Opening the Shop
Today, Runu Samanta opened his shop a little earlier than usual.
An ex-serviceman, Samanta proudly called his photocopy shop “Chhobir Moto” — Just Like a Picture.
He often boasted, “In this whole area, only my digital Xerox is better than the original.”
His work truly was excellent — though his temper remained thoroughly military.
After unlocking Chhobir Moto, he lit a stick of incense and began the day’s work. He placed the first page of a thick, bound notebook — one that a young woman had dropped off the previous afternoon — into the copier.
The Old Man’s Request
Just then, an elderly man appeared at the doorway, holding a sheet of paper.
“Brother, could you make me a copy? How much for one?” he asked.
Without looking up, Samanta replied curtly, “Fifty paisa.”
“Change… ah yes, I have a one-rupee coin,” the man said hurriedly. “I’m in a bit of a rush, brother.”
Samanta didn’t bother to answer. He continued feeding the young woman’s notebook pages into the machine, scanning them into memory for batch printing later.
The old man tried again. “Come on, brother, make the copy. A customer is like Goddess Lakshmi herself — is this how you treat her?”
The Owl Awakens
That did it. Samanta looked up sharply, eyes narrowing.
“What do you mean? You’re Lakshmi, huh? A fifty-paisa Lakshmi?” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “Fine then — that makes me the owl. And you know what owls do, don’t you? Peck, peck — right through. Keep talking and I’ll show you how sharp an owl’s beak can be.”
“My grand Lakshmi! Come to break a rupee here, have you? If you’re in such a hurry, get going.”
A Street Showdown
The old man, red with anger, could no longer hold his composure. He stormed out to the street, muttering furiously, and then began shouting,
“‘Just Like a Picture’? Hah! More like a picture of darkness! You are an owl — a creature of the night!”
Samanta raised his voice from inside,
“Go on then! Hire a loudspeaker, make an announcement! Tell everyone the owl threatened to peck you! Go on — get out!”
