His master’s Jewellery Dr. Kirti Parikh. Vadodara, India Sixty five years old Rustamji Sheth had actually taken retirement from his thirty year old business, but he still occasionally did some trading. Shethji was dealing in antique collectible items. As seen in many Parsi families, he was a bachelor. He had an elder brother who had settled in the USA. His younger sister lived in Bombay. The master had left for Shirdi near Bombay in the morning. He used to go like this, driving his old car himself. He was a devotee of Saibaba of Shirdi. He will return after a full three day’s stay there. His Baroda house was in the care of his trusted servant Raghu. Raghu, his wife Jaya, and daughter Lata lived in the servants’ quarter behind Sheth’s bunglow. His wife cooked for the household and Raghu ran Sheth’s errands. He was a valet, a general duty assistant to his master. Raghu’s daughter Lata went to the Municipal School. Raghu’s father Shamlal had worked all his life at Sheth’s house. Raghu’s grandfather Kanti too was in the service of Rustam Sheth’s father Dorab Sheth. Thus, three generations of Raghu’s family had worked for these Parsi Sheths.. Raghu looked after the house and Rustamji trusted him with the keys of all almirahs. Sheth trusted him like any member of his own family. Rustamji would always buy some gifts for Raghu’s family whenever he went abroad for business. Now Lata had grown up, but when she was a little girl, Sheth would bring toys for her from Bombay. Raghu and his wife had a decent pay. Most of his expenses were borne by the master. However a man’s nature is capricious and his integrity and honesty may change unexpectedly. His master looked upon Raghu as a family member but Raghu had a feeling that though he was working so hard this Parsi Sheth was paying him only 5000 bucks. His wife’s pay was even less, only 3000 bucks. Raghu conveniently forgot that he was provided free meals and a residential quarter. Raghu felt that his master had a huge income of interest on investments and income from an occasional deal of antique items. Raghu was jealous of his master today. He was angry too. He was free whole day as the master had left for Shirdi early in the morning. He got up and went to the master’s bedroom. His wife was in the kitchen. He took the keys of the steel safe from the drawer beside Sheth’s bed. He slowly opened the safe with the key. He looked behind to confirm that there was no one else in the room. He slowly opened the locker in the safe and put his hand in it. He found a cotton purse. He opened the purse and saw that it had the UPAHAAR 2021 উপহার ১৪২৮ 13
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