Page 30 - Seniorstoday June2023
P. 30
early payments so that he could turn Soon, Iman’s respect and regard for
around his cash flows faster and trade Subbu’s grandfather grew and a close
more. Iman in the course of his dealing bond developed between the two families,
with the mill had developed a bond with continuing down the generations. The
Subbu’s grandfather. Iman knew that fact that Iman’s family had flourished and
Subbu’s grandfather was a very principled grown ultra-rich over the decades, did not
man and would not do anything out of come in the way of their close relationship
turn or out of process and all his actions with the Iyer family. Iman’s grandson,
were merit based. Many times, due to the Imran, was a contemporary of Subbu
cash flow pressures, Iman would often and his siblings, and was now the head
approach Subbu’s grandfather and badger of the Iman Group of Companies, which
him for early payments. At times, Iman had presence in India and abroad. He
had also gone to the extent of offering maintained a close friendship with Subbu
him a percentage of the payment, as a and his family and the mutual relationship
quid pro quo. Subbu’s grandfather was was one of deep respect and love.
much agitated at this, but never accepted Imran too had heard from his father
the offer, as a firm believer in ethics and about his grandfather, Iman and
integrity. He was very happy with the Subbu’s grandfather’s deep friendship
salary that the mill paid him. But he that developed as a result of the latter’s
never wrote off Iman as unscrupulous professionalism and integrity at
since the quality of his cotton supply was throwing away an opportunity to grow
impeccable and as per the specifications rich by refusing outright Iman’s offer of
and the quantity supplied was always a bit commission for every payment cleared
more, never less than what was invoiced. and instead helping him with official early
This quality had gained Iman the immense payments to fuel his expansion. Iman had
respect of most of his clients, including been deeply touched and attributed his
Subbu’s grandfather and would perhaps growing wealth to Subbu’s grandfather’s
explain his successful business expansion integrity and honesty of purpose. Iman had
and diversification. With an intent to help kept an account of all the payments that
Iman, Subbu’s grandfather had in fact Subbu’s grandfather had cleared in the
approached his superiors to agree to an course of his service tenor at the mill. The
early payment discount, which benefitted amounts cleared ran into several crores
the mill as also met Iman’s cash flow needs of rupees and the commission that Iman
of the hour. had offered Subbu’s grandfather, but was
refuse, would have run into thousands of
rupees, a princely sum in those days. Iman
had kept an account of this and every year
he would keep aside an equivalent amount,
in denominations of Rs. 1,000, many
of them of the British India rule, issued
during King George V’s rule and King
George VI’s rule, and some of the Indian
Republic’s early period, in a large sealed
30
