Take 5: ‘Suddenly, there it was, sparkling! I knew this was what I was waiting for’

I have been trying my luck for long, spending time, money and energy. I leased the mine in April this year. I have been leasing mines for the last decade or so, but did not get anything. It’s not like you will get something just because you have leased a mine. Ekdam chamak gaya (Suddenly, there it was, sparkling)! The moment I saw it, I knew this was something I had been looking for.

What did you do next?

The first thing I did was deposit it with the local diamond office. I could have sold it illegally or to middlemen, but I am honest. Moreover, keeping it at home would have made me vulnerable. I did not want to lose sleep just in the hope of earning more. So I took the No. 1 (meaning legal, instead of ‘No. 2’ or illegal) route.

How much do you think the diamond will fetch at its auction next month?

I hope it will get at least Rs 25-30 lakh, maybe more, depending on the number of people who participate in the auction. There are many rich people who spend a fortune looking for diamonds. It’s their main business. I am not one of them.

Will you get to keep all the money?

No, there are two other partners who also invested in the lease and on paying wages to labourers. All these years, I tried my luck alone. It did not help. So three of us got together and leased the mine. We will have to deposit 12.50 per cent as royalty with the government and a portion of it will go in tax. I hope to get Rs 8-10 lakh.

What will you do with the money?

I will repay my loan. Only if many traders turn up for the auction will the diamond fetch more. Then, maybe, I will buy land. The present land holding where I grow wheat and rice is barely sufficient to feed my family of more than 10 members.