The Perks of being affluent

The Perks of being affluent

A black Porsche stopped by the roadside tea stall, appearing as an impediment to the ongoing daily conversation between the regular customers and the busy shopkeeper. Most of the customers work in the nearby Jute mill and face hardship to make both ends meet. The shopkeeper isn’t doing much better.

"What a surprise! Is it really you, Sam?" - the owner seemed to be ecstatic looking at the smart, fashionable young man who was out of his car in a flash.

Rest of the customers were taken aback at the tone the owner used to address the seemingly wealthy guy. They, with their finite thought process, couldn't accept the fact that an owner of a tiny stall can have acquaintance with a guy who owns a fancy car.

"Yes. Do I know you?" - Young man didn't seem to have recognized him. "Anyway, do you have Navy Cut in your store?"

"Sam, it's me, Govind. Remember, we used to sit together in the backbenches back at school. Then my father died in that accident and I had to..."- Govind was hurt because Sam couldn't recognize him, or worse, he didn’t want to accept that.

"Hello Sir, I am not here to listen to your sad stories and waste my time."- Sam was becoming restless." Maybe you and I studied in the same batch in school. But so did hundreds of other students. And I can't remember all of them. Can I?"

Govind couldn't believe what he just heard from Sam who was one of his best friends back at school. He is not just any of the hundred other students. They studied in tuitions together, play played together, they grew up together. After 12^th standard, Sam’s family moved out to some place else. And they never got to meet again.

Meanwhile, rest of the customers were starting to enjoy the conversation as this was not something, they get a chance to witness every day. Some of them had already started to mock at Govind.

"Here is your Navy Cut, Sir." -Govind didn't want to show Sam that he was hurt.

"Thanks." Sam handed a 500 rupee note to Govind.

" Sorry, Sir. I don't have changes." -Govind was put into a difficult phase.

"You can keep the change" -Sam grabbed the packet of Navy Cut and was about to head towards his car.

"Listen, Sam." Govind couldn't bear the insult anymore. He continued-

"You may be rich. You may own a fashionable car. You may have a lifestyle that a very few can have. But, it's all about character. You refuse to recognize your friend when you find out that he is living a sub-standard life. You insult a poor shopkeeper by showing off your money. You know what? I need these 500 rupees more than you do. I can lead a cozier life for a week with the money. But I have my conscience clear, my friend. Consider the packet of cigarettes a gift from your childhood friend." He threw the 500 rupee note towards Sam in revulsion.

Sam picked up the note from the ground dubiously. Then he gave it to one of the customers present in the stall and said, "Give it to my friend when he gets calmed down." , indicating Govind.

Govind couldn't relate the snob person who refused to recognize him as a friend with the polite person who handed over the money to an anonymous customer, mentioning him as a friend.

Sam couldn't wait there to watch Govind's reaction.

Sam was driving, but the words of Govind were still ringing in his ears. He knew that he had misbehaved with his friend.

 He was in desperate need for his favorite pack of cigarettes. He was on the highway. He had to stop his car by a roadside tea stall to get them. It was his misfortune that he came across his old friend.

Now comes the question. Why did he refuse to remember his old friend? Govind was correct. Sam is rich. Sam owns a Porsche which was gifted by his father on his last birthday. Sam has in his wallet the amount of pocket money that Govind earns in months, maybe a year. But is that all? Is that how we should stereotype the rich?

It took Sam 5 seconds to understand the condition of Govind. Now that's what is the perk of being an affluent person. You can easily judge a poor person's state of mind and hide yourself in luxurious suits and accessories. If you are rich and well-established in your society, you must dress up well, behave like you are going to conquer the world and walk like a champion irrespective of the state of mind that you possess. And what if you cannot control your emotions? Well, hide it in your arrogance. Behave like everybody's going to hate you. So that you don’t have to chitchat, so that your misery stays a secret to the world. Now, nobody gets near you. Now it becomes easier for you to handle your emotions.

Sam was aware that Govind had lost his father. He was genuinely sorry about it. But he could not afford to talk about it as he had also lost his parents a week back. No, they are alive and living their life joyously, but with different life partners. The saddest thing for Sam about the incident was, neither his mother, nor his father regretted about their decision. Nobody wanted to keep Sam. So, Sam was free, independent and lonely. But he didn't have to worry financially because he had his own car, his bank account was getting credited with huge amount of money every week by his parents. He had got a whole new flat, a whole new living place, a whole new world of solitude. Now, he was supposed to adjust to the situation because he was rich. Even if he didn’t like it, he could not go to his friends and tell them about it because it would harm the reputations of his parents. So, he started showing off his money, why shouldn't he? This was what he was left with.

He left his flat that day, planning to commit suicide. He was hell bent on crashing his car in the highway, it would have been a classic tribute to his affluency. He was in search of a suitable place to achieve it because he had to make sure he died. Then out of nowhere he wanted to have a smoke and then he met his old friend. He found out that there was still a person who loved him, there was someone who was disappointed when he misbehaved with him. He felt weaker, he couldn't attempt to commit suicide anymore, he didn’t feel like committing. He drove back to his place. He unlocked his door and the first thing that occurred to him is how to plan suicide the next day.

It’s been a week. He has been planning a way of getting rid of his pointless life every day, but every day he keeps receiving a sign that there are people who still love him. Someday it’s the gatekeeper of the house they used to live in, someday it’s the petrol pump guy who helps him fill petrol in his car, today it was his old friend. But how long can they keep saving his life? How long until his lifelines get used up? How long until he finally succeeds?

Unfortunately the world sees the rich only one way, the wealthy can't be sad, the wealthy can't feel disappointment, the wealthy can't be treated unfairly, the wealthy can’t miss out on anything. It’s easier to judge someone who comes out of a Porsche. The irony is that, sometimes financial stability is the only thing that the wealthy people have, and then they get judged for having that.