The hall was air-conditioned and crowded. A painting exhibition was taking place. Two beautiful girls were at the reception. The paintings were placed under spotlights. Underneath each painting, the name of the painter, the style and the minimum price was quoted.
Kartik's painting was in the middle. The minimum price was Rs.50,000. Kartik was anxiously awaiting for a prospective buyer. A well to do a woman with her 12-year-old daughter entered the hall. Whilst the woman took her own time, the girl quickly perused all the paintings.
The girl told her mother that she liked Kartik's painting. The woman appreciated the girl and told her that she also liked it. She paid Rs.60,000 and got it packed. Kartik also got the cheque, left the hall and drove back home. While driving, his memory went back.
As he painted only nature, his paintings hardly fetched him a good price. This is the first time that he had painted a live scene. Two months back, he went to Mumbai. On the pathway, he saw a poor girl asking for alms. She was around 15 and looked beautiful.
Her hair was dirty and few strands were falling over her face. Dresses were also dirty and torn at many places exposing her skin. A three-month-old girl baby, without any dress, was lying on her lap and smiling. She was begging with tears in her eyes. It was pathetic to look at her.
She must have been a victim of rape or cheating. There was a dented aluminum plate in front of her in which few coins and rupee notes were lying. No one seemed to bother about her. The poor girl was stretching her arms at everyone without receiving anything.
Kartik looked at her as a painter. He pictured the scene in his memory and decided about the colours and contours to paint her on canvas. He gave her some money and left the place. The girl took the money and went to a nearby shop to get the baby something to eat.
This painting had fetched him Rs.50,000/. He did not even think about the girl. Without the girl, he would not have imagined the painting. He did not take her permission nor he entered into any contract to paint her. To whom the money should belong, to the girl or to the painter.?
Kartik's painting was in the middle. The minimum price was Rs.50,000. Kartik was anxiously awaiting for a prospective buyer. A well to do a woman with her 12-year-old daughter entered the hall. Whilst the woman took her own time, the girl quickly perused all the paintings.
The girl told her mother that she liked Kartik's painting. The woman appreciated the girl and told her that she also liked it. She paid Rs.60,000 and got it packed. Kartik also got the cheque, left the hall and drove back home. While driving, his memory went back.
As he painted only nature, his paintings hardly fetched him a good price. This is the first time that he had painted a live scene. Two months back, he went to Mumbai. On the pathway, he saw a poor girl asking for alms. She was around 15 and looked beautiful.
Her hair was dirty and few strands were falling over her face. Dresses were also dirty and torn at many places exposing her skin. A three-month-old girl baby, without any dress, was lying on her lap and smiling. She was begging with tears in her eyes. It was pathetic to look at her.
She must have been a victim of rape or cheating. There was a dented aluminum plate in front of her in which few coins and rupee notes were lying. No one seemed to bother about her. The poor girl was stretching her arms at everyone without receiving anything.
Kartik looked at her as a painter. He pictured the scene in his memory and decided about the colours and contours to paint her on canvas. He gave her some money and left the place. The girl took the money and went to a nearby shop to get the baby something to eat.
This painting had fetched him Rs.50,000/. He did not even think about the girl. Without the girl, he would not have imagined the painting. He did not take her permission nor he entered into any contract to paint her. To whom the money should belong, to the girl or to the painter.?
