Relationships are Not Measured by Profit and Loss

Vinod was driving on the highway when he noticed a young girl, around 12 or 13 years old, selling watermelons by the roadside. Curious, he stopped the car and asked, “What’s the price of a watermelon, dear?” The girl responded, “It’s 50 rupees for one, sir.”

Vinod’s wife, sitting in the back seat, chimed in, “That’s too expensive. Let’s leave.” But Vinod disagreed, “It’s not expensive at all. Each of these watermelons weighs at least five kilos. We’re getting it for 10 rupees per kilo. You pay 20 rupees per kilo at the market.”

Determined to bargain, his wife said, “Let me handle this.” She turned to the girl and said, “Give us one for 30 rupees, or we won’t buy any.” The girl replied, “I bought it for 40 rupees, Auntie. How about 45 rupees? I can’t go any lower.”

Vinod’s wife then pointed to their four-year-old son sitting in the backseat and said, “Don’t lie, dear. Give us a fair price, and consider this little one as your younger brother.” The girl, smiling at the child, approached the car with a watermelon in hand and gently touched the boy’s cheek, saying, “He truly is a cute brother, Auntie.”

Vinod’s wife asked their son to greet the girl, and he sweetly said, “Namaste, Didi.” The girl, charmed by the boy, asked, “What’s your name, little brother?” The boy replied, “My name is Golu, Didi.”

As the girl handed Golu the watermelon, it slipped from his hands and fell to the ground, splitting into several pieces. The boy started crying, but the girl comforted him, saying, “Don’t cry, brother. I’ll bring you another one.” She quickly fetched another large watermelon and handed it to Golu.

By this time, Vinod’s wife had pulled Golu back into the car, worried about his dust allergy. The girl, ignoring the concern, smiled and said, “Here, brother, this one will be really sweet.”

Vinod’s wife, still concerned about the cost, said, “I’m not paying for the one that broke. It’s your fault it fell.” The girl responded with a smile, “Don’t worry, Auntie. You don’t need to pay for either. I’m giving this one to my brother.”

Vinod and his wife were both taken aback by the girl’s generosity. Vinod offered her a 100-rupee note, but she refused, stepping away and returning to her remaining watermelons.

Vinod got out of the car and approached her, insisting, “Please take the money, dear. Otherwise, you’ll suffer a big loss.” The girl softly replied, “My mother always says that when it comes to relationships, we don’t look at profit and loss. It felt so good when you called Golu my brother. I had a little brother once, but…”

Vinod asked gently, “What happened to your brother?” She answered, “He was only two years old when he got a fever one night. Before my mother could take him to the hospital in the morning, he passed away. I miss him so much. My father also left us the year before.”

Touched by her story, Vinod’s wife went back to the car and took out a pair of anklets she had bought for their eight-year-old daughter for 3,000 rupees. She handed them to the girl, saying, “If you consider Golu your brother, then I am like your mother. You can’t refuse this gift.”

The girl hesitated, but Vinod’s wife placed the anklets in her hands, saying, “Keep these. Whenever you wear them, you’ll remember us.”

Vinod started the car and as they drove away, he thought about how emotions can change everything. Just a few moments ago, his wife was trying to save a few rupees, but now she had given away a pair of anklets worth thousands.

Suddenly, Vinod remembered something the girl had said: “In relationships, we don’t look at profit and loss.”

Vinod was currently embroiled in a property dispute with his elder brother, which had even reached the courts. He immediately called his brother and said, “Brother, it’s Vinod.”

His brother coldly responded, “Why are you calling?” Vinod replied, “Brother, you can have the shop in the main market. Just leave the one in the market yard for me. You can also take the bigger plot. I’ll take the smaller one. I’m withdrawing the case tomorrow.”

There was silence on the other end. After a while, Vinod’s brother said, “But you’ll lose so much, little brother.” Vinod replied, “Brother, today I realized that in relationships, profit and loss don’t matter. What matters is each other’s happiness.”

There was silence again, followed by the sound of his brother crying.

Vinod asked, “Are you crying, brother?” His brother replied, “If you had spoken with this much love before, I would have given you everything. Come home. We’ll sit together and sort everything out.”

The bitterness that had built up over time vanished with just a few kind words. Brothers who were once fighting over every inch of land were now ready to give everything to each other.

Moral of the Story: Embrace the spirit of sacrifice. If you’re always willing to give, even the hearts of those who only want to take will change. Remember, in relationships, profit and loss don’t matter. Sometimes, you have to give up your rights to keep your loved ones close.