It was about 11 am. The bell rang. It was the postman. I was waiting for him for a week.
I had subscribed to Mathrubhumi Weekly a couple of months ago. The first issue arrived in time. The second, third, fourth and fifth issues arrived together after a month. Then two issues came together. Last week, nothing came.
I expected two issues today when I saw the postman. But he handed me one and said scratching his head, “Sir, it is Christmas. Give me something.”
I
understood. It was just two months ago when this central government employee
took Rs 200 from me saying it was Diwali!
I told him,
“Sirji, I don’t have any money here. Moreover, it was just 2 months ago that I
gave you Rs 200.”
He replied,
“Sir, aapko time pe ye deliver kartha hu main.”
With a
smile, I closed the door.
Ram uncle
who sweeps our corridor makes Rs 10000 a month for working 7 days a week from 7
am till 4 pm. He doesn’t ask for money. The postman who gets at least 4 times
that amount (which doesn't happens to be much higher than what I make) wants money
from me for doing his duty for which the government pays him salary, pension
and gratuity!
Later in
the day, I reflected on why people ask money from me during festivals. I
realized it is because of a misunderstanding. My institute provided me with
accommodation in a posh apartment complex where each sub-700 square feet
apartment cost Rs 3 crores and more. Every resident who could afford such
houses made at least Rs 10 lakhs a month – they ought to. If you get such a
home on loan, your EMI would be at least Rs 2 lakhs. The people who come to get
money from me think that I am like the other residents of the building. A millionaire!
I smiled to myself knowing how poor I was. But I also felt happy that I was taken care of by my Institute really well. They consider my skills valuable enough to get me such a valuable accommodation! As I swarm into the sweetness and warmth of articles and stories offered by Mathrubhumi Weekly, the smile seemed to stay and grow. Being poor is not that bad for a guy like me!
