Evolution of Love 2

_KINDNESS IN TRADING_

When I was young, my mom used to buy vegetables for the household, from a lady vendor who came to our doorstep every day.

On a particular Sunday, the vendor brought bundles of spinach. Her quote was, I think, one rupee per bundle. My mom's counter-bid was exactly half that figure: however, she promised that she will buy four bundles at that price. For a while, both were harping on one's own figure. The vendor politely declared that she doesn't even recover her cost at that price, loaded the basket on her head and walked away.

After taking four steps ahead, the vendor turned back and shouted, *Make it 75 paise a bundle*, and I will give it to you. My mom shook her head and stuck to her original 50 paise, reiterating the theory of quantity discount. The vendor walked on.

The two of them precisely knew each other's strategies. The vendor turned around, came back to our house, while my mom was waiting at the doorstep with a smug smile on her face.

The deal was clinched at my mom's bid. The vendor was sitting there as if she was in a trance. My mom took her time checking each bundle by gently tossing it by her right hand and examining each with a critical eye for quantitative and qualitative compliance.

From an initial short-listing of the bundles, she finally selected four bundles to her satisfaction, making that point clear to the fatigued vendor. She took the commodity and took her time and came out with the payment in a collection of coins of small denominations.

The vendor took the money without even counting. As she got up, she swayed due to apparent dizziness. My mom held her hands and asked whether she hadn't had any food in the moming. The vendor said, "No Ma. With today's earnings only, I've to buy some rice, go home and make some."

My mom asked her to sit down, hurried inside and came back swiftly with a few chapatis & vegetables and offered to the vendor. Mom gave a bottle of water and started making some tea for the vendor. The vendor hungrily and gratefully ate the food, drank the water and finished the tea. Thanking my mom profusely, placed her basket on her head and went on to continue with her business.

I was puzzled. I told my mom, you were ruthless in bargaining for two rupee stuff, but were generous in offering food of a much higher price to that vendor.

*My mom smiled and said, "My dear child, there is no kindness in trading and there shall never be any trading in kindness*