When vanity clashed with honesty

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

Sometime ago I happened to travel to Nagpur by train. My fellow passenger in our AC compartment was a middle-aged businessman and my brief observation of his demeanour suggested that he was more interested in showing off his economic disposition than in striking an acquaintance with me.
Once when he got up to visit the toilet and returned to his seat I noticed that he was about to sit on his specs, which he had left on his seat. I alerted him about it, but instead of thanking me for it he told me that my warning had saved him Rs 8000! “You know, I got it from the most renowned optical dealer in Bangalore,” he announced, as he proudly handed the specs to me. It had a thin light frame holding a pair of unbreakable glasses and I could not imagine that it could cost that much.
Noticing my expression he continued. “Can you guess the brand ambassador for this frame? It is none other than Salman Khan!” Aha, I thought to myself: A major chunk of that price must have gone to the famous Khan. As I kept wondering what exactly made some people knowingly pay such extortionist prices, the train halted at Vijayawada station.
A teenaged vendor hopped into our bogie carrying a bundle of magazines and my ‘august companion’ chose a magazine costing Rs 20 and handed over a Rs 100 note to the boy. Since the latter did not have the requisite change, he plonked his bundle of magazines on the seat and ran out to get some change from the bookshop. But before he could return, the train started moving.
Sprinting as if his life depended on it the vendor boy managed to reach our bogie and gave the money to my companion standing at the door who hurriedly counted the change and shouted that he had received only 30 rupees! Ignoring the repeated pleas of the boy that he had indeed given the correct change and imploring to be permitted to collect his bundle, he practically pushed the poor vendor out of the moving train and slammed the door shut!
Returning to his seat fuming and calling the entire clan of vendors ‘cheats,’ the fellow had not noticed the Rs 50 note stuck in his folded shirt sleeve till I pointed it out! The scenario was so outrageous that I blurted out in utter disgust: “It is the boy who has been cheated by trusting you with his magazines.” Not caring to see his reaction, I turned my face away...