Mattress of Jivanlal (Jivanlal ki Godadi)
There were eighteen members in a joint family living together—parents, the families of three brothers, and a sister. After a long period of living together, all three brothers decided to part ways. The household goods were divided into three equal parts.
When it came to the division of mattresses, Jivanlal, the eldest brother, played a trick. For the past few months, he had been making new covers for the mattresses. In this way, he had covered nearly half of the total forty-nine mattresses. At the time of division, he took away those twenty-five mattresses, claiming that since he had covered them, they belonged to him.
Finally, he took those twenty-five mattresses along with one-third of the remaining twenty-four. His total share thus became thirty-three mattresses, while the other two brothers were left with only eight each.
This story reminds me of many Jivanlals in public administration. Wealth, property, and infrastructure developed over the years through the collective efforts of many people, using available resources, are suddenly claimed by such Jivanlals as their own achievements. By merely putting a new cover on old assets, they start asserting ownership.
The older generations worked hard and created the foundation. Because of them, the present generation is in a position to refine, renovate, or rebrand—by adding a new cover or placing their name on it. But the mattresses belong to everyone.
Salute to the elders. You were great.
This story made me think about how people often claim more than their fair share, just like Jivanlal did with the mattresses. It also reminded me how families today argue about even simple things like bedding and home items. When I read this, I also thought about how rising mattress prices in Pakistan make people hold on tightly to whatever they have. Even a small foam mattress feels valuable now. The way old generations worked together and built everything slowly feels very different from today, where people want quick credit. Your point about giving new covers and claiming old work as their own is so true in many offices and even public departments. The message is simple: shared things belong to everyone, whether it's property, effort, or something as basic as a mattress in family life.
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