Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Autobiography of a Rupee

I was a beautiful one rupee note, crunchy crispy to the touch, attractive for the eyes, with a lovely touch of blue colour on both my sides. The print on both of sides of me was so neat and clear that, I wished it could be possible for me to kiss myself. This was not very long back but alas! If you see my condition today, you would not like to touch me, I can myself almost scent the dirty smell that emanates from me. Oh! what has happened to my lovely sleak appearance I do wonder. The reason for this is not far to seek. When you read my life history, you will understand why this deterioration in my once beautiful appearance, came in. it is not only my appearance that has been destroyed even my status has been tuned to a non-entity.
I remember that wonderful day of 1st April 1996 when I came out of the Government Security Press and was taken to a bank, I had so many companions all of use looking smart and handsome. I was closely stapled with 99 of my companions into a bundle of 100 one rupee notes. Oh! what a fine time we had together and how we all moved together as one group.
I remember how we all entered a bank, and were kept in an iron safe with scores of other bundles like us, we were not alone, with us were scores of our elder brothers also stapled together in big numbers of 100s, 500s, and 1000s. our elder brothers were notes of Rs.2, Rs.5, Rs.10, Rs.50 and Rs.100. in the bank we were all dumped in a huge safe thought kept separately in groups according to our denomination. We were all destined to stay in this dark dingy room till we were to be taken out by the cashier of the bank and given to people who cane to take money from the bank. This place was the first one where we were destined to live till our time came to come out and breathe fresh air of the outside environment.
I wondered how long I would stay here but, my stay was not too long. It was 22nd of April when the cashier handed over the bundle of Re.1 notes to some man. In this bundle with my 99 companions I was taken by a gentleman to his shop. Now we were all happy that we would be allowed to stay freely in the open but alas! Here also, when the man entered his shop, he opened his not so big a cash box and dumped us inside. Here also we had the same fate, my 99 brothers and a few of our big brothers were all dumped together in this cash box. Here life would be same slow and drab that each one of us remained waiting to get out in the open. This cash box was, however a little better as, it had one hole at the top. From this hole air came inside and we all felt fresh as, we could breathe some air coming in from the hole in the cash box. This place again was a ‘wait and watch’ situation.
Life passed on quietly though it was rather boring, all of us lying as if without life one on top of the other day after day. We had been lying in wait for our fate ahead and everyday the cashier would remove some of our friends, add new ones but I and my 99 companions kept lying there wondering when we will be released from this drudgery of life. One fine day, at last, when the cashier came and moved about packets of notes from here to there, I felt our time had also come and surely we would be soon relieved to find a new master and a new abode.
As I had expected just then, the cashier took out the bundle in which I was packed and took out my 32 companions on top and low and behold I was again left there to bide for time. I wished my friends good by and wished them the best of time. Now I was wondering when I would be relieved when soon enough just then, lady luck smiled at me and I with my other 66 companions was held out to a lady. I was so excited that now, I would be in possession of this pretty girl, whose purse, was very warm and snug. When I was kept in it, I got a feeling of a daulopillo mattress, the sides of her purse were quite soft and cushiny. I really now hoped I could stay here comfortably for a long time. However, luck is never on the side of us poor little currency notes. Since I was on the very top of the pack of 67 notes, when she wanted to buy some monkey nuts she quickly took me out of the neat packet and gave me away to a nut vendor. I felt that my luck was really out for, from her comfortable purse I was almost immediately stuffed into a dirty pouch tucked into the vendor’s vest. He folded me into four folds, and tucked me in his vest with other notes and a few coins. This was really tragic as my luck had brought me from such neat vistas into an untidy dirty smelling vendor. I felt almost exhausted and out of breath huddled into a small pouch and waited for my next master.
After having had such a comfortable life in a clean and neat environment I was absolutely out of luck and prayed to God that I get out of this little congested pouch. However, only if wishes could be heard. Believe me friends, I had to stay in that dirty pouch for about a month. The vendor as me out and but something in return? As time passed, I think summers came and the master started sweating and dirty smelling which made life a real hell for me. I was almost suffocated in his pouch for I don’t know how long. The way he had folded me, I knew that my good days had passed and beautiful looks destroyed for ever. One day a lovely evening it was. When the vendor went to a park. There, he sat to sell his eatables and a sweet little firl came to him and asked him for 200gms of monkey nuts, now he pulled me out of his pouch and handed me with a few coins to that girl as balance exchange. This, I had felt would be a nice change but this proved to be the unhappiest moment of my life. The girl refused to take me from the vendor saying that I was too dirty for her to keep. I felt so insulted and plunged into sorrow now as, he kept me back in his pouch and gave her another friend of mine who looked cleaner. Besides this, to-day I also realized how weak I was. The day I started my life two years back I was alone, enough to buy my friends 200gms of peanuts while to-day for 200gms of peanuts, with me many of my friends had to given. This meant that, I alone was of a negligible value. I felt so unhappy that, for one, I could not get relief from the dirty smelling pouch and when I realized my worth, I was still further depressed.
In this pouch I stayed for a very long time and had given up to my fate which was bad and out. One day a young man who looked smart and handsome came to my master and asked him for 1 Kg of peanuts. This was the last straw on the camel’s back, the customer gave the full amount with Re. 1/ to be returned. Now lady luck smiled at me once again and amy master handed me over to this young man. I was glad to have got a change of master but this was not for long. My master could not bear to keep me, as I was too dirty and had even developed cracks or wrinkles on my body. He took me with a few more of my elder brothers and colleagues and handed me over to a man who keeps such old and worn out notes of all denominations. This was the last of my journey and here with this man I still lie biding time. What will really be done to me and my friends I do not know but what I hear is that, we will all be returned to the Reserve Bank of India and will be replaced by newer and younger brethren.
My long journey of life is now about to finish I wonder when. So many people I have met and lived with that, I really do no know which master was best and where I enjoyed most. My humble request to all masters who spend money, is, to keep us neatly in their purses and nor destroy us. We feel neglected when we become worn out and dirty. As it is me and my brethren have no value in these days and you spoil even our appearance. This hurts us.

8 comments:

Sundareswaran Kumaresan said...

Hi thank you for this essay, this was very useful for me.

Shimona Gomes said...

Hi, thanks for this essay as it was very useful to me in my projects and my exams.

karma said...

anks it was very useful for me
in doing my english holiday homework

bushra rauf said...

v.helping.....

Ashish said...

Thank you so much man for this wonderful essay. It really helped me for my holiday homework. Thanks a lot!!!!!!

emaan said...

thanx for essay it is helpful in writing my assignment

rahul said...

hey bro i have write the same essay

Anonymous said...

There is a lot that can be written in the essay like the basic concept you have of coins,i.e.it has intrinsic value etc....