tell him? Yes . . . he might believe it if Dinanath tells him.’
‘In that case, send Dinanath tomorrow. Lalaji will call him the moment he sees him. You will be free from this scolding that you get every day.’
‘Now his scolding doesn’t bother me. The result of my labour and expertise is in front of my eyes. The day I took the business in my hands, there was barely a ratio between expenditure and income. Today there is a profit of five hundred rupees. The third month is going to end and I have already paid half the amount for the new machine. Most probably I will pay off the entire amount in the next two months. The expenditure of the mill is probably three times more but the income has increased five times. His eyes will open when he sees it. Once there were owls hooting in the compound. He would nap at a table and Dinanath would sit at the other end and clean his ears. The mistri and the fireman would play cards. The mill would only work for a couple of hours of the day. Now there is not a moment to breathe. I have managed what he couldn’t do his entire life. He was so proud of his experience and actions. I do the same amount of work in a day that he would do in a month.’
Devaki looked at him disapprovingly, ‘One should learn from you how to praise oneself. As a mother always thinks her child is frail, a father also thinks that his son is naive. This is their love. You shouldn’t feel bad about it.’
Haridas was embarrassed to hear this and he remained quiet.4
The next day, Dinanath came with the excuse to pay a visit to Harnamdas. The moment Harnamdas saw him, he sat up, resting against a pillow, and asked him impatiently, ‘Has the business collapsed completely or is some of it still left? All of you already consider me dead. You never took my advice. I did not expect this from you at least. I would have died had my daughter-in-law not taken care of me like this.’
‘Babu Sahib kept me informed every day about your health. I haven’t forgotten the good deeds you have done for me. I am forever indebted to you. It was just that there was so much work that I didn’t get time to visit you.’
‘How is the mill? How much time is left for it to go bankrupt?’
Dinanath answered in surprise, ‘Who has told you that it is going to go bankrupt? You can see the profit in business in this period with your own eyes.’
Harnamdas answered sarcastically, ‘Looks like your Babu Sahib has promoted you according to your wishes. Now stop hero-worshipping him and tell me the truth. I had instructed that the running of the mill would be in your hands but I believe that Haridas has kept everything in his hands.’
‘Yes. But I do not regret this. It is he who is capable of this work. I wouldn’t have been able to do what he has done.’
‘I am surprised to hear this. Okay, tell me, what progress has he made?’
‘It is a long story. In brief, the work that we used to do in a month we do in a day now. A new machine was bought. Half of it has been paid for. Very often it works at night as well. We had taken a contract for five thousand maund from the thakur’s company.
