Anand was a happy man today. He had counted his salary twice as it gave him a nice feeling as his fingers touched the crispy notes. After all it, it would not remain with him for long. He checked the wad of notes in his pocket when he climbed on the bus, once more while he was seated and when he left the bus at his door step. Thank God, it was still there, but he knew, all these would disappear soon. He wondered if inflation was the main thief in the country.
“Good evening Anand, you look a happy man today, am sure it is the salary, ” remarked the grocer Dayal, to whom Anand owed a month of grocery bills. “How much do I owe you, Dayalji? asked Anand bringing out the wad of notes. Painfully he parted with almost 20 percent of his salary. As he approached the gate of his housing society, he saw Ramu, the milkman with big milky teeth, waiting with glee on his arrival. As they parted, another 1500 had vanished from the crispy notes. The measure of happiness had already started vanishing along with the size of the wad of notes.
The society office boy came next day morning well in time to catch him before he left for the office to collect the monthly charges. Anand’s wife asked him to keep a 1000 for the cooking gas cylinder that might arrive any day. Just as he wanted to contain any more spends, he bumped into the newspaper boy who collected another 750 for his 2 newspapers that satisfied his morning ablutions.
With the electricity bill giving him a shock, as he paid it at the electricity office, Anand wondered how many more debits awaited him, now that a paltry sum remained from the salary he received, a few days back. On the train, the ticket checker asked for his ticket or pass, which he promptly showed. The checker handed it back with a smile. Only when he was putting it back, trying to make meaning out of the smile, he noticed, that the pass was expiring the next day. That means another set of notes would vanish tomorrow.
The second day evening, coming back from office, he saw boys at his apartment complex trying to get a tangled kite from the network of television cables. Anand called the cable boys lest these kids might wreck havoc on the cables. They arrived in minutes but only left after collecting their monthly due payment.
Anand was now left counting as to what remained and if he had enough money to survive the rest of the month after provisioning for miscellaneous expenses like bus fare, school fees, vegetables and fish at the market where they would not give him credit. Despite the lost salary, he firmly decided with the next salary he would buy a small camera, a thought he had been cherishing for so long…
Perceptions 
I feel bad for Anand , well not just for him. I can see a lot of people who rely on monthly salary for their expenses, they somehow survive the month by paying the bills, but their wants are often suppressed by needs. 💟 lovely post.
Thanks Ananya. Yes Anand does represent quite a lot of us.
Everyone can relate…we earn and loose it all…and the cycle continues!!
Thank you for your warm comments
Bahut hi khubsurti se monthly salary ke flow ke beech ek insaan ko jhujhte darshaayaa hai….salary wakayee month me ek baar aataa hai aur expenses pure month peecha nahi chhodti….jisme apni chahat dafan hote rahta hai.
Thank you for this lovely comment.
Such simple words… such powerful pictures. Well written Sunith 🙂
Thank you Sir. Pleased to see your comment.
…and i hope he does for frozen memories are priceless!
Thank you for reading
While enjoying reading your intersting article I am reminded of hilarious but with subtle message an old Kishore Kumar song: Khush hai zamana aaj pehli tarikh hai.
Thank you Sir. Yes i remember that song
Seen the picture of life of a middle class family. I thank you sir, for your thought to share this realistic story.
Thank you Subbashini
Beautifully written. Sure many of us (me included) can relate. 🙂
Thank you
Wow very nice, Keep posting…:-)
Thanks Aman
You are welcome…:-)
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inspiringdude.wordpress.com if you find something intrusting then Don’t Forget to follow my Blog…:-)
Keep in touch…:-)
Oh the story of my life! Haha. This is a great one!
Thank you for reading!
A very sad situation but the good part it people keep dreaming…
Yes Shilpa. Hope is what keeps the salaried class moving. Aaj nahi tar harkat nahi. Pudcha mahina bhagu 🙂
Sigh…. So many of us are Anands, getting by each day on our meager means, dreaming of those little things we would like one day to enjoy. The struggles goes on day after day. We can only dream and hope for a better tomorrow. Loved this post Sir. It evoked sadness but this is what life is – bittersweet.
I totally agree 🙂
An absolute reflection of the working class.Enjoyed every bit till end.
I am glad for your read 🙂