MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY......

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY....

All of  us  need and love money;  

we would like to have  lots and lots of it at our disposal.

But very few realise the problems of  having  excess money, and the headaches  and heartaches it creates!! 

Shantilal   Popat   from  Rajkot, Gujerat was no exception. 

Mr. Popat  was a small time business man;  

he had a small  family;

He was henpecked and his wife would constantly berate him for his small income.

The family could just make their ends meet;  

but Shantilal  was a devout  Hindu;  

and he would pray to[whom  else]  but Goddess  Laxmi,  to improve his financial  position.

The Goddess  answered  his prayers; 

She  asked him  with  how much wealth would he be satisfied.

Shantilal  replied  "

One Crore Rupees,  Goddess".

All right, the Godd ess said. "Tomorrow  One Crore  will be delivered to you;  but there is a condition; The money must be returned to my messanger  exactly after one year.  I know Shantilal , you are a business man , so you have 1 year time to make the money grow when it is with you;

Accordingly, Shantilal, received the money,the next day. 

He told his wife the good news; 

"Kokilaben, he said,  "next year you will be my queen with diamonds, rubies all around you; You will be decked in  rich Benares silk sarees , Kokila,  Just you wait!"he said.

In the evening , he went to meet his friends at the park.  " Shanti is all smiles  said Rasik in the group.

"What is it ,did Kokila  make sweets ?". he asked.

" No, no ", said Shanti, and told them the good news.

"Who gave it? who gave it?" asked the group. 

 "That I cannot reveal "replied Shantilal,"but time is short, and I must act quickly."

"Well  I have a suggestion," said Rasik,  "know a builder who  is constructing  a society of 50 buildings at Kanjur  Marg. " You can book 2 flats worth  15 lacs  each there ,for your children. You have to act fast as the prices are going up every day."

"I know about it "replied Shantilal, "and I will certainly consider it".

"Shanti",  said Pravin [a share broker] from the group, "In the present  climate, you should invest in shares, which will give good returns. Since you have the money, you can reserve 10 lacs, for that";

"certainly", replied Shantilal;  

Promod  from the group, told Shanti  to invest in gold. "It is very safe and its prices are always going up and up.Consider about 10 lacs for this investment."

"Yes yes" said Shantilal, happy that he had already firmed up investments for 50 lacs.

When he reached home he told his wife, about his talks with his friends. 

"Now I have to take care of only the balance 50 lacs", he said.       

"No,the balance will be only 20 lacs", she said.

"What do you mean?"   he asked her.  " Well , when you were away  my sisters Malati  and Nalini dropped in; I have given them a loan of 5 lacs each; but don't  worry they will return it before 1 year passes". 

"Why do you do this, without consulting me?",  Shantilal asked his wife.

"That's not all",  Kokila  replied; " I have to take care of  Pramila's  marriage; which will come in the next few years; if she does not have ornaments to show, who will accept her hand in marriage? So we went to the jeweller's  shop; I have also ordered  necklaces for my personal use."

"But Kokila do you know we have to return the amount before the end of the year?  Surely  you could have waited  until we have made some money from what the Goddess gave us ?" asked  Shantilal.

 "I have not finished" said Kokila;  I also gave Promod and  Pramila  5 lacs each to buy a motorbike and a  scooter each.."

"What Kokila,  are you mad?"  shouted Shantilal.  "All these days they were  going  by  bus to college, and you have gone and pampered them" 

"If we don't take care of our children,who will take care of them?" shot back, Kokilaben.   

The next day he went to a bank[other than his regular bank from where he took loans]  to see the manager.   

"I want to invest in Fixed Deposits for 1 year, a sum of 20 lacs," he said  "  

"20 lacs,  you say?" _ The manager was shell-shocked.

"You are most welcome, Shantilal, to invest here, but wont you like to do it in a new Cooperative bank where you  will get double the interest  you get here? About 18 % for 1 year;"

"Yes, yes" said Shantilal; 

"Then just wait at the reception; while I call the agent from that bank"

The  agent came in a trice and handed the receipt to Shantilal;  

*  *  *

Shantilal  was a very worried  man ; as the  day for return of the Goddesses'   money was approaching; 

He  just  had 40 lacs to return; 

While the share and gold investments had done reasonably well, his investment in housings took a big beating; 

as the local corporation  was demolishing the buildings, as it was built on Government  lands;

There was a knock at the door; "Papa, the Income tax people want to see you" Promod said; "Tell them I am not at home"  Shantilal replied.   

"We can hear you", said the two  tax men brushing past Promod

"Shantilal,  please show us the documents, for receipt of  1 crore cash, and the tax, you have paid on it", they said;   

"I have no documents" said  Shantilal  with a blank  face. 

"Well,well, we understand Shantilal ,poor man , we will waive the tax and penalty, but our tea !!"

"Oh tea!  I will offer you special  masala tea!  Kokila , Please make some tea for our guests "

"Shantilal,  I thought , you understood  what we meant ;  we mean , notes,  notes" they gestured.


"Money, Money, Money Money"  said Shantilal in exasperation.

Suddenly  Shantilal woke up, with water in his right ear;

"Get up you lazy, good for nothing lout;  Your assistant is waiting outside for the shop  keys; money,  money, money _ what  were you shouting about  in your sleep?"  asked  Kokila.




G.Venkatesh