Penny wise

This is a story based on real incidents that happened during college years and especially on campus life. Of course not got anything to do in particular about life on the college campus.                   

  On a bright and sunny Sunday Bharath and Rishi who were Roommates in a College Hostel were lazing around. They had finished their breakfast that was tasty (not really) as it is already a taken-for-granted suggestion that Hostel does not serve tasty food, but with no other option Students are forced to relish whatever is served. The snacks and other eatables sent by their family too had gotten over and they longed to eat something tasty that day. Both of them checked their wallets and counted the money they had with them. It was their pocket money and they had to spend it cautiously until the coming month. Budgeting you see! After some discussion, they were happy to realize that they had sufficient amount to visit a nearby restaurant that served delicious food at a reasonable price. So, by lunchtime, they got dressed up and started to walk to the Restaurant. They could walk(sort of exercise) and be money savers too Right? They reached the Restaurant and found a cool and comfortable place to sit. They called for a waiter ( steward) and ordered food as per their choice. The food was tasty as known. They got up finished their food and walked up to the counter to settle the payment or bill for that matter. Bharath paid the bill and waited for the change that he had to get back.

Risabh started saying '"Bharath, what is the big deal he has to give you back only four rupees let's go it is not worth waiting for it".Bharath asked Risabh to wait or leave if he was so much in a hurry saying he would collect the five rupee change that the person at the counter had to give him back. Hearing this Risabh was grumbling but decided to wait along with Bharath still wondering what the big deal was as five rupees was not at all a big amount. After about a ten-minute wait the clerk at the counter got the change and gave a five rupee coin to Bharath. Both of them started walking back to their hostel. As Risabh knew Bharath was not at all a greedy person or a miser who would not let even a five rupee coin, he was very curious to know the real reason for this. Bharath narrated an incident that had made a deep impression on his mind then and later too.

He recalled that on a Sunday afternoon when he was relaxing in his home( he was not yet a hostler at that time) one of his good friends who had come to his home had to leave his two-wheeler at Bharath's house as he had tripped on the floor due to spills of water on the floor. His feet got a little bit swollen and so he had to go back home by cab leaving his two-wheeler with Bharath. The next evening Bharath went to Sumanth's(another friend) place and parked his bike in the portico of Sumanth's place and wished him good and started walking to the Bus stop to take a Bus to his home. Once seated on the Bus, the conductor issued the ticket and when he checked his pocket for the correct change he had to give to the conductor in exchange for the ticket he understood he had a 3 rupee shortage and the currency note he had with him was a 500 rupee note, so it would be difficult to make the change for such a big money. The conductor very ruthlessly asked him to get down from the Bus as he would be traveling without a ticket. Grumbling at his own mistakes he started walking towards his home which was about 2 km or so. It was getting dark and he had to complete his project work that was to be submitted the next morning in the College.          

That was the day and that was the experience that taught Bharath a very valuable lesson which he was now sharing with Risabh that money earnt was definitely very valuable and every penny earnt had to be given its due value because we never really know what kind of help every penny makes in our life. It is not being miserly but dealing with life wisely.