On coin at a time : How Bengal tea seller turned small change into a dream fulfilled for his daughter
At a small two-wheeler showroom in West Midnapore, a quiet moment turned extraordinary when a tea seller from rural Bengal walked in with plastic containers full of coins, Rs 69,000 worth, and another Rs 31,000 in notes. His mission wasn’t to buy a bike for himself but to fulfil his daughter’s dream.
According to a Times of India report, Bachchu Choudhury, a resident of Maula village, spent four years patiently saving small change in “Lakshmir Bhands,” traditional piggy banks, until he had enough to surprise his 23-year-old daughter, Sushma, with her first scooter. “He always said we couldn’t afford one,” Sushma recalled. “Then, out of nowhere, he told me, ‘Let’s go, I’m getting you a scooter.’ I didn’t believe him until I saw the box full of coins.”
When Choudhury arrived at the showroom, he first inquired about the price and even asked if he could buy the scooter on EMI. Then he posed an unusual question — whether coins were accepted. The staff agreed, not realising what they were in for. Within minutes, the floor was covered with piles of coins in denominations of Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5, and Rs 10.
“It took eight of us over two hours to count them,” said a sales executive quoted by TOI. “We’ve never seen anything like this in our careers.”
Choudhury, who runs a modest tea stall, said his decision to buy the scooter was not just about a vehicle but a promise fulfilled. “I always dreamt of owning a motorbike, but my daughter wanted a scooter. She saved Rs 10,000 herself, so I decided to gift her one. This was my dream, too, and now it’s fulfilled.”
As the last coin was tallied and the scooter keys handed over, Sushma’s joy mirrored her father’s pride. For a man who spent years collecting change from customers’ teacups, it was a purchase far richer than its price tag.
