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You get lovely semi precious stones in Malaysia, don't forget to
buy them, advised my friend as soon as she knew I was going
there for a conference. Try to get a few for me as well, she
added.
Onyx is real cheap there, please get a strand for me, requested
another.
You get beautiful key chains made of pewter , pick up a few for
me, ordered my husband.
Mamma, I want the latest mobile with a camera
,pleaded my daughter Preeti.
I tried to reason with her saying we get
better mobiles in our own country but she refused to get
convinced.
Conference over, the organizers arranged for
site seeing and shopping for the delegates .We were accompanied
by a local guide who could speak English.
After seeing the highlights of the city ,at
the end of the day we headed for shopping.
I picked up the mobile at one of the shops in
the biggest mall I had ever seen reluctantly parting with a
large sum . To my surprise I found a variety of semi precious
and synthetic stones in the pewter factory. On an impulse I
purchased a couple of strands of onyx ,black and grey costing
thousands when converted into rupees. The pewter key chains were
the most inexpensive of the lot, I realised.
Seeing the gleaming black and gray stones my
friends suggested we string them along with gold to enhance
their beauty.
Where did you buy these strands, asked the
jeweler even as he examined them.
In Malaysia, I said proudly and more out of
curiousity asked him to assess their value.
Well, each strand of onyx might cost less
than a thousand and the black metal (seeing the grey"onyx")
probably a hundred rupees, he said without batting an eyelid!
Pleasure and pain go in pairs, don't they?
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