The Mayor, The Mall & The Sandalwood Store

- Ravi Ila Bhatt

It was a bright Sunday morning in Ahmedabad. The city’s popular Riverfront Road was buzzing with joggers, cyclists, and families enjoying the winter sun.

Mayor Arvind Mehta was on his routine city inspection round. Instead of a royal elephant, he was seated comfortably in the back seat of his official SUV, accompanied by his trusted advisor, Mr. Iyer.

As the convoy slowed near a newly built shopping complex, the Mayor’s eyes suddenly fell on a small traditional store tucked between two modern branded outlets. A wooden board read:

“Sharma & Sons – Pure Mysore Sandalwood.”

For a strange reason, Mayor Mehta frowned.

“I don’t know why,” he said softly, almost to himself, “but looking at that shop makes me feel irritated… I even feel like shutting it down.”

Mr. Iyer was shocked. The shop looked harmless. Why such a strong reaction? But before he could ask anything, the convoy had already moved ahead.

The next day, Mr. Iyer decided to visit the shop quietly, dressed in simple clothes like any regular customer.

Inside, he found a middle-aged man arranging sandalwood pieces carefully on a shelf.

“Namaste,” Mr. Iyer greeted.

“Namaste, sir,” replied the shopkeeper. “I’m Rakesh Sharma. How can I help you?”

Mr. Iyer casually asked how business was going.

Rakesh sighed deeply.

“Honestly, sir, not good at all. People come, smell the sandalwood, click photos for Instagram, say ‘Wah, kya fragrance hai!’… and then leave without buying.”

He paused and lowered his voice.

“Sometimes I feel only a big event can change my fate.”

“What kind of event?” Mr. Iyer asked gently.

Rakesh hesitated, then spoke bitterly.

“If some big personality in the city passes away, especially someone important… sandalwood demand shoots up for funeral rituals. The Mayor is getting old… if something happens… I’ll finally earn properly.”

Mr. Iyer’s heart sank.

Now he understood everything.

Perhaps the shopkeeper’s negative wishes had unknowingly created a chain reaction. Maybe those bitter thoughts had somehow reached the Mayor as unexplained irritation.

Mr. Iyer didn’t scold Rakesh. Instead, he smiled warmly.

“I would like to buy some sandalwood,” he said.

Rakesh’s eyes lit up for the first time.

“Really, sir? How much?”

“A good quality bundle.”

Rakesh carefully packed the finest golden sandalwood pieces in brown paper and handed them over respectfully.

Back at the Mayor’s office, Mr. Iyer said casually, “Sir, the sandalwood merchant from Riverfront sent this as a small gift.”

“Gift? For me?” The Mayor looked surprised.

He opened the packet.

The rich fragrance filled the room instantly. The smooth golden wood looked premium and pure.

The Mayor inhaled deeply.

“What wonderful quality!” he exclaimed. “Such craftsmanship deserves encouragement.”

He immediately instructed his assistant to send a generous payment along with an appreciation note.

As he sat back, he felt uneasy remembering his strange negative thought about shutting the shop.

“Why did I feel so harsh yesterday?” he murmured. “That man seems sincere.”

When Rakesh received the envelope containing payment and a personal appreciation note from the Mayor’s office, he was stunned.

He opened it and found more money than he had expected.

For a long moment, he just stood there silently.

“Instead of wishing something bad for him… he has helped me,” he whispered.

A wave of guilt washed over him.

“What kind of thoughts was I nurturing? Just for money?”

That evening, Rakesh folded his hands in front of the small temple in his shop.

“From today, I will wish well for everyone,” he promised.

Moral : Your thoughts are like Wi-Fi signals — invisible but powerful. Send out positivity, respect, and goodwill… and life sends it back in unexpected ways.