This is a short but deeply moving story that highlights a critical social issue—how the lack of respect for honest labor can change a person’s life forever.
Through this narrative, we see how society’s indifference forces a skilled young man to abandon his craft and turn to begging—just because people refused to pay him fairly.
The Story of Arjun: The Forgotten Grinder
Neera sat at her sewing machine, cutting fabric while muttering in frustration—
“Ugh! These scissors have gone completely blunt. Even cutting a little cloth makes my fingers ache now.”
She paused and wondered—“Where has Arjun gone? He used to come every 15 days to sharpen our knives and scissors, and he never even charged much!”
Arjun was a simple, hardworking young man, around 22-23 years old. Always drenched in sweat, yet with a bright smile on his face.
Whenever he arrived, he would park his unique bicycle—fitted with a rotating stone wheel—under a tree, pedal hard to spin the wheel, and expertly sharpen knives and scissors against it.
Women would gather around him, chatting while children watched in fascination as sparks flew from the grinding wheel.
Once done, Arjun would cheerfully say, “Here you go, Didi! Now it’s as good as new!”
Most people would try to pay him less than he deserved, yet Arjun would quietly accept whatever they gave—never complaining.
The Day Everything Changed
Neera asked her 8-year-old daughter, Pankhudi—“Sweetheart, go ask Aunt Sangita if we can borrow her scissors.”
Pankhudi ran off but returned shouting—“Mom! Mom! Arjun is here, but he’s doing something strange!”
Excited, Neera gathered her dull knives and scissors and rushed outside.
But what she saw froze her in shock.
Arjun wasn’t pushing his grinding bicycle—instead, he was wheeling a disabled beggar’s wooden cart. The beggar sat inside, shouting—“Give me something in God’s name, Babuji!” His bowl was already filled with coins.
Neera approached Arjun and asked—“Arjun, beta, what are you doing? Where’s your machine?”
Hesitating, Arjun replied in a low voice—
*”Didi, what can I say? Sharpening knives and scissors barely earned me ₹80-100 a day. Now, this Baba pays me ₹150 just to push his cart.”*
“What choice do I have, Didi? I need to feed myself, don’t I?”
Neera stood speechless, watching Arjun walk away—realizing how society’s apathy had pushed a skilled young man into begging.
The Harsh Truth: Society’s Disrespect for Labor
This story forces us to reflect on a painful reality—when we refuse to pay fair wages to laborers, artisans, and skilled workers, we strip them of dignity and push them toward desperation.
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We haggle over ₹10-20 with a street vendor but spend thousands on luxuries.
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We admire foreign craftsmanship but undervalue our own artisans.
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We expect quality work but refuse to pay what it’s truly worth.
And in doing so, we lose not just their skills—but their faith in honest work.
A Call to Change: Pay Fairly, Respect Labor
Dear Readers,
We must learn to respect those who earn through sweat and skill. When we deny fair wages to laborers, we don’t just hurt their income—we kill their spirit.
Let’s pledge:
✔ Pay artisans and workers what they deserve.
✔ Stop haggling over small amounts—it costs us little but means everything to them.
✔ Value skill and effort, not just the end product.
Because a society that doesn’t respect labor loses its soul.
Final Thought:
“The measure of a civilization is how it treats its humblest workers.”
Let’s do better.
Keep smiling—for yourself, and for others. Until next time!
Hello Sir, Harsh reality you have mentioned through this strong short story. I have followed applying the habit of non negotiating with street Vendors and labors like my domestic help and car cleaner etc. and I truly agree with your verdict. My parents have taught me to always Pay the labor their wages before their sweat dries and respect the labors.