Small village Nilpur. The village is situated on the banks of the river, surrounded by green paddy fields and orchards. The people of the village live a simple, simple life. The most popular name in Nilpur was Suman. Suman was an ordinary farmer, but his outstanding qualities were his honesty and humanity. The people of the village always respected him and took his advice.
One morning Suman woke up to find that many parts of his paddy field had dried up. The soil is cracked, the condition of crops is very bad. Suman was upset. He knew that without this crop it would be very difficult to support his family.
That afternoon, Suman went to the market near the village. He met his old friend Abir in the market. Abir is a city man, he has become a big businessman. Abir saw Suman's sadness and asked, "What happened brother? Why are you so worried?"
Suman told about his crop problem. Abir thought for a moment and said, "Listen, I know many people in the city who work in agriculture. If your farm's problem is due to soil or water, I can help you through them."
Suman got hope from Abir's words. He agreed to Abir's proposal. "Brother, if you can really help, my whole family will be grateful to you," said Suman.
After some time, Abir sent an agricultural expert he knew to Nilpur. They checked Suman's field and said that the soil of the land is lacking in nutrients. Proper fertilization and irrigation are necessary for good crop yield. Suman wanted to arrange them but he did not have enough money.
At this time Abir once again extended a helping hand. "Listen Suman," said Abir, "I'm in business, I want to make you an offer. I'll give you money, you fix the land and grow the crops. But in return, half of the crops must be sent to the city for me. I'll sell them."
Suman was a bit worried. He knew that this could be his chance, but he would have to lose a lot in return. After a moment of silence he said, "I want to think."
At night, Suman returned home and discussed with his wife. His wife Sheila heard everything and said, "I think this is the right way for us. We are in a difficult situation now. There is no harm in giving something in return if our crops are good."
The next day Suman told Abir that she agreed to the proposal. Abir sent the money, and Suman started afresh. Fertilizers were applied to the land, pumps were brought for irrigation. After a few months, Suman's field turned green again. The grains of rice were shining like gold.
Harvest time has come. Suman sent him half of the crop as per the agreement with Abir. The crops were sold at a good price in the city of Abir. Sent money for Suman too. A suppressed joy was working in Suman's mind, for the harvest was good, and his family would be well now.
But after a few months a strange thing happened. Suman gets a letter from Abir. It read, "Suman, you know there is both profit and loss in business. This year the price of crops has gone down. Selling the crops in the city did not make much profit, but there was some loss. If you can give me a larger share of the crops next year, then I can make up for it."
Suman was surprised to read the letter. He didn't know what to do. Abir helped him so much, but in return such a big condition? He spoke to Sheela. Sheela said, "What do we do now? If we don't help Abir, he might get angry. And if we do, we won't be able to meet our own needs."
Suman thought deeply. Finally, he decided, a line should be drawn between friendship and business. He wrote to Abir, "Friend, you have helped me in difficult times, I will not forget that. But my family also depends on this crop for survival. So I cannot accept your offer. I can pay you the right price of the crop, but in return It is not possible for me to give anything more. I hope you understand that."
By sending the letter, Suman got some kind of relief. After a few days, there was no news of Abir. Suman understands that exchanges sometimes cross the line, and that's when it's important to make your position clear.
His crops were doing well, and Suman established himself through his honesty and hard work. Getting out of that cycle of exchange, Suman gained stability in life through his own right decisions.