Keeping a Secret

Mr Arin Bose had been a book-binder all his life. His parents died when
he was very young. He never went to college. One of his uncles, who was
childless, had brought him up. This uncle was a book-binder too and he
passed the skills on to his nephew. In fact Arin Bose also got his
uncle's shop. The shop was centrally located and patronized by decent,
well-to-do people. As long as his uncle was alive Arin Bose did all the
binding with his own hands. His uncle would look after everything else.
Arin married a girl he loved and they had a daughter. Ten years passed
in great happiness. Everyone was healthy, everything was fine. Then,
within a span of fifteen days both his uncle and wife died quite
suddenly. For months Arin did not know what to do. He could neither
look after the shop nor take care of his daughter. Then, he met Andy.
Andy was a short, stocky nineteen year old boy. His father had taught
him how to bind books. Andy's family used to own a book-binding shop.
But when his father died his uncles took over the business. Andy was
virtually turned on to the streets. He met Arin in the big market in
the central business area. Andy had been told that Arin was looking for
a reliable book-binder. Arin asked Andy a few questions. Andy was asked
to bind a book as simply as he could. Arin could see that the boy was
skilled. Arin decided to take on Andy as an employee. But the salary he
offered was much below what a person as skilled as Arin deserved. Andy
had little choice though. He needed the job. So, Andy began working for
Arin Bose. Nine years passed. Minnie Bose, the daughter of Arin, was
now the talk of the town. She was both attractive and intelligent. Her
father saw this too. His binding shop was much bigger now thanks to
Andy. There were five workers now, all reporting to Andy. Arin wanted
his daughter to marry someone important. A doctor, an accountant, a
professor-anyone who was respectable would do. He encouraged his
daughter to go out with boys who were well-educated and ambitious.
Indeed, Minnie did go out every Friday evening with someone or the
other. But when she came back she would look disappointed. Her father
asked one day, "Don't you like the boys you go out with?" Minnie
thought a little and said, "I like them, but all of them are so
absorbed in themselves. All they talk about is their assignments, their
looks, their sense of dressing. I don't seem to matter to them." That
evening while Arin was closing his shop Andy looked at him in the eye
and said, "You should let Minnie choose her husband." Arin Bose could
feel the anger rise in him and he barely stopped himself from hitting
Andy across the face. He steadied his body and told Andy loud and
clear, "You are dismissed. For talking about Minnie you are being asked
never to show your face again." Andy collected his things and left
immediately. The next year was a horrible one for Arin Bose. He tried
very hard to find a replacement for Andy. The people he hired were
either not skilled enough or could not handle other employees. When
Arin found that the last man he had put in Andy's place had stolen all
his money and fled there was only one thing to do. Andy lived in a
one-room flat in the suburbs. When Arin reached the room, Andy was
reading a book. As usual. Andy did not ask Arin to sit down. Arin
decided to break the ice. He said to Arin, "Andy, I want you to come
back to your job." This was just the signal Andy had been waiting for.
He began to speak, "Mr Bose, you paid me very poorly in the last nine
years. You treated me very badly too. I could have got a job anywhere I
wanted. But I chose to stay with you. Do you know why?" Mr Bose did not
know. But he nodded. "Its because of Minnie. I have loved her and she
has loved me from the day we have known each other. You sent her to
other men but she has always came back to me." Mr Arin Bose now
understood what Andy was saying. Andy would come back to his business
only if Mr Bose allowed him to marry his daughter Minnie. He had had
such high hopes for his daughter, such great expectations. He somehow
understood that Minnie loved Andy as much as he wanted her. In a
quivering voice he said, "Yes, you may marry my daughter. I want you in
the shop at six am tomorrow."