The Golden Jug

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Near the crowded market road of Calcutta, there stood the old merchandise shop, which showcased different kinds of cutlery and crockery imported from various lands .

Behind the counter stood the simple and dusky Radha silently arranging different colorful jugs and cups in a sequence on the wooden shelves off the showcase. Outside the store at a small distance stood the fair and tall Manohar watching her intently, he didn’t understand his attraction to a simpleton like her he spent many silent minutes every day observing Radha wondering what kept his gaze fixed on her. 

Manohar hailed from a well settled family, his father owning a garment factory and his mother a home maker always at her son and husband’s disposal. 

Radha on the other hand belonged to a middle class family where all the members were employed in some work or the other her parents both worked as labour in a chocolate factory. Her younger sister worked as a salesgirl in a readymade showroom.

Radha worked in the merchandise shop from 10-5. Her living was low but her ambitions are high. She dreamt of a bright future with luxury and comfort, Luxury earned through hard work but realized that success required qualifications which she didn’t have,  a degree dropout out of situation not choice. 

Every days glaring left Manohar restless he finally after a month of staring at windows decided to move on, he confronted Radha one day evening by entering the shop and asking her to show him an article which she thought would be good for gifting.

  Radha slowly and with great admiration displayed a golden colored jug she said ” This jug is very special it is colored gold only on the exterior but from within its pure white do you understand the symbolism behind this?

“A confused Manohar just remained blank he didn’t find anything special about the jug and mentioned it. she understood his expression and said

“No matter how rich and successful you become like this external gold covering your hearts and thoughts should always remain pure like this white internally.

Admiration grew into love Manohar approached Radha’s parents and asked for her hand in marriage. Very soon both were married but Radha’s dreams and aspirations were not fulfilled this left her unhappy. Her husband soon realized and asked her one day “what is it that trouble my love that you lay awake… many a night sobbing about?”.

Radha replied looking towards the sky, “I want to fly, fly real high the sky should be the limit”. The next day Radha joined college being a brilliant student she soon completed her master’s in business management, and occupied the General managers seat in the same chocolate factory where her parents once worked.

Through hard work and dedication she worked to see the sales of her “dairy fairy chocolates” raise but not like her competitor’s she needed more profits. Her manager, Vishwas a man of commercial and scheming mindset was approached Radha, sought his advice to change the ingredients and size of the bar for better taste and more profit.

Radha said “do whatever you can I want more profits and a drastic increase in sales”. A smiling Vishwas got a few documents signed and began his work the next few months saw drastic increase in the sales of dairy fairy .

Radha was pleased and Things got better all children became addicted to the chocolate. Soon one day Manohar approached Radha and said” do you realize why the sales of your chocolate are increasing, I received a call from the zest chocolate company claiming that your using kind of opium in your chocolates ingredients”

Radha looked up at him “oh they are just jealous about our success, just leave it to me,”  Radha left to the factory to meet Vishwas about this he told her” madam a little opium is no harm… another month if we use this formula we will be the no 1 and then we can go back to our regular.

Public will have got use to our product. Radha knew she was wrong but the urge to success made her convince herself that she was right. That night she heard Manohar talking to someone on the phone. Later he entered her room with a very sad look “There have been two cases of sick kids in Manavat hospital, opium found in their blood, parents are blaming it on your chocolates.

I have promised to pay for the kids treatment and their silence “Manohar went to the cupboard and brought out the golden jug and handed it to Radha and said “I never taught I would have to gift this to you. Because this was your ideal now you have the golden covering but what about the white internal” he walked out of the room.

Radha sobbed the whole night. the next day Radha handed over her resignation letter. The old chocolate recipe was back and Radha sat behind the counter in the same merchandise shop once again arranging more gold jugs on wooden shelves.   

No matter what you achieve don’t lose your character.