After Gopala Iyer ordered the stock, he paid back the credit in installments for the next few months. Because he was anxious to pay back the loans from the bank, and because he felt he could not afford to lose any customers, he started selling items at bargain prices. Despite all these efforts, one of his checks bounced. Within the next half an hour, the news spread through the entire warehouse district. One after another, the wholesale agents arrived at his shop. Suddenly, now these agents had a different attitude! A whole different tone of voice! These were the same men who had once fawned over him, who’d been so obsequious not long ago. “There’s a step over there, be careful!” “Low entrance, please bend down!” “Let me carry your handbag, sir.” All that was now gone. These very same men used to bring him sweets in banana-leaf parcels and say, “This is a new sweet. Try this, sir.” Now they were saying, “Sir, honor and pride are the most important things for a man.” The folks at the bank had no compassion for him—not only did they refuse to issue any further credit, but they took him to court for the outstanding debt, plus the interest. Gopala Iyer had to sell the fields he had earlier mortgaged. Khader managed to pawn some of Gopala Iyer’s wife’s jewelry and brought him some cash. Afraid of being besieged by his creditors, Gopala Iyer didn’t leave his house anymore. The wholesale agents started gathering in front of his house every morning, effectively blocking him from going anywhere.

All his friends advised him to sell the store. He was eager to get it all over with as quickly as possible.

Khader told him about a Muslim businessman from Melapalayam who had made his fortune in Colombo. Apparently, he had approached Khader about the possibility of going into business together. If Gopala Iyer was willing to sell his business to this man, Khader could then join him. Gopala Iyer agreed.

They settled quickly on the details. Gopala Iyer would be offered a down payment of twenty-five thousand rupees, followed by seven hundred rupees per month for twenty-three months, not including interest. Gopala Iyer signed the deal, took his down payment, and moved back home to Mahadanapuram.

Within days, he learned that there was no Muslim businessman from Melapalayam, no fortune from Colombo. Khader had sole possession of the store; he had paid the entire down payment himself, in cash, from all the commission he had made over the years.

Khader had become a business owner. His dream had come true.

He felt that leaving Pillai’s store and joining Gopala Iyer had been a very judicious move. Now, he was simply amazed at his own acumen and foresight.

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10.