Madav opened the shutter and peeped outside. The time was 5 AM in the morning. Who banged your shop doors at this time in the morning?
He knew the answer soon enough as he looked up to see the lopsided face of a lady and a guy frowning at him.
"What?" asked Madav groggily. He was in no mood to entertain customers - be it legal or illegal, at this time of the day.
"We need help from you." said the lady. Even in his sleep, he couldn't help but notice that the female looked more authoritative than the male. This anomaly in proceedings made Madav open his shutter slightly more so that now they could atleast be at face level to each other.
"Well why else would you be here? Shop opens at 10 in the morning. Get your help then."
"I need help and I don't need to be seen taking help. Get it?" pressed the lady.
Madav frowned for a second. One thing was for certain. The customer fell in the illegal category. After a moment of consideration more, he sighed and said,
"Depends on the amount you're willing to pay."
"I'll pay as much as I deem fit." said the lady. For once in his life Madav did not counter state anything. There was something definitely authoritative in that voice.
"Well what do you want?" said Madav heavily. Be rudely woken up by a customer in the wee hours of the morning and then even agree to the customer's terms. The things you had to do for business.
"A broken motorcycle would do." said the lady, finally smiling.
Madav frowned at her and shrugged.
"Like one that's scrap? Or one that's been in an accident?"
"The latter."
Madav nodded and beckoned them in. Both of them entered the store. Madav guided them to a back portion of the shop where he kept scrap auto parts and similar stuff in a corner. He showed the lady a bike which had run down a hill just a week back.
The lady nodded her assent.
"How much will that be?" she asked.
Madav eyed her for a moment and decided that he should state a realistic price only.
"4000 would suffice. I anyhow have no use of it. It'll only go to metal scrap."
The lady considered for a moment and handed out four notes of 2000. Madav raised an eyebrow at her. She was paying double.
"This is to keep your mouth shut."
Now it was Madav's turn to smile as he took the notes. The morning was finally going well.
The guy went forward to drag the broken bike and took it outside the shop. The lady followed him.
They were about to depart when the guy's phone began to ring. It was an old song.
Madav couldn't stop himself. He remarked,
"Some choice of ring tone. It suits you, I'd say."
The guy ignored him. The lady however looked back with a taunting glare and remarked,
"Says someone with that choice of a shop name. Suits you I'd say."
The owner of Mad Auto Spare Parts grumbled and frowned as he closed the shutter to resume his slumber.
