Dark brown pants and light yellowish striped shirt, which had many orange stains especially near the collar which were result of pan masala. Weird smell of Pan Masala always surrounded him, his mouth was always stuffed with it, so much so that when he spoke his chin was facing the ceiling to avoid more stains on the shirt. Sitting at the center of the shop Chidda Guru & Co. in General Ganj Market his eyes always strained through the ‘bahis and khatas’ (Indian Books of Accounts generally RED in color). Well this pretty much sums up “Lallu” Uncle for me.
He was my father’s partner in business and his father was my grand father’s partners. Our relations were two generations old, but the legacy could not be continued. Partnership between his two sons Sameer and Saurabh and my brother Karan and me was not even expected. “Sudhir Kumar Jain” is a reserved man of very few words and little skills. He was elder to my father, I could never figure out the actual difference but surely it wasn’t much. I don’t remember anyone calling him by his real name…generally people referred him as “Lallu” Bhaiya.
We had a bitter phase of relationship as my mother still believes and everybody around her confirms that he was the one who manipulated all accounts while my father was ill.
Its true that he maintained accounts and my father looked after the practical business activities, what I get of the situation is that while my father was ill, the practical business was not happening and firm started suffering losses, he started withdrawing his capital, and all the losses were paid off from our share of capital. It’s complicated; I know but can assure you it’s even more complicated than it might sound.
My mother was not comfortable with the fact that I am suppose to meet him for my film. I had a stiffing feeling as I have not met him for the past 5 year’s. I went to his place one day in afternoon, sun was blazing full cylinders. He was not at the place I waited for him for 30 minutes, his wife started giving me all sorts of things to eat, he came and he was as surprised by my presence as his wife was …“What are you making? A film about Kanpur! What inspired you to do that?” These were his first reactions when I approached him. After a few hiccups he gets going.
“After dealership of private mills in the 90’s, business grew leaps and bound, our turn over was just shy of a crore. But soon the load was too much. As business was carried on credit basis and we had limited amount of capital, our huge turnover led to burdening of interest due to which level of income started falling. We did not cut down on our expenses as a result we started biting into our capital , once that started happening the end was near.” He continues with a pause “by 1994 your father got ill as he was the man who looking after dealings and the practical side of the business, our money got stuck in the market and recovery was just not possible.”
After his demise we some how unwrapped our firm and a lot of money got stuck in the market. We had to pay the mills and the remaining sum was consumed in the process. One thing we could have done in the new marketing strategy, that is two people meet in a deal through me, both can negotiate a deal on your own and just assure me my share of commission. Our firm was just too prestigious to do that, but that’s where the business standards are today. People with no virtually no working capital carry on this kind of business deals and hurt the overall business scenario in the process.
My involvement with the shop started at the age of 14/15, in the year 1962. Your Grandfather lost a lot of money in the business in early 1950’s, later he and my father started a new business firm in May 1953 as “Nirmal Kr. Komal Kr.”. The capital was put in by my father and shop was of your grand father. Not much later I took control of the shop. Your father was never interested in the business and I was the one who convinced him to join the business. He picked up tricks of trade very fast, soon we took over the business established by our fathers.
The way business was done has also undergone tremendous change, now there is no place for ethics and morals. Earlier times when use to ask for payments, if the person is not having it he would have taken a loan and then send the money. Now for your own payments you keep begging but he will not even shake his eyelid. Earlier producer was more important but now consumer is, that’s why retailer has a stronger say in the deals, as for before we were the ones who were commanding the authority. Now things have changed, it’s more difficult to run mid-level establishments.
“After your father’s death I never ever thought of getting into cloth trade again.” exclaims ‘Lallu’ Uncle. “It takes a lot out of you, you guys should also look for other better avenues, better get out of this city” he suggests.
* This document is based on random conversations.
Maitrey Bajpai
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