13

I have never been a miser, nor have I lived a life of misery. On the other hand, my life has neither been a bed of roses nor that of plentiful and affluence. I come from a lower middle-class family and was imbibed with the lesson of ‘live with whatever you have and make the best use of whatever little resources you are blessed with.’

For first twenty years, up to graduation in engineering that I could complete only because of the merit-cum means scholarship that I received, I lived a frugal life. Till school days there was no pocket money and in college it was really meagre.

The next twenty-five years in various cities, towns and non-descript places across the country, courtesy the Indian Air Force that I served, too were spent in shortages of all sorts. It included non availability of electricity in my first unit in Assam, to shortage of married accommodation post marriage! As a result, I became adept in squeezing out the proverbial last drop from an already well squeezed out lemon!

Another fifteen years, post voluntary retirement were spent in being extra cautious as to where every hard earned rupee went. This was the time when my children were studying in professional colleges and residing in hostels, their expenditure burning a hole in my pockets that were never deep!

The scenario changed and took a turn when I shifted to the metropolitan city, Bengaluru about fifteen years back, compelled by the medical condition of my life-partner of forty years. All my values and ideas of ‘every penny justifiably and well spent’ went for a big toss. In this metro, everyone thinks and behaves as if I am a billionaire and thus can be looted, if that is the right word! For a change I can’t do anything. I become a dumb and mute accomplice. 

The ‘maintenance charges’ in the housing society where we rented a flat is almost equal to the rent, I was paying for a two-bedroom flat in my previous location, the justification being: there is a swimming pool, a gym, a conference hall, children park, an open-air theatre and a walking track! When electrician visits for replacing a broken switch worth twenty rupees, he demands two hundred for a ten-minute job.

The plumber changes the washer of a leaking tap costing a few rupees and wants three hundred. Tailor charges a hundred rupee for stitching just ten-inches of seam of the torn trouser! 
Out on the road, auto-driver never goes by the meter and demands exorbitant fare. A decent one, who agrees to go, demands just thirty to fifty rupee over and above the metered fare. The ‘taxi’ rates during mornings, evenings and emergent times such as rains are scaled-up by a factor ranging from 1.4 to 3.8! On all such occasions I am simply helpless and can do nothing except fret, fume and shell out the unfair fare!

A few departmental stores too treated me like a big-shot. When my list of purchases was long, I was billed for an extra item, or for two items instead of one. Once they charged me for two when one was free. When the mistake was pointed out, the store grudgingly agreed to cooperate and told that the ‘excess paid’ would be adjusted during the next purchase!

All these years, I always enjoyed normal Blood Pressure (BP). Now it goes upwards on all such occasions. As a result, I have been forced to listen and accept my children’s advice: Just pay to buy mental peace and avoid BP fluctuations. A friend quipped: ‘In your last days, you are getting a chance to live like a king. So what if it is forced, just enjoy!

I often wonder whether I have a choice! I have come to realise that peace of mind too comes with a price. After a lifetime of stretching every rupee, I see some wisdom in occasionally paying a little extra; so as to live with a little less worry and controlled BP! Well, at such times, I have started thinking of myself to be a king, but with strings controlled by others!

Wg Cdr DP Sabharwal