The Family Jeweller by Sudaman (summer reading list txt) 📖

Chapter 1: One Sunday…

That should have been a Sunday. The day of dreams for any 10 year old like me. Not that it mattered to Mannan dha. Or that is what I think so.


I was in my usual postion that day as all Sunday’s. I was driving to Thoothukudi and my bus wouldn’t stop for anybody except for Mannan dha. Might be because he is my only passenger.

He aboarded the bus and sat in a comfortable position, resting his grey two eared bag somewhere near him. “ The bus is going to Thoothukudi !”, I said with my eyes resting on his lips. “Take me there”, Mannan dha said. So, we started our own jobs.,me driving and Mannan dha staring at the kitchen.

(I used to sit in the corner of the long wooden bench in the living hall of my house with a plate in the hand and fantasize myself as a long distance bus driver and the people sitting in the wooden bench as my passengers. Of course, Everybody readily agreed to travel with me...all over the World in no dollars.)

Invariably, Sundays, mother takes charge of Government at home. She spins like a top in the kitchen cribbing the inadequacies of surplus availabilities. It should have been lesser than five minutes, she came to the hall with coffee for Mannan dha. “Oh My Sister! Marriages might be made in heaven but coffee is sure made here in our house. If God is who makes Marriages then it is you who makes coffee”, said Mannan dha. Mom stood there for that dialogue because that is the only appreciation she gets for a span of a week.

Meanwhile,I had another passenger in my bus. My dad. He sat very close to me and said, “Do not scratch the plate and earn yourself the usual dose”. This didnt stop me from going towards the destination because one way or the other the usual dose in inevitable.

Mannan dha now changed his position of facing the kitchen. He had got his coffee. He now changed his postion to face my Dad. My dad put his hand on Mannan dha’s shoulder and smiled, acknowledging the birth of another Sunday and getting ready to listen to the long discourses of Mannan dha.

I had to stop my bus as my mom turned her attention from kitchen to me. She had to get my attention by heading towards the long wooden chair, in which I was sitting at the edge and my passengers in the middle. I stopped the bus and ran to the bathroom before the dictator could reach me.

Bathroom is always a very far off place for me. The concept of undressing and consciously getting wet is something that always puts me in confused state. When I use an umbrella to safeguard myself from shower for which I dont have to undress, I do not understand why my mother insists me to stand under a shower and get myself consciously drenched with no place in my body to spare.

A huge duty of a day done, I came out of the bathroom hearing unintelligible sounds from my stomach. I knew I was hungry. That Sunday was a perfect repeat that I saw Dad and Mannan dha sitting on the floor with hot packs and empty plates all around. Straight to the floor, I was sitting next to my Dad facing the kitchen.

Mannan dha was all set, for I guess, his stomach should also have been crying for food. The only problem that Mannan dha should be facing is he has to stop lecturing my Dad and Mom on life for few minutes when he autually masticates the food. Though he readily makes this sacrifice every week.

Floor clean and breakfast complete and even the regular crowning of my mother as best cook ever born, by Mannan dha was over. They three sat facing each other. I was now remote controling the far off television.


“This is the best diamond stone that I have come across and it is so pure that I thought I should bring it to you, guys.”, Said Mannan dha. Intrestingly, every week Mannan dha manages to get a diamond of that charachteritics. My dad was closely inspecting the Diamond stone in all the angles he could position the stone. Mannan dha was meddling for the diamond watchers in his two eared grey bag. My mom was peeping to have a glance at the Diamond. My dad after carefully inspecting it passed it on to my Mom. Mannan dha had excavated the diamond watchers by then and handed it over to Mom. Mom, now had her turn of working out all the possible angles to ensure that my Dad had not left out any angles.

“Mannan dha, why dont we try this diamond with her brother devdass?.He was telling me that he wanted to buy a diamond”, said my Dad. Mannan dha, lost all his colors in his face. He immediately snapped that, “ They will not buy . It takes grace to buy diamonds and they dont have it. You are young and you dont understand this”, said Mannan dha. My dad was dumb found.

“This diamond costs 6000 Rs. I bought it for 4000 Rs. I am sure, the diamond would sell out for more bucks. Probably more than 10000 Rs. But 6000 Rs is enough for me. Would you like to take it?”, asked Mannan dha, staring my mom, who was still inspecting the diamond and my Dad who was intently listening to Mannan dha. My Mom completed her investigation and nodded positively and my Dad turned to Mannan dha, who had also noticed the positive nod. “We will take it Mannan Dha. We will give you the money when you make your next visit. Is that okay with you?”, said my Dad. “I am very happy to sell this to you. It is okay with me. But can you give me some money atleast now? Say a 2000 Rs ?”, asked Mannan dha. My Dad turned to my mom and asked “Do we have 2000 Rs now with us? “. Postive nod of my mom ended the deal making both sides happy.

That day ended with all the carachteristics of a Sunday.Usual inevitable doses. Last minutes homeworks. Evening televisions and much awaited dinners.


Chapter 2: The next sunday...

The scene was quite the same the next Sunday. I was in my usual position, just that I had convinced myself to drive my passengers to Madras. The bus was empty though it was time for my only passenger to come. I was going on short trips and eagerly waiting for my only passenger to come. After some time, my dad came and sat next to me. To my surprise, I didnt hear his usual dialogue. My mom was the same in the kitchen but the top wasnt spinning as it usually would. Probably, everyone at home were expecting Mannan dha.

Time passed and then three new people entered our house. They sat near my dad and I stopped driving. “We are sons of Mannan dha. He told us that you have a diamond stone of his for which you will have to pay us 8000 Rs. We are here to get it from you”, Said the dirty shirt middle aged man. “ Where is Mannan dha?”, asked my dad. My mom was out with coffee in her hand for four instead of two as usual. “ He is in his death bed”, replied the dirty shirt middle aged man. “We would like to meet him and give the money to him”, said my mom even before my dad could speak anything. They exchanged sights among themselves and then they agreed.

I found myself in our car and we were heading towards my only passengers house.

Mannan Dha’s house was very small. Roof was so low and walls were dirty. There was no long wooden table and no far off television.two eared grey bag was lying empty.Mannan dha was lying down in the corner of the only hall and his wife was fanning him with a cardboard sheet.

My mom asked me to take it from her and instructed me to do the same. I did it religiously though I hate doing it. I took the fan turned cardboard sheet immediately as if I was dying to do it. I could understand that Mannan dha is seriously ill

My dad and mom sat very next to Mannan dha’s ears and his three sons sat on the other side of Mannan dha. My dad smiled at Mannan dha comforting Mannan dha by his presence. Mannan dha tried to get up but he couldnt. My dad made him lie down. Mannan dha stared at my Mom and I could see a water drop showing its head out of his eye lids. I was finding myself incompetent to fan as I could see Mannan dha starting to sweat.

Mannan dha, then looked at his wife and his wife started to move towards the other small room. Probably their kitchen. But my mom stopped her and my parents refused formalities. Of course, we werent living an ‘usual’ Sunday.

After comforting Mannan dha and his wife for sometime, my dad looked up at my mom. My mom then took out some ruppees in her hand and handed it over to Mannan dha. “ There is 8000 Rs in your hand now Mannan Dha. This is towards the diamond that you had given to us last week.”, Said my mom. I could see Mannan dha’s face change. He looked around and saw his sons sitting next to him for the first time.

All that while, Mannan dha was trying to speak but he couldnt as he didnt have energy. But, Now, I dont know where he got his energy from, he started speaking very lowly but clearily. “I dont want 8000 Rs, I want 4000 Rs, Our deal ended that way. I do agree that I said the diamond might sell out for more than 10000 Rs. But, I sold it to you for 6000 Rs. You had already given me 2000 Rs and now I need just 4000 Rs”.

“This is stupidity. Why should we sell a diamond that is worth more than 10000 Rs for 6000 Rs? Why are you getting cheated like this ?”, said the dirty shirt middle aged man.

“That diamond was MY diamond last week when I sold it. So I had all the rights to take a decision as to how much it should be sold. I sold it for an amount that satisfied me. I was and am contended with that amount. Now the diamond doesnt belong to me. It belongs to my sister and her family. They have all the rights to sell it to another person for more than 50000 Rs even and still not a paisa more than 6000 Rs belongs to me. Because I dont own it now. I request everyone to be clear on this”, said Mannan dha. He spoke all this staring at my face and not even facing his sons.

With all the remaining energy he had, Mannan dha counted and took 4000 Rs from the money given by his sister and returned back the remainging amount to his Sister.

Then he fell down with no energy.

But