Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

Author(s): Rauf Ahmed
Publisher: Bhupendra Singh Anand

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PRATAP BHOGILAL - JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
opportunity to gain an insight into the diamond business and broaden his horizon. At the same time, it also burdened him with additional responsibilities and apprehensions. Handling diamonds worth lakhs of rupees and moving around with them were beset with enormous risk. Two specific incidents aggravated his fears and eventually changed the course of his life.
Once, the Sheth (the jeweller) had entrusted Leherchand with the task of accompanying a broker to Mahim, a suburb of Mumbai, with expensive diamonds to meet a prospective customer. Those days Mahim used to be a deserted place with barely any habitation. As the negotiations were on, Leherchand sensed something fishy. So, when the broker and the customer went out of the room for a private chat, he quickly gathered the precious stones he had brought with him and jumped out of the window and ran home! On another occasion, he had been sent to Janjira to sell diamonds to the Nawab of the place. On his way back, the boat he was sailing in capsized. Without losing his presence of mind, Leherchand jumped into the water with the diamonds tied around his waist and came home safely.
After the two nerve-wracking episodes, Leherchand was convinced that it was not worth being a part of a business that entailed so much risk. It could easily sully his reputation. So he told his boss that thenceforth he would trade in his own diamonds rather than risk his (his master's) diamonds. Taken aback, the Sheth tried to talk his trusted assistant out of his decision. He even offered to make him a partner in his business, but Leherchand politely declined. Becoming a partner of his boss, he felt, might lead to unnecessary misgivings. People around might suspect that he had coerced his boss to make him a partner. Even as he expressed his desire to be on his own, Leherchand assured his master that he would never encroach on his business territory, nor would he ever deal with any of his clients. He also told his master that he would like to continue running errands for him and his family and look after his children. The Sheth, who trusted Leherchand implicitly, appreciated his candour and honesty and agreed to his proposal.
Do not desire and you won't be frustrated