The Simplest Thing & The Costliest Bill!

PS: Thoughts are definitely mine but not few words. Thanks to the editor

You all remember Kiran right? His appearance and disappearance has always been so obscure, that one can never be sure of whether they truly remember him or not.Even amongst his friends when it came to trust, Kiran was always knotty. “To trust or not to trust?” that was the dilemma that always presided in their minds. In fact, it was Kiran himself who wished to keep it that way.

Standing alone in his balcony Kiran was rapt in his thoughts. Looking down from his 44th floor, the people passing through the buzzing street of Manhattan appeared like the Lilliputians in Gulliver’s travel. He loved traveling himself. Every journey he had ever made had its own unique story to tell.

Kiran had just got back from India, yet to him it seemed like it had been years since his visit.” Perhaps in another month or so, once things have settle down a bit more, this temporal feeling will also go away”, he thought to himself. Just like the ripples from falling leaves leave a pond disturbed; he too was disturbed, maybe not that emphatic, but troubled nonetheless.

I’m not sure about the leaves but a human mind always had something in it, which creates such ripple effects. Is it really just a ripple or a mind’s perception of how it looks into things? ?? His two month stay in India had been a mixed experience. But Kiran had always liked that about home, the diversity back in India. About life here in New York, Well there was a definite variety, but somehow it seemed monotonous. Strangely enough Kiran liked this too. Or was all this feeling of dullness, drone and vagueness nothing to do with place, rather it was all in one’s mind? They say life of a sailor is real tough. But there are those who stand by the shore, yearning for such a life. Can one stop them?

Experience can’t be sold but Kiran knows it could be lent. Kiran preferred to earn his own rather than to have it borrowed from others, unless he was sure that it would cost him a lot to get through it.  A month back, when he had decided to quit his job, many said, “It isn’t going to work out”. Kiran himself knew that in terms of finances it would probably not work out but his friends had discussed about the benefits etceteras. For him however, the very meaning of “benefits” and those etc’s were different. Kiran regretted over what he had done in his past but he sure didn’t want to have any regrets in his future for not having done this. So he had decided to quit.

Kiran resigned, but it cost him a lot. He received a lot of criticism upon this decision not only for this actually for everything. He had however grown to accept this. In fact, off late, he felt incomplete without these critics commenting on his every action. He had often wondered about such people, why some people were like this. But some questions are easily asked than answered. It had taken him some time and experience to realize that, “People are what they are” just like what he was. Kiran don’t like to bring in the acceptance of what people are to be an issue in relation. At his end what all he has to do is “Accepting. Accepting the very hard and harsh reality”

Everyone has this kaleidoscopic mind. No matter how straight the image is in front of them, through the kaleidoscope, the picture would always seem scrambled. So, no matter how much Kiran tried to stand true in front of others, everyone always end up seeing a different image of him. Some saw the good, others only the bad and some, the blend of both. Kiran had never bothered with these perceptions that others had of him because in turn, he too had different opinions for these people.

#BEEP# #BEEP# #BEEP#

The coffee machine bought Kiran back to his 44th floor. No matter where or when, a coffee always managed to rejuvenate him. It was something like using the *F5* button in real life. He had a dozen other things, which he resorted to for the same functionality, but his soul dependability upon coffee was perhaps because of its easy availability, anywhere anytime.

Kiran went and grabbed a cup of coffee and logged on to his messenger. With friends spread across the globe, it was always morning somewhere and someone was always online. But he was in no mood to chat. In fact he hated the chat medium. But exceptions would always be there.

The day after was to be a Saturday, yet he dint had anything planned. He looked around his apartment, which appeared rather empty. Deciding he needed to fill in more furniture, he wondered who to take with him. He thought of Akash, “He would be the right choice, being a family guy and he himself had bought recently new furniture”. Kiran silently decided to borrow some of Akash’s experience in furniture selection.
Akash however was not online at that moment, so Kiran left him an offline message, thinking he could call up in the morning and confirm.

“Hey dude, wanna go for some furniture shopping tomorrow?”
“Why not?” came the reply!
Kiran: You have not yet slept?
Akash: About to hit bed. So where have you been these days? I dint heard anything for so long.
Kiran: Yeah. Kind of held up with so many things!
Akash: So you resigned? How it went? How was your stay in India? Anything interesting? Getting married?
Kiran: Too much of questions. I have small brain and some say I don’t even have it. So don’t overload that little invisible stuff
Akash: Yeah. Anyway lets catch up tomorrow. How about afternoon? First lunch at my place and then we shall go shopping?
Kiran: Doubly ok :-)?Akash: See you then tomorrow! Do you have any preference for lunch?
Kiran: No preference. Anything should be ok.

Akash. You have got to meet this guy to know what he is like rather than to hear about him from Kiran. He is one cool guy! He had moved to New York a couple of years back. Kiran and Akash had met in a Diwali party last year at one of their common friend’s place. Akash spoke less but he was a last word freak and one line killer.

It was already 40 minutes past midnight. Kiran has nothing much to do but nowadays sleep Goddess hardly ever caught up with him. His mind was always wandering, wavering about somewhere, about something. Science claims that a good 7 hours of sleep is needed every night for a healthy tomorrow. Was Kiran trying to defy these rules? Curb such concepts? With a zillion thoughts running in his head, he checked his mobile for any new messages he might have got and then hit the bed. He terribly missed those “Goodnight and Sweet-dreams” messages from her.

For Kiran, Saturday mornings commenced only by noon and the evenings went up to midnight or sometimes even beyond. He woke up next day by half-past-noon and got ready to meet Akash. It took him 15 minutes by train to reach Akash’s place which was located a bit away from the city. Lunch at Akash’s meant savoury desi food. After having indulged in that they started headed to go shopping in Akash’s car. Although Kiran had never been to IKEA, Akash was of the opinion that it was the best place to go, promising cheap and reasonable stuff and a wide range of variety.

There were few rare occasions where Kiran kept his mouth shut and it was in these moments that his mind was filled with thoughts. He was never the one to run out of words. Someone who could go on speaking even if there was nothing left to say. But one instance where he could not speak was when his mind was infested with thoughts.

Akash, trying to break the silence and the rather monotonous hum of his engine asked Kiran how his resignation had gone.
Kiran sighed. “It was nearly a walk through the hell and I ended up paying more than half a million rupee for my release.”
“Shit man” Akash exclaimed.
“Yeap! Shit happens”, Kiran said, nodding his head.

Akash enquired Kiran about what his Plan-A had been. In case Plan-A dint go well what there was always a Plan-B for Kiran.  Akash knew this bit about Kiran. His nature of always have a back-up for his plans and then a back-up for that as well (incase it failed as well). No one really knew how deep this chain of plans went. He himself was doubtful of its depth.

Kiran always planned for the very best and nothing short of it but at the same time he was always prepared to meet the worst as well.  Although he believed in thinking big, ‘keeping one’s expectation low’, was something he had learned over the course of time.

“Was it the money that created a problem in the proceeding of your plans? Is that why you’re upset?” asked Akash.
“Do you really think that?” Kiran asked in turn.

Money had never been an issue for Kiran. It had never affected his mood or any of his plans. In fact for him, saving few moments seemed more precious and important than saving money itself.
By the way, Kiran’s stream of plan as he had thought them when he had gone to India, were;
Plan-A: To visit Vietnam and Cambodia. Result: FLOP. Reason: Kiran was going through hell.
Plan-B: To visit Dubai. Not actually Dubai ? Result: FLOP. Reason: What he thought was an international conspiracy. With the Dubai officials demanding Kiran for his last 2-year Income Tax return in order to process his visa. Something he hadn’t filed for last 3 years.
Kiran snapped back to the present. “It’s been a while since I’ve been put at this ‘question receiving’ end. So what are you up to?” he asked.

Akash: Nothing that great really. Days are passing just like seconds. It’s the same old story, except some loss in the share market.
Kiran: Share market? When did you start to invest? I didn’t know you were into shares!!!
Akash: Last year. I had invested some half million+ into shares as i had seen my dad get 300% of what he had invested as returns the year before last. But today the situation is changed. Its very different. And the market plummeted down 50%. So all I have now is less than half of what I invested.
Kiran: That’s bad. So what have you decided? Sell off the remaining, or?
Akash: People say the market might get back to same situation as before in another year or may be 2. It’s so volatile and unpredictable. I have not decided yet.

Momentarily, Kiran felt bad for Akash, but at the same time he was feeling good about how he handle his money.

Unable to stop himself, he said, “Lets hope for the best but is this not a bit foolish? I mean even if the market returns to normalcy in another year or so, will you get back your investment? The year that has gone by is gone. At least I don’t have to worry in this way. My investments are quite different. I spend my money the very moment I feel like, and those moments remain forever as an investment. You may appear foolish to others if you spend 100 bucks on something what others feel as waste. But what matters more is you decide you want to do with your money and what gives you happiness. Investing in shares, is that what you think would make you happy? If yes, then it’s fine. I can’t comment on your decision. But that does not seem to be the case as I see it.”

Akash drove silently, listening to Kiran as he blabbered on. By the time Kiran had finished, they had reached the parking lot of IKEA.

After spending about an hour or so, Kiran decided to take some designer lights and a bunk bed for his apartment. He was not impressed by either the design or the price at IKEA. He was of the impression that if someone would have been ready to invest some money on him, he could have come up with something much better than this. Akash however stuck to his opinion and claimed that it was only that day that the arrangement wasn’t done well.”They keep changing the settings” he said.

But amid all the items kept in IKEA, Kiran took a strange liking for the pencil available there. A small sharpened pencil about10cm long. They had kept it everywhere to ease the customer in case they wished to buy something so they could note down the number next to the item and then pick it up from warehouse. He grabbed almost 40 of those pencils and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. Akash did not comment but chose to just watch Kiran as he went along with the task of accommodating all the pencils.

Once Kiran was done with the payment, they came out. It had started to drizzle by then and the first thing that popped in Kiran’s mind was to go buy a cup of coffee. After finishing with the coffee to the very last drop, he asked Akash whether it would be possible for him to drop him to his apartment. Akash didn’t seem to mind so they embarked on their journey back home. Having settled in the car Kiran took out the three dozens of pencils and placed the on to the dashboard.

Akash looked at Kiran and asked “Do you like them?”
Kiran nodded his head and said, “Yes. They were the only thing I found impressive in IKEA”
All the way back, there was silence, except for the melodious tune that played in the background. They reached Kiran’s apartment in 30 minutes. Kiran took his designer lamps and when was about to leave Akash called him back.

“ Kiran. Hey Kiran you forgot these!!!”, holding the dozen pencils in his hands, Akash waved.
Kiran smilingly stepped back to collect them.
Kiran thanked Akash for the lunch, the ride and the reminder. When Akash asked Kiran what he thought about the pencils, he didn’t know how to reply. He was staring blankly not knowing what to say.

“You know, good things in life are not big and best part is they are free. Just like the pencil” Akash filled the silence, reversed his car and then faded away.

For a minute Kiran stood still. How simple but yet how true the statement had been. It somehow reminded him of the graffiti he had once seen on the Berlin wall.

Replacing the name ‘Kiran’, with mine would make the entire story just another experience of my life. Here is the costliest single bill I have ever paid and I have 0 regrets for all my best, good, bad, worst decision I have made so far and i hope so will it be.

I just wish people not to miss those good free things which are more important than money.

Hey do you people know who Akash is? You have got to meet this guy to know what he is like rather than to hear about him from me.

And for the rest of the people who still comment about who I am, why I spend, how I spend at my back, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Better they be censored And not to mention i have so many to be thanked for what they did and that the list would go as another post.