"Cashew Baron Dies at 84!" screamed the headlines of all the major newspapers in Goa. Dinkar Gaitonde, the Cashew Baron of Goa, was a widely respected man. About 5 years ago, he had sold off his business empire to another company. He was forced to take this drastic step partly because of his ill health but mainly due to the apathy of his son, Neil. Neil Gaitonde was indifferent to his father's business-all he cared for was money.

All of Goa, except Neil, was mourning the death of the Cashew Baron. The body drew visitors from not only Goa but the neighboring states as well. Gaitonde, fondly called DG, had been suffering from cancer and had stopped going out and meeting people about 5 years ago, about the same time that he sold off his business. After his retirement, DG spent most of his time reading, visiting temples, and conducting seminars for young students. He had a keen desire to pass on his knowledge to the younger generation before his death. He was dearly loved by the youngsters; many even idolized him.

DG had left behind wealth enough to comfortably support the next two generations of his progeny. He could have spent some of this money on his treatment, but he had no desire to recover. At the time of his death, his net worth exceeded 60 crore rupees.

DG had left Sawantwadi for Goa about 50 years ago as a poor immigrant in search of a living. He was married and had one child. His relatives and neighbors in Sawantwadi wondered why he chose Goa to make his fortune; Bombay seemed so much more the city of opportunity. They reminded him that he was barely literate. Companies would not exactly fall over each other in haste to offer him a job, they said. His best bet, they felt, was to work at a factory in Bombay. DG, however, was adamant about Goa; he had absolutely no intention to work in a factory.

He had heard that heaps of money could be made in Goa by selling cashew nuts. He decided to jump onto the bandwagon and trade in cashew nuts. He spent all his savings and bought all the cashew nuts he could. It was a risk, but he was trying his hardest to survive. As he lived in a small locality in Ponda, he traveled every week to Panjim to buy cashew nuts, which he sold in Ponda. The first few days were rough, but eventually he was successful enough to realize that he had made the right choice. He began selling cashew nut toffees, which caught on very well among the kids. In about three months' time, he had saved enough to set up a small shop and he began trading in all sorts of cashew nut goodies. His business flourished and from a self-employed trader he progressed to a full-fledged businessman, with a team of three under him. He began to take English lessons and became quite proficient in the language.

He bought a two-bedroom flat in Ponda and called for his family from Sawantwadi. His wife also began to help him in his business. In about two years, she learnt how to prepare cashew nut toffees and began selling them under the brand "Kajufee." These home-made toffees were much better than the ones he used to sell earlier. In fact, Kajufee became so popular in Goa that traders approached him in dozens for dealerships. DG's business expanded further and he set up two big shops-one in Ponda and the other in Panjim.

Four years later, he set up a company under the name "DG Sweet Manufacturers Pvt. Ltd." His company manufactured all sorts of sweets from cashew nuts. He could have set up a branch in Bombay, but he felt there would be little growth there and continued to cater exclusively to the Goan market. He became renowned as the "Cashew Baron." Critics mocked him as the cashew "nut" of Goa, but far from being offended, he was amused and even flattered by their notice. In the late 90's, he purchased a liquor license and began making cashew fenny. He had so far avoided getting into the fenny business, despite the insistence of his friends. However, in the end, he gave in to his expansion desires. His fenny was manufactured under DG Wines Pvt. Ltd. But he had no support from his wife in this new venture; she was firmly opposed to the liquor business. Unfortunately, she died within two months of the establishment of DG Wines. With the death of his wife, DG lost a great friend and partner. He owed his success to his wife, and his deep regret at having hurt her prompted him to sell off his liquor business.

He had high expectations from his son Neil. Neil, however, turned out to be an unworthy son: all his interests lay in spending his parents' money. DG tried very hard to convince his son to join the business, but in vain. Neil had married his college sweetheart-he was forced to as she was expecting his child. As a result, DG now had to support an additional member in his family.

His daughter-in-law, Prajakta, was a well-mannered middle-class girl. One day, when Neil was away from home, he called her to him and asked, "Prajakta, I have always wondered why you fell in love with a loser like Neil."

"Baba, he is not as bad as you think," she replied.

"He is my son and I know him very well, beta. He thinks he can live on my money for the rest of his life. Life is not easy-one has to struggle. All my wealth is his inheritance, but I would not like to give away my hard-earned money to someone who does not know its worth. This is sad but true. You have to understand what I am trying to say and explain it to him. Your departed mother-in-law and I tried our best to reform him, but failed. As you are his wife, he may understand these things when you explain them to him. I hope you will do this for your own and your family's sakes," explained GD.

"I will try my best, Baba," replied Prajakta, and went back into her room.

That night, Prajakta summoned all her courage to initiate the conversation with her husband. However, she might as well have not tried.

"So, that old man has brainwashed you, huh?" asked Neil.

"Baba is saying this for our good. In a year's time, you will be a father yourself. Shouldn't you be thinking about your child's future?" asked Prajakta.

"Don't get me wrong, sweetheart! I have big plans for our family. This old man will kick the bucket in a couple of years, after which all his property will be mine. I plan to sell off his business and properties. We can then live lavishly all our lives. There will never be any need to work-no hassles at all," explained Neil.

Prajakta was shocked. "How can you say such things about your father? How can you pin your hopes on your father's death?"

"What is so improper about it? All I said was that we would inherit his property after his death. Now isn't that true? Anyway, don't fuss so much about it. If we are done with this discussion, let's switch off the lights and go to sleep."

It so happened that DG was walking down the passage outside his son's bedroom when he overheard a snatch of this conversation. Interested, he stayed on to hear the rest of it. However, what he heard left him shocked and heartbroken. He had had no delusions about his son, but the knowledge that his son planned to sell off his business built so painstakingly over the years grieved him deeply. From that day onward, his health began to deteriorate and within a few months of this incident, he was diagnosed with blood cancer. In unwilling compliance with his son's wishes, he finally sold off his business.      

The family lawyer Paul Dias had set a date of 21st October for the declaration of DG's will.

"The will will be read after a week's time in the presence of Neil's in-laws. We will meet on the 21st of October at 3 pm sharp!" he notified the bereaved family.

On the said day, everyone associated with DG had assembled in the living room.

"Shall I open the will and read it out now?" asked Dias.

"Paul Uncle, don't you think any delay is unnecessary? Since I am the sole heir to my father's wealth, you don't need to ask anybody their permission," commanded Neil, arrogantly.

"Neil, they are witnesses to this will and I will have to take their permission before I open it. And a little politeness never hurt anyone," he chided Neil gently.

Neil was crossing his fingers. Dias opened the envelope and started to read out the enclosed letter:

My dearest son,

I know you have been waiting for me to die so you can inherit all I own. Please understand, son, your mother and I have toiled hard to acquire all this. The thought of you squandering away our hard-earned money pains me deeply. If you truly want to have it, you will need to earn it the hard way. Let us play a game. You will remember the treasure hunt game we used to play when you were a child-you hated it because it demanded some intelligence from you. We will play it one last time! I have hidden the will somewhere, and you will have to find it with the help of hints that I will be giving you. I am giving you a chance to prove that you really have a brain and can apply it. I wish you luck in finding the will.

A note of caution for you though: do not leave the chits carrying the hints lying around. If they fall into the hands of an intelligent person, you will regret it for the rest of your life.

All the best!

Your loving father,

Dinkar Gaitonde       

Neil was speechless with shock. He hadn't uttered a word all through the reading of this note. Finally, he spluttered, "Wh-what the **** was that? W-was that old man crazy? I c-can't be expected to find that goddamn will. I want it right now!"  

"You will have to find it, Neil," said Dias, gently.

"I am going to fight this in the court," threatened Neil.

"Fight whom? Your deceased father? That won't get you anywhere. I am going to hand you a chit. Please read it and start looking for the will. I think my work is done. You will need me next only when you have managed to find the will. All the best!"

He bade goodbye to everyone in the room and left the house.

"This is ******* crazy. ****! What do I do now?" asked Neil, to nobody in particular.

"Neil, stop behaving like a child and read the chit," ordered Prajakta. She turned to her parents and requested them to leave. When everyone had left, Neil opened the chit and read:

"I am an important part of your life. You would worry if you lost me, and that's because I secure all your valuables. Come and get me. I am waiting for you next to the Taj Mahal."

"Is this some kind of a joke? What could the old man have meant? Did he expect me to go to the Taj Mahal to fetch the will?" asked Neil.

He showed it to his wife. She read it twice and then turned to her husband.

"It's a key!"

"Holy ****! You are a genius! But why did he mention the Taj Mahal? Do you think he has kept the key there?" asked Neil.

"Now I understand why Baba was always worried about you," said Prajakta, thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" asked Neil.

"Let it be! Baba had a Taj Mahal replica in his room. Don't you remember the showpiece in his room?" asked Prajakta.

"Ah! Now I know where it is!" exclaimed Neil.

They found the key next to the showpiece.

"What do we do now?" asked Neil.

"There are three cupboards in this room. Baba must have kept the will in one of them," replied Prajakta.

"You're right! I knew that, of course. I was only testing your quickness!" said Neil, shamelessly.

"Yeah, right!" agreed Prajakta, with mock deference.

A search of the first two cupboards did not produce the key. With great trepidation he tried to open the last one. "Click"-it opened. An envelope was conspicuously placed on the first shelf.

"Voilà! Here it is! Baba thought I was a fool, huh?" murmured Neil to himself.

He opened the envelope and pulled out a green-colored paper. He smelt it and proclaimed, "I hereby declare myself the legal heir to DG's property."

Prajakta was aware of an irrepressible urge to smack her husband.

Neil read the contents of the paper:

Not so easy, my boy! I am glad you cleared the first level, although I am sure someone must have helped you reach here. Anyway, please flip the paper to read the next hint:

I am small in size and cannot accommodate big things. I keep all your valuables with great care. My number is 653213.Who am I?

"I hate my father! If he were alive I would kill him for doing this to me," yelled Neil.

"If he were alive, you wouldn't be seeing these chits," Prajakta pointed out.

"What could he mean here? This might be a box, perhaps, a jewelry box?" asked Neil.

"Quite possible," replied Prajakta.

"What is the number for?" asked Neil.

They mulled it over for a while but could not think of a solution.

"Let's sleep over this tonight," said Neil, finally. "We'll surely think of something tomorrow!"

They spent the next three days thinking about what the number could mean.

"More than a week has passed since Baba's death, but I still don't have the will. This is ridiculous! Prajakta, do you think he has concealed his will in a locker?" asked Neil.

Light dawned upon Prajakta. "So that's what it means!" 

"Wh-what?" asked Neil.

"Neil, the number! It is the combination code to opening Baba's locker," she explained.

"Prajakta, you are a genius!" said Neil, jubilant.

"I know, but I must admit that you thought of it first!" she replied.

They returned to DG's room and opened the locker using the code. Once again, they found an envelope.

"This better be the will!" said Neil. He opened the envelope and read the enclosed paper:

"Congratulations, my boy! You have cleared the second level too! As there is only one level left, you will have to work very hard. There are two conditions:

1) You cannot take anyone's help in finding the will. Believe me, if you are able to get this last hint, the will is yours.

2) Keep this chit with you at all times. You must never leave it lying around. If someone else finds it, you will repent your carelessness the rest of your life.

Here's your hint:

Where there is Will, there is a way. Follow the heart; it will lead you to God. Touch the feet of God and success will touch your feet.

"What is it this time?" asked Prajakta. He told her of the conditions Baba had set for this hint.

"But why should we care about the conditions? You will have to help me out with this. It seems complicated."

But Prajakta refused. "I'm sorry Neil. We must respect Baba's wishes. He wants you to earn the will. Please don't let him down this time. I trust you sweetie. You can manage on you own. After all, you were the one who got the last hint about the locker!" encouraged Prajakta.

"Please read it once and tell me what you think it could mean!" urged Neil.

But Prajakta only wished him luck and left the room.

Neil spent hours everyday poring over the hint, but in vain.

Two months passed and there was still no sign of the will. Neil became dejected and restless. He finally decided to call his lawyer.

"Paul Uncle, two months have passed, but I still don't have the will with me. What should I do? I mean, can't I just stake a claim to the property, which is rightfully mine anyway?" asked Neil.

"Neil, you can stay in that house for as long as you want. But what will you do for money? I am sure the money in your account won't last for more than a year. What will you do after that? DG is no longer around to help you. The only way out for you is to think really hard about the hint and get the will," explained Dias.

Neil abandoned all hope of getting the will. He decided to restore the chit to the locker. As he was replacing the chit where he had found it, his eyes fell on a jewelry box. He folded the paper containing the hint and kept it in the box. He decided to sell the jewelry without informing Prajakta. The box and its contents had belonged to his mother. He went to a local jeweler to sell them.

"How much will I get for all this?" asked Neil.

"Sir, let me check if the necklace and earrings are genuine; it might take some time," replied the jeweler's young son.

"What? Don't you know who I am? Where is your father?" asked Neil.

"I am sorry, sir, but I need to follow the rules," replied the young boy, who

appeared to be in his early twenties. He called for his father.

The father was delighted to see Neil. He checked the jewelry and said, "I am sorry, sir, my son Vikash did not know who you were. Please don't consider his behavior disrespectful. You see, he is working with me only on a part-time basis."

Neil waved this apology aside. "How much will you give me for this," he asked the old man.

"For this, I will be able to give you around 800 rupees."

"What? Did you just forget to add two more zeroes? I got you this necklace and these earrings-see how expensive they look-and you are offering me just 800 rupees?" asked Neil.

"Sir, these are fake jewels. We don't usually trade in such things, but I am making an exception for you since I knew and respected your father." Then, turning toward his son, he said, "Vikash, you must learn to tell the difference between fake and genuine jewels."

Neil was dejected. "Would you like me to give you Rs. 800?" asked the jeweler. "Keep the bloody change!" he raged. "I can buy out your entire business! I don't need your money. Keep this ******* thing free of cost. Let me find my father's will. I will buy you out completely!" He stormed out of the shop.

The old jeweler shook his head sorrowfully at Neil's retreating back. "What a pity!" he said to himself. "His father was a gem, a legend. Sadly, he could not pass on his values to his son."

Vikash took the box from his father and opened it. He found the chit inside. Surprised, he opened the chit and read it. He immediately understood that the hint would lead him to the will the Cashew Baron had left for his son. After dinner, he earnestly set himself to the task of solving the riddle. After thinking over it for 2 hours, he finally understood its meaning. Goa had had a prominent citizen named Wilson, a.k.a. Will, and the government had erected a statue to his memory outside the old caves. He decided to visit the caves the next day. He reached the place around 11 the following morning. He opened the chit and followed the instructions. Adjacent to the statue of Will was a cave with a heart-shaped entrance. Vikash entered the cave. Inside, he saw an old statue of Lord Jesus. He fell on to his knees to touch Lord Jesus' feet. At the foot of the statue, he saw some dead leaves and a stack of hay. He cleared away the leaves and found an envelope on the floor of the cave. He opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was the will! He read it:

                                                TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

I, Dinanath Gaitonde, resident of Ponda, Goa, being of sound mind and memory and 84 years of age, do hereby declare this to be my last will, revoking all prior wills at any time heretofore made by me.

I hereby appoint Mr. Paul Dias as my personal representative. He will administer my property until it is passed on to my heirs.

I hereby declare the finder of this will to be the sole owner of 50% of my property. The finder will also inherit 2 of my cars, my sea-facing bungalow in Panjim, and 30 crore rupees. The finder, however, will have no right to my property in Mumbai. The said property shall be transferred to the finder by my personal representative. All the legal formalities relating to this transfer shall be carried out by my personal representative.

I bequeath all the rest of my property to my daughter-in-law Prajakta. Prajakta will be the sole owner of my house, 35 crore rupees, and my two remaining cars. I also bequeath my three bedroom flat in Bandra, Mumbai, and a balance of one crore rupees in a Mumbai bank, to my daughter-in-law Prajakta.

It was signed by Dinanath in the presence of his lawyer friend Paul Dias. Vikash could scarcely believe what he had just read. He immediately went to his father and showed him the will. His father was amazed and extremely proud of his son. They decided to contact Mr. Paul Dias immediately. Getting Dias' number was easy. He invited them to his office.

Neil and his wife too were asked to come to his office. Neil was surprised at the presence of Vikash and his father.

"What is the matter, Uncle?" he asked.

"Son, this boy has found your father's will," replied Dias.

"What? How?" asked Neil.

"Well, it seems he found the hint leading to the will in the jewelry box you gave them. The boy followed the instructions and found the will," explained Dias.

"Which box are they referring to, Neil?" asked Prajakta.

Neil became nervous. "It's nothing, really!" he replied.

"Uncle, can you explain this to me, please?" Prajakta asked Dias.

"Neil had gone to them yesterday to sell off some of his mother's jewelry. Along with the jewelry, he left them the box containing the last hint from your father-in-law. This bright young man solved the hint and found the will," explained Dias.

Prajakta was disgusted to learn that her husband could stoop so low. "Neil, I wish you hadn't done this. Now, I am really glad that you did not find the will. I only hope that we do not inherit anything," she said to her husband.

"Shut up, Prajakta! Thanks, Vikash, for finding the will. I will reward you handsomely for this," promised an overjoyed Neil.

"Your father has already rewarded him, Neil," corrected Dais.

"What? How?" asked Neil, extremely surprised.

Dias read out the entire will in the presence of two of his attorneys, who acted as witnesses. Neil sat speechless through the reading. He could not believe that his father had considered another heir to his property. He sat on sullenly.

Paul Uncle spoke up. "Prajakta, you and Neil can continue to live in that house. It belongs to you. It will take about 15 days for the legal formalities to be completed, after which the property will be divided between you and Vikash. I hope that is fine?" asked Dais.

Prajakta was disturbed by the will. "Why did Baba do this?" she asked Paul Uncle, tearfully.

"Why do you ask that? Aren't you happy with the arrangement?" he asked her.

"I am not concerned with the money. It belonged to Baba and he had every right to do as he pleased with it. I just feel that he ought to have given it to his son, and not to me," explained Prajakta.

"I respect your feelings, sweetheart. Your Baba loved you as much as he loved Neil. He used to tell me that you are the only person who can drive some sense into Neil's head and bring him on to the right path. He would say, ‘I don't trust my son, but I do trust Prajakta, and I am sure that some day she will definitely bring him around.' Don't you think you should respect his feelings?" asked Dias.

"I do!" replied Prajakta.

"Vikash, I think we are done for the day. I will call you and your father again tomorrow to start all our legal formalities. Congratulations once again!" said Dias.

Vikash and his father left the office.

Neil was still in a state of shock. Dias felt sorry for him. He walked up to him and said, "I know how you must feel, Neil. But honestly, you have only yourself to blame for this outcome. Had you shown a proper interest in your dad's business and not waited for his death so you could sell it off, he would have trusted you and would never had resorted to making a will of this kind. You still have time. You can make a fresh start. Your father truly loved you, son, and his blessings will always be with you."

"Yes, all I get are his blessings. Everything material goes to that son of a ***** and my wife. Go to hell, all of you! I am getting out of this goddamn place!" 

"Neil, wait!" Dias called out after him.

"Don't worry about him, Uncle. He will come back. Where will he go without any money?" asked Prajakta.

They laughed over that.

Keyword: Copyright 2008~2013 Akki Masurekar

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Comments (5)

Posted by Something Indecent 2008-08-14 14:14:25 .... HA! Brutal. The only reason Neil even had Prajakta was because he got her pregant. What a lovely guy to wish ill upon. This was an interesting story here. It was fun to watch Neil sweat. His wife is going to own him. Good piece of work. + Report this comment
Posted by harmattan 2008-08-14 17:43:49 will Bit long for short story, but you send me to bed in a good mood knowing that there is still some justice in this world to be meted out against those who do not follow rules and protocol. I would just suggest that you use easier names for some of your characters to assist readerflow. Clever new cultural slant on the Puzzle-will-to-confuse-errant-son genre. Well done. Kind regards harmattan + Report this comment
Posted by Ashutosh 2008-08-15 11:11:21 The Will Good story, Akshay -san. Well told. I do agree with Harmattan above regarding the length. This was a good piece of work though and very easy to read. Kepp up the good work. Keep writing! + Report this comment
Posted by Ashutosh 2008-08-18 02:05:57 .... The characters were well-drawn and the begining was very well-made. It was a nice read,a simple story. And nice way to end the story. Keep writing, keep improving. Good job! + Report this comment
Posted by takashik78 2008-08-18 04:33:37 Thanks Harmattan - I do agree with you. In the future I will use easier names and also keep a tab on the lenght. thanks anyways! Ashutosh sama - thanks for your tips and feedback! Jason - thanks a lot for your feedback! + Report this comment

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