The Mind Creative | Page 49

The Mind Creative However, the reason that most people wanted to believe was that his brother’s wife had hired some goons to beat him up so that there would be only one claimant to the substantial inheritance. However, old Mr. Yadav showed no signs of relinquishing either his life or his property. In fact, he would have been seriously offended if anyone had told him that he was referred to as old Mr.Yadav. He spent a lot of his time exercising in the courtyard of his house and imbibed all sorts of tonics in order to remain youthful. Someone had told him that he would stay fitter and longer if he ate a fish called magur, kept live till just before cooking. So, although he could never find the money to buy sweets or chocolates for his grandchildren, he spent plenty on this very expensive fish, of which he had one a day. Looking youthful was the prime pastime for Mr. Yadav. Mofbee’s only indulgence was smoking. Old Mr. Yadav gave him money to buy his cigarettes, partly because of the guilt that sometimes smote him for not having tried hard enough to have his son treated for his mental problems and partly to get him off his back. Mofbee usually purchased his cigarettes from the corner “paan” shop whose owner always found it wise not to cheat Mofbee of his money either because of the fear of God or possibly because of the fear of Mr. Yadav’s clout in the neighbourhood. 49