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It’s a matter of principle !


The other day I had gone to a footwear store of a big, very old, footwear brand in India. I bought two pairs. As I stood there removing my wallet, the shopkeeper billed the purchase and the bill came to be Rs. 798/- While the bill was being printed, the shopkeeper said, “800”. I had made a mental calculation and knew that it was 798. So I haven’t even asked him.

I removed Rs. 800/- from my purse and handed it to him. He handed me my bag of chappals and the bill. I put the bill back in my wallet, assuming that he would return the balance Rs. 2/-. To my surprise, he didn’t ! For a brief moment I hesitated, I contemplated what to do…I felt a little shy to ask for the balance Rs. 2/-…it’s such a small amount… by letting it go I will not turn poor and he will not turn rich…but the next moment I felt, ‘It is my hard earned money, however little the amount is. And, most importantly, it is a matter of principle.’

Then I looked up as soon as I put the bill in my wallet, sweetly looked at him and said, “Change?”

Then, without so much as a flicker on his face that he hadn’t paid me back, he turned to his assistant and casually said, “Hey, give me Rs. 2/-” Then he got it from his assistant and gave it to me.

When I reported this incident to my friend, she asked, “What would you have done if he’d have said that he doesn’t have change ?” I replied, “Either, I’d have made him go and get change to give to me, or, I’d give him the change and if I didn’t have change, I’d go out, get some and give it to him” So my friend asked’ “Would you really go through all this effort for a meager Rs. 2/-?” I replied in the affirmative.

Yes, I would…because it is a matter of principle…


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