Champaklal Speaks

“If I Tear?”

In those days the Mother used to count and arrange the currency notes that had been offered. Once it happened that some of the one-rupee notes had been stapled by the bank and she had some difficulty in separating them. I offered to do it. She looked at me and said, in a disarming manner: “If you tear any I will be angry, but if I tear them...?” And she smiled sweetly.