Katha: Ramesh Bhai aur Sudama ke chawal

Ramesh Bhai, 45, a cloth trader in Surat, had a bad year: two buyers didn't pay and one order was cancelled. Now, instead of counting sheep at night, he counts losses. By 3 am he has calculated losses on deals that haven't even happened yet. His wife says he does more accounting in bed than his accountant does all month.

One night his old father sat down beside him and told him about Sudama. Sudama was so poor that some days his children slept hungry. He walked to Dwarka to meet his childhood friend Krishna, carrying only a handful of beaten rice tied in a torn cloth, too shy even to offer it. Krishna snatched it from him, ate it happily, and talked about their school days all evening. Sudama went home without asking for a single rupee. When he reached his village, his broken hut had become a home.

"Ramesh," said his father, "Sudama ne maanga kuch nahi, bas mutthi bhar chawal diye. Tu apni mehnat de, baaki ka hisaab Kanha ka. Unka hisaab-kitaab tere bahi-khaate se zyada pakka hai." For the first time in weeks, Ramesh Bhai slept through the night.