At the center of the crowded street, where flakes of dust settled upon the noisy hawkers, there was a busy market. Having roamed in the dusty air for about an hour, David entered an illustrious store full of wood and decor and began examining the pieces, calmly strolling amidst the sweet fragrance of choice wood.
'Welcome!' said the salesman. 'You're lucky to set your feet in, Sir. My name is Mukesh. And I'm here to attend to you. Firstly, what would you like to have? Tea or coffee?'
'Nothing,' David answered. 'I come to buy—'
'—I know what you come to buy, Sir.' He intercepted excitedly. 'As you can see, there's nothing but furniture. This way, please.'
Mukesh had an innocent face and appeared too fresh to be a merchandiser. But he was a proud man, as was evident when he frequently rubbed his lofty, pointed nose and smoothed his ironed shirt. Having pointedly walked a few paces ahead of David, he stopped short in front of a section and turned around to address him.
'Look here, Sir.' He pointed at a large couch with a velvet covering. 'This is bound to make your home glamorous. Look at the make and embroidery. If you have eyes like mine, you should know what I mean. This is the last piece in this category. All others have been sold out.' He folded his hands at his chest. 'And if you say yes, I can make the sale profitable.'
David bent down to examine the set. He beat the cushions, pressed the armrest, lounged on its frames, and bounced up and down to check the webbing bridge.
'Are you done, Sir?' Mukesh said to him.
'Quite,' answered David, not too excited.
'So, did you like it?'
'I have no doubt.' David sighed. 'It looks good. But it should be quite expensive.'
'Doubtless, Sir. It is expensive. But I suggest you go more with my assurance. And here's the reason. The frame is formidable. The wood is one of a kind. You may spend your life sitting on it, and it will not break. I could have said a fifty for all this. But I grant you the benefit of trading with me for the first time. A mere forty-five thousand, then? Reasonable enough?'
'Is that all you can do?' David pursued anxiously. 'You may limit my prospects to mere wood and cushion. I don't need this fancy embroidery. I care not to spend on luxuries for now.'
'It discourages me, Sir.' Mukesh contested. 'It's a mess of a bargain you make. I don't think I can go down any further. Let me see if I can find you something cheaper. Quite like this one.' He pointed at a rugged old set without seat covers. 'A two-seater couch upholstered with fine velvet. Would this suit your meager needs?'
'This appears quite old,' returned David. 'I'm unsure if I'd like to buy a used set.'
'No, no.' Mukesh laughed. 'I don't sell this one. It's only a specimen. It's kept here only to be displayed. Look closely. The velvet is worn out, and the stitches are already split apart. Let me know if you like the make. I can then take you to the basement to show you what I have to offer.'
'I won't mind taking a look.'
'Very well,' said Mukesh, starting. 'Let's go down and check our inventory.'
'I hope you know my constraints,' said David, following him down the staircase into a small, dark hole.
'Of course, Sir. I'll give it to you at the price of peanuts. It shall be a reasonable bargain. You'll leave with your pockets half full and a profitable trade. You'd remember me for this. Be careful with your head here, Sir. The roof is too low and narrow.'
The cellar David was led into was like a war tunnel with many sloping descents and steep ascends. Though the darkness inside was thick, the dim candles affixed to the walls lit up their path, and their shadows walked on the swollen walls. After a brief walk, they arrived in a dingy, dark, dusty room resembling a giant dumping ground. Besides hoping to draw forth the object of his choice from this mess, David wished to draw forth a few short breaths, for a strange stench arose inside the chamber. Ignoring his struggle, Mukesh immediately got to business. He went about the room, checking the articles, jostling and stumbling at loose pieces of wood, and kicking up sawdust. After dusting himself to the point of inhaling soot and smut, he returned to his spot and drew David's attention to a sofa set.
'Check this to begin, Sir,' he said to David. 'Gorgeous and admirable! It's made from fine timber discovered in Africa. It makes some excellent wooden structures, as you can see around. Tables, chairs, closets, and upholstered couches—we have everything. And if you have a wooden hearth, it should supply even greater aesthetics to your room. I will give you a study table with it.'
Mukesh seemed too excited, as if he had already sealed the offer. But noticing David struggle to take note of his observations and rub his eyes, he went towards the large window and drew the heavy, dusty curtains aside. And at once, the bright rays poured in, lighting up the webbed shelves, tables, artifacts; blunt imprints of medieval history; dusty furnishings; blotted images of primitive cutlery; and unfinished craft and masonry—all thrown away and scattered in a disreputable mess under the tender rays of the part-time sun. Catching David's attention was the long table, on which lay cluttered (as if thrown in great hurry), twinkling like stars, plates of gold, silver cutlery, diamond jewellery, and precious stones.
'Behold the articles now,' said Mukesh. 'Look around, Sir. Move about and be spellbound. Whoever comes here never returns empty-handed.'
'The furniture appears to be quite expensive.' David remarked.
'It is not, Sir. It is as low as eight thousand.'
David looked at him astonishingly. 'What makes it so cheap?'
Mukesh drew close to him and whispered, 'It is cheap because it's part of a stolen lot. We steal these sets from different stores and sell them as refurbished.'
'How do you do that?' asked David suspiciously.
'We have tricks, Sir. But don't be bothered. Tell me if you are interested in buying?'
'I'm not sure if I'd be,' answered David anxiously, 'after what you've told me.'
'In which case,' continued Mukesh, cautiously looking around, 'let me make the offer better. You see these precious stones and jewelry.'
'I do. What about them?'
'They look real, don't they? Ha ha. But they're not. We smuggle the original ones from Europe; mix them with substandard stones, glass, and other shiny materials; color them; shape them; and sell them. So, here's the offer. You help me sell this jewelry and stones, and I will discount the price and give you a share in the profits. You can be my business partner. What do you have to say?'
'I'm sorry, Sir,' replied David with a straight face. 'I shall have no business with the stones. I came only to buy furniture.'
'Never mind, then,' returned Mukesh. 'I respect your freedom. Let's stick to our original purpose. Please have a look at the furniture and make a choice. I shall then quote a final figure.'
'I have a figure,' said David. 'A four thousand and something?'
Indeed, David could have afforded a higher bargain. But this was done to immediately call off the proceedings, for the sight of the precious stones made his already fearful heart more anxious.
After hearing the quote, Mukesh burst out in fury. And at once giving up his pretense at courtesy, he addressed David with an ungracious salutation.
'Mister.' He raved. 'I think we waste our time here. Either you have no interest, or you are too poor. I don't waste my time on such people. Four thousand for this! I'm appalled. You don't mean business, Sir. You mean loss. No more options are to be given to you now. You're a waste, and so shall you be until you learn how to spend. I honestly think these things are beyond you. What do you expect yourself to buy in four thousand? I'm sorry. I don't think I can attend to you now. Thank you very much. Come with me.'
Hastily drawing back the curtains, he trudged up the cellar and down it until he arrived upstairs.
'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said David after he had followed him upstairs. 'I have a limited budget. Spending much on a mere piece of furniture would be too much. I hope you understand. Don't be displeased. I admire your office. But my hands are tight.'
But Mukesh, suddenly turning deaf to his confession, had already turned toward a lady wearing a scarf across her face and had begun to attend to her—leaving David at the mercy of a much younger subordinate who, despite his inadequacy at attending clients, had been apprenticed perfectly in the loftiness of this business. And so, he creased his shirt better than his master and rubbed his nose better than his master.
'All those he does not wish to see,' he said to David, 'he sends them to me. But sadly, I can't offer you anything. I've been listening to your conversation and am equally angry. I think your pockets are too small. I seriously doubt your survival here. You're beyond hope. I suggest you go to a forest to apply your carpentry skills. The wood is cheap there.'
'I'm grateful for your remark and assistance,' returned David, standing at the door. 'Thank you for your suggestion. I'll surely think about it. But would there be a store close by?'
The apprentice replied, 'What you look for here, you're unlikely to find anywhere. This city demands greatness, and you're a miserable fellow. But so you are not disappointed, you can try the Chor Bazaar at the heart of the city. But I doubt you have a chance even there. You are too wretched. That's all I can say. Thank you very much. Now, may I please get back to work? I have many customers to deceive. I mean, to serve. Thank you very much. Dare not come here again.'
Having experienced the first taste of embarrassment and with little plans for the rest of the afternoon, David rode deep into the city toward the Civic Center. With little direction regarding his motives, he stopped by a large shopping complex. But as he entered, he recalled the profound words of the gatekeeper,
"The shops and bars are small channels of indulgence. Do not be lost in them. Remember the rules, no matter which path you take."
But rendering no serious care to this caution, he entered the complex.
From the outside, the edifice was quite majestic. But the view from inside was even better. A vast garden in the center and a long row of eateries outlining it. Children running about carelessly, and their guardians keeping an anxious watch. A great flock walking around in bright and colorful clothes but with no genuine interest in anything. A few sitting leisurely on the grass amidst the floating fragrance of lavenders lit up purple by the light underneath them. Shops of all sizes catering to the spectators and urging them to take a look. Pubs, scarcely mistaken for debauchery and indulgence, delightfully lit and posted next to the alleyways to catch an already tempted heart and lure it in, perhaps to shower upon it a life full of spirit analogous to drunkenness. A general infection of glad tidings seen at food corners and alleyways, helped by the ostentatiously decent, cosmopolitan roars rising and falling, by turns, as if all who partook of the glory were children again.
As David sat amused in the garden among the company of these very men and women, he saw a small group of people sitting afar, fixed and still like grotesque statues. Though it seemed they were together, they hardly looked at each other, for their eyes were fixed on the large volumes held under their noses. It was a reading group. And a quite ferocious one, too, as is often the case. No strong wind disturbed them, and no shouts of cries or loud music stirred them. As he looked clearly, his eyes were arrested by the sight of a lady with reading glasses secured at her forehead. Knowing her to be Ana, he decided to greet her. But he had only walked a few paces when she raised her eyes and noticed him.
'David!' She said excitedly as he came near. 'It's a pleasure again to see you. Hope you're doing well. I thought you never liked going out.'
'Quite right,' he answered, standing next to her. 'I'm adapting.'
'In that case, I should say you've begun well. I'm quite thrilled to see you here. But I remain confused. I thought you'd take the suggestions of the watchman seriously.'
'Oh, he's too fond of himself, and I don't deny him that privilege. He feels heard when I listen to him.'
'I think you have a queer company, Sir,' remarked Ana after he had sat next to her.
'Yes. But yours is stranger than mine. I hope your friends won't mind my presence. Should I also have a book in my hand?'
'We have no restrictions here,' Ana replied tenderly. 'You may sit and talk as long as you please. So, tell me how you found the city. Are you still apprehensive?'
'I don't think so. I'm comfortable moving around now. The city is treating me well.'
'I know it's not easy living alone here,' remarked Ana. 'But places like these help. You should come here often. By the way, did you meet the Gupta's?
'A man of three daughters and a furious dog?'
'That should be them.' Ana had a grin. 'You must if you haven't. The girls can give you great company.'
'Yes, I observe their eagerness every Saturday,' answered David, 'when they ring my doorbell to disturb me.'
'Yes,' said Ana, laughing. 'They can be mischievous at times. But you can ignore them.'
'And the dog,' continued David. 'He doesn't seem too interested in me. He growls at me as though I were a ghost.'
'We call him chubby,' said Ana. 'He's violent with strangers. But if you meet him often, I'm sure his sentiments for you will soften. But Gupta Uncle knows how to calm him down. He knows how to deal with him.'
Having discussed the neighbors, Ana asked him if he was meeting the obligations stated in the agreement.
'Of course,' replied David proudly. 'I sweep and dust the house regularly. I even do the dishes and laundry.'
'And what about the plants? Are you taking care of them?.'
'Don't be anxious,' said David. 'I water them every day. If you visit me someday, you'll be impressed to see them flourish.'
'I'd care little.' Ana answered in a teasing way. 'If there's anyone you must please, it's my father. It's he who deals and decides, appreciates, and detests. I'm nothing but a custodian, merely a caretaker.'
'So, it's your father who works, eh?' David jeered at her. 'You only sit here and read the whole day.'
'I don't find the time at home,' answered Ana. 'I have work to do there. Besides, it's fun being part of a group with similar interests. You should join us someday.'
'Spare me the trouble.' David objected, laughing the proposition away.
'In this case,' said Ana, slightly offended by the response, 'I should make you read some serious literature.'
'Impossible, Miss. I prefer being bored to death to entering a bookstore. It's a silly business to go after. Besides, I don't think I have the time. I need to buy furniture and other things.'
'Yes, yes,' returned Ana, bookmarking the page with her finger and turning to him. 'I remember you mentioning it. Have you been able to lay your hands on anything?'
'I did go to a store today. But it didn't work out. He was a silly man, and I had to leave.'
And he narrated the remainder of that episode.
'Silly!' She bellowed before David could finish. 'That lofty salesman you went to! How stupid of you to do that! Didn't you know he's cunning and deceitful? He's a fraudster. He smuggles furniture and other things.'
'I affirm that,' confirmed David. 'I saw it today.'
'Did he offer you anything?'
'He did. But I refused.'
'I'm glad you did that. He's quite a deceiver, a bad fellow, a swindler. He's been known to prey on people and persuade them to sell his spoils for his gains. You're lucky to be saved. Not many who go there are. I know about some men who have been his victims. That man is dangerous. Never go there again. As for your business of buying furniture, I have a suggestion. We can try the thieves' market. It's right on the edge of the city. You can find some good options there.'
'But is it too far?' asked David.
'About an hour's journey. But don't be anxious. I shall lead you on. There's someone I know who can do better than these deceivers. We've known him for years. He was a friend of my father. I'm sure he can give you a good deal.'
Pleased by the proposition, David immediately confirmed his availability.
Shortly after the discussion, the evening wore on and it was time for Ana to leave. Depositing the book in her bag, she arose, bid farewell to David, and left.
Long after Ana's departure that evening, David sat alone in the garden, hoping to be amused by the people around. But as the night turned deep and air cold, people began to leave the complex. Soon, the cold benches were empty, and so were the lanes and alleyways. Children no longer played around. People no longer huddled near coffee joints or eateries. Stores, devoid of an audience, were being shut. Aimless prowlers had left. Old men and women had left. The last few, who had sat in pubs a while ago, had walked out and staggered away, hand in hand, toward the exit.
With the lights fully dimmed and nothing better to do for the night, David gently arose and left for home.