NYAC | 3min Read
Published on May 7, 2026
The Merchants of Mirth : In pursuit of Shadows
The Merchants of Mirth : In pursuit of Shadows
December thirty first, a bone chilling winter evening that gradually transitioned into a chilly
and unusually dark night welcoming cliché new beginnings for some and dull realizations
for others.
“Two masala chai cups to the bachelors over there, table five. And hey you, put on a
seemingly amenable face on today ,alright? The two must be awfully lonely and listless if
they’ve ended up here on New Year’s Eve.”
Nodding reluctantly, Arvind marched up to the table but stayed longer than he’d
anticipated, covertly eavesdropping on an interesting and somewhat relatable conversation.
“Oh yeah mate, I come from a noble family alright, not bad myself. Got a dignified vocation,
earn a couple hundred thousand a month. My bed keeps me snug, the food at home is
enough and my fancy suit earns me a spot in society.”
“Oh my, your life looks meticulously structured ,good sir! Why then, do you look so
dismayed? Oh and please don’t tell me you’re another hypocritical influencer pretending to
celebrate a humble New Year’s Eve on Instagram when in reality, you’ve got some grandiose
party planned for tomorrow. Ugh, I’ve seen way too many clients do that while I was driving
them to their capacious farm houses.
And hey, I’m just too disconcerted as to why you booked me for six straight hours in the first
place…… Why would you want to enter the new year with a broke Uber driver like myself,
who you’re paying just to hang out with you?”
“Well Mahesh, listen up boy. As enchanting as my life might seem to you, it’s bland and
devoid of any actual feeling. Not only am I an average man with a mediocre life, I’m also
living in a totally new city, miles away from the people I call home. How my heart aches for
them! I had to waive off all that was dear to me so I could move out, earn a big buck for the
family, see my parents looking truly elated because of me, for once. But this job, this rat
race, this hustle- it’s all so draining, don’t you see? It runs my family, keeps me alive, pays
the bills. But at the end of the day all I can do is give a call back home and lie to them about
how serene and effortless my life is. “Money doesn’t buy happiness mate”
“Oh but it does” Mahesh said, nearly yelling. “With the money I’ve earned today, I’ll buy Mr
Ramu’s famous patties and cream rolls, the ones that make my little brothers and sisters
feel at the zenith of their emotions. I’ll go to the market and buy a new pair of slippers for
my father, he’ll feel like the king of the world, flexing them to all his colleagues at work
tomorrow. I’ll finally buy that yellow saree my mother always eyes at the bazaar but never
admits that she wants, hoping no one noticed. I don’t make any glib promises, I don’t see
myself cascading my family with riches. But I promise to ascertain I set them to sleep lookingcontented every night. Besides, money didn’t just buy my happiness today, it bought yours
too. After all, you’ve bought me with just a little cash for the night, haven’t you? “
Ishan was slowly beginning to realise how poor he really was, all he had was money. This
quiet contemplation however, was interrupted by Arvind’s entry to the scene.
“Hello! Here’s the tea you asked for, sorry about the delay I was busy with…… uh,work.”
Ignoring Arvind, Mahesh exclaimed-
“Oh, it’s time , happy new year!”
Ishan passed a meek smile and said “Go home friend, you’ve done enough. I’ve already
transferred the payment online- go, be happy.”
“But the —- tea?”
“It’s on the house boys!” yelled Kaka uncle’s voice from behind.
