The night is getting deep. The name of the small village is Shyampur. River on one side, green fields on the other. A small hut in a corner of the village, where lives Shantibala, a sixty-something old woman. Dull complexion, wrinkles on face. But there is a strange brightness in the eyes, which reveals the depth of his life.
Shantibala's life was one of struggle and hardship. The husband died many years ago, the only son went to the city and never returned. The people of the village used to say that he has become a big man. But Ma Shantibala didn't believe it. To him, being a big man meant being by his mother's side, relieving her of loneliness. Can everything be measured with money?
One morning Shantibala woke up and saw an old bag in a corner of the house. Some old money and some gold jewelry in the bag. Some memories left by her husband. This money is his only wealth. In time, the jewelry had to be sold, and her life had to go on with that money.
But despite getting money, Shantibala could never be happy. Many people in the village have money, but there is no peace in their eyes. Her husband often said, "Money can't buy happiness." Those words echoed in his mind constantly. When he saw the elders of the village busy with money, then Shantibala thought, what is the need for so much money? Happiness is in the mind.
One day at the village fair, Shantibala went to a shop and stopped. The shopkeeper is his old friend Harilal. Harilal said, "Shanti Masi, today you seem to have come to buy something special. What will you buy?"
Shantibala smiled a little and said, "Harilal, show me a red saree."
Harilal was surprised and said, "Aunty, you have a new saree at this age?"
Shantibala said, "Can't people wear a new saree when they are old?"
Harilal smiled and said, "You can, but you don't have money."
Shantibala smiled and said, "I don't have money, but I have the will."
Harilal showed Shantibala a red saree. Seeing the saree, she remembered that when she got married and came to this village, she used to wear such a red saree.
Harilal looked at Shantibala's face and said, "Aunty, the saree is for you. No need to pay. You are like my mother. This is a gift for you."
Shantibala said with a trembling voice, "No Harilal, I will buy it with money. If I take a gift, it will not be mine anymore."
Harilal smiled and said, "Well, if you insist, you will have to take the money."
Shantibala returned home with the saree. That night she put on the saree and stood in front of the mirror. Tears came to his eyes. It is true that he bought a saree with money, but did he get real happiness?
Finally one day, Shantibala's son returned home from the city. He came in front of his mother and started crying, "Mother, I have made a big mistake. I have left you alone for so long, but now I understand what I have lost for money."
Shantibala hugged her son and said, "Money can't buy everything. Love, care, they are more valuable than money. Money can't get back what you lost. But you came back to me, that's the biggest gain of my life." "
The son sat at his mother's feet and said, "Mother, I learned from you today that there is something greater than money in this world."
Shantibala said, "Yes, money is necessary for our life, but it is not everything. Peace of mind, love, and being with people—these are the real wealth. If you do not understand them, you will lose everything."
The boy cried again after hearing his mother's words. That night mother and son sat down to eat together. Shantibala felt, even at the end of her life, that she had regained her original wealth. Something that money couldn't buy, that was most precious to him.
In this way, Shantibala's life in a village trapped in the web of money and maya became a shining example. People will chase after money, but the real peace and happiness is in the mind, in love.
So Shantibala left one message to all, "Money will go on in life, but don't sell peace of mind for money. Never forget the importance of love, care, and relationships."