A Corruption Free Soul

A Corruption Free Soul

I was elated to know that I was witness to one of the greatest revolutions in the world during this August. I was travelling by the August Kranti express when I came to know that Annaji had finally won the battle for a Bill which would supposedly eradicate Corruption in the country. Even if we are doing rounds and rounds of research to eradicate AIDS and still not able to find that magic potion, at least we can be truly happy that some day we can be free of Corruption due to the magic potion called “Satyagraha”. Truly a time for elation! Now I can say with pride that I am a Corruption Free Man.

Uh! Oh!

Just looking back, I remember the time when I was to take a driving license for the new two-wheeler which my father promised. I was extremely elated at the age of 16 and what a great feeling that was. I cleared the test and was to be issued the License when I came across the first instance of having to pay something for receiving the smart card apart from the fees. No issues, no protests, I have got a possession which is something I need to be happy about and not about the Rs.200/- I had to pay to get it. I got the license, when the first call I got was from my beloved girl friend. Wow! What timing! I informed her about the success and fixed the time at the park on Sunday to show her off the bike and may be take a few rides with her.

Come Sunday, my first outing to meet my girl-friend after getting my bike, a day I should now remember for the rest of my life. It was already getting late and the traffic was pretty high, a small deviation through the “No Entry” lane, would take me quicker to my destination, and the 16 year old in me decided to take the risk, when I found at the end of the Road, the hawks were waiting for me and pounced on me and demanded my License and vehicle for impounding. I had an alternative, I could pay Rs.500/- for the offense, which finally was reduced to Rs.200/- after much pleading and loss of another 15 minutes. I chose not to make this bothersome and soon was showing off my bike to my beloved. After a few rides within the park, we felt the urge to spend some quality time together and were engrossed looking at each other’s eyes, when we were rudely shaken by a beat police-man who immediately showered some choicest electives which made me and my gal quirk. I pleaded with him not to smear this innocent couple in such a manner, for which I had to settle the battle with Rs.500/- and a badly bruised ego. I was luckily forgiven by my gal who seemed pretty understanding. What a girl, I thought, when I got a call from my father, informing that the date and venue for the entrance exam for the college had been fixed and I had to leave for Bangalore, the next week.

It was May and holiday time, there were literally no train tickets available, when my friend’s brother informed that he has an agent who can help me out but I have to pay 2 times extra for a ticket which otherwise cost me Rs.264/- I agreed to pay Rs.500/- extra to the agent since I was desperate to get into one of the prestigious institutions in the Southern part of the country and that too in Bangalore, a great place for an IT aspirant like me. Come the “D” day, I reach the railway station much earlier than usual, since the ticket was not confirmed as yet and the agent had asked me to come early to the station. Unfortunately, I found that he did not reach and was not available on phone either, cursing the guy for the wasted Rs.500/- and a wait listed ticket, I decided that come what may, I am going to Bangalore and boarded a reserved compartment, when suddenly I was confronted by the TT who informed that I have to alight at the next station as my ticket was not confirmed. I was pushed to the space near the toilets when I came across the attendant, who took me aside and informed Rs.500/- to be paid for a space inside the compartment as cosy as it can be. I later on found that there were a few drop outs at the last minute and this was a modus operandi to make a quick buck. The TT also was involved. Who cares, I need to go Bangalore and I went ahead deciding that I’ll take a lower accommodation once I reach Bangalore and then it was just a day of exams and then I could go back by bus. Once at Bangalore, there was enough comfort for me to complete the exams and then go back home. I did pretty well but later on came to know that I had missed out on the engineering college I aspired for by a few seats and hence had to go for the B.sc., electronics course. I overheard a few un-successful aspirants that the engineering college had a management quota and many other quotas for those who had loads and loads of money, which unfortunately was not in my fortune list. The days at the college were uneventful to say the truth beyond the usual hustle and bustle. I felt that I had grown quite fast and was just awaiting the 20s. I was in the final year of my graduation.

Suddenly it dawned that I had to fend for myself and find a job soon as I had become a man now. The best available job was as a customer service executive at a MNC’s call centre and that too in my preferred city “Bengaluru”. The money was acceptable but studying as well as working seemed possible to take its toll on me. I decided that to achieve something one has to give up on many things. So that’s how I decided finally on the job. As they say big boys, study during the day, work at night. Nothing new for the many in call centres. One day I will get to my dream of owning an IT company was what I felt at that time, when I was suddenly caught unaware by the night beat policeman, who demanded again for my license and impounding my vehicle for no fault of mine, except for being a night time “ghost”, travelling by a motorcycle and that too during early hours? Or that’s how he expressed his feelings towards me. I decided that I had to grease his palm (although my vehicle was leaking grease) and that was the last straw, every other day this was a regular business for the next one month or so. I then decided that I had to take the plunge and travel in the cab provided by the call centre. At least I could save on the additional grease.  My luck was so bad that most of the cabs were full, when I came across one driver who would take me as an extra but I had to pay Rs.500/- to him for the month. I decided that this was better than nothing and I had a job to save too. I was too naive, when we were regularly confronted by the Police man (again), who was invariably picketed at the right spot to spot on the cab in which I was travelling and every other day, there would be a fine which ultimately was borne by me on behalf of the cab driver as I was the “extra”. But, as I always say “God is there”, I was lucky to find a cab without being an “extra” and the third month in the Call centre was pretty uneventful.

As luck would have it, my gal decided that it was time that we gave a meaning to our relationship and we decided (despite the negative response from our families) to tie the nuptials. We decided to have a registered marriage and eloped to marry (what a great feeling it was at that point, only to regret the events thereon). Who knew that the registrar would take his cut to solemnise our marriage? Any how it was much better than the family Purohit, hitting us beneath the belt for helping us give a name to our relationship. After a blissful honeymoon at Abu, we were travelling back, when someone in the train was overheard telling that they were planning to register their un-born child into one of the best schools in thane (Maharashtra). My gal, sorry, my wife, without even batting an eyelid, decided that we should immediately upon reaching home go to one of the best schools at Bengaluru and register our un-born child and so started another round of “karcha”. Except for keeping the name and sex blank, rest all in the form was filled up and we shelled out (I will not reveal how much and the mode of payment) in the name of donation for building extension. I for once felt the urge to blurt out “ I am still to build the right spot for my best time with my wife to produce the child”, but better sense prevailed and I decided to wait for the light of my life (apparently my son or daughter). Three years and after lot of planning (both expenses as well family planning methods), we got the lights of our life, twins, a son and a daughter. Did we really plan our life/family? Trivial things, we decided to concentrate on how to get the darlings out of the hospital with the least of expenses as it was a government hospital and we had to shell out lot of “grease” to the ward boy, the ayah, the mid-wife and of course the doctor too. Out in the garden, we came across transgenders who took their cut for the two darlings and with that the last pie I had in my purse at that point of time. Luckily, we had reconciled with our families by then and my father in law paid for the auto-rickshaw. As luck would have it my darlings brought in luck for me with a timely promotion and increment in salary, when I decided that I had to save a bit for them and took life insurance for me as well as my wife and kids insurance for their studies. Now I was becoming more resourceful, so felt my wife. What she was not aware was that I was trying to save to make myself tax exempt as the increment had crossed the bracket for taxation. With all round elation, I had forgotten the most important part of my kids’ birth, their identity, the birth certificate. I went to the nearest ward to obtain the same, when I found that there was a huge queue for various kinds of certificates. One of the counter clerks beckoned at me and took me for tea. He then informed that I need not wait in the queue and seeing my plight (an educated person waiting at the counter for so long), he would help me get the certificate in a jiffy. It was only a gesture for a good man, he said. I thoroughly believed him and said, ok. He went inside paid the fees to the counter clerk next to his counter, quickly typed out the names of my kids and in flat 2 minutes took the print out and came with the certificates as though he was the messiah. Rs.1000/- for this he said. I was aghast; I told him if I had stood in the queue I would have got without paying anything extra. He informed that there was a huge pile and it would take atleast a month for me to get the certificates and if I did not agree then, he would just return it back and if I wanted I could try getting them through the straight line method. That much for not following the queue and luxury. I decided that day that I will not pay any bribe and will not use any short cuts for the rest of my life.

The poorest people in India are the middle class, they are poor for they do not have much to afford the luxury which they aspire and that much poor as they are not capable of reaching their aspirations for whatever reasons. Aspirations never cease for the middle class at least. Time had come for filing the IT returns as I had realised that I had made a small mistake in not declaring all my tax saving investments to my company’s pay roll department and on account of this lapse, extra tax had been deducted. I had to file the returns in order to get the refund. It was a sizeable amount of about Rs.24000/- which I expected within the year. With so many heart rending advertisements, I was sure that this money was cake walk and I would get back my refund without much ado, when I realised one morning when the bell rang, and a white dress clad, person calling himself a clerk from the IT department wanted to meet me urgently. I felt a twinge in my being, have I not paid some tax? Or have I missed something. He was a jovial person, just come to inform that my refund order was ready and in order to get the same I had to pay Rs.2000/- after all it was a service which he had rendered. For Rs.24000/- giving Rs.2000/-, I felt that i can break my promise and decided that to get something I have to lose something. After all that is life and that is “Dharma”. My teacher had taught me about the benefits of “Sharing” and so had my little son on inculcating the habit of sharing the Jam with him.

I was growing slowly in my career and life, so to say, when my wife decided that we had to look at a larger home and it was necessary that we aspire for a home of our own. After a lot of search we finally zeroed upon a property in Anekal Township. It was an affordable home, readily available with minimum hassles. That’s how it was advertised and marketed by the sales man. He also mentioned that I could get a loan easily, but he would not be in a position to help in that as a company policy restricted him from doing that. Without batting an eyelid I paid the down payment as I had got a hard earned incentive just a few days back and decided that I should not squander the life time opportunity of owning a home. It was also a tax saving mechanism and was just like paying rent while owning the home. Great feeling! Until it dawned that the property was not having a clear title and would soon be received. The builder’s pressure was such that I decided to approach the bank without the clarity on title as I had already paid the down payment and it was a very remote chance of getting the refund. The banker took the application and the processing fees and informed that in case my loan was not sanctioned, the fees would be refunded after deducting incidental charges if any. Lo and behold the loan was sanctioned. However, it turned out that the loan was a limit and not for a specific property and hence I could not utilise the same until I had the title cleared. To make matters worse the builder was pressurising me for the balance payment as I had gone for an already constructed property. I was wondering, how the hell can a property be without proper title clearance but yet the possession is being issued. My wife’s nonchalance was enough to ruffle me and I decided to go ahead and approached the bank for deviations if any. They directed me to a direct sales agent and informed that you may pay him his fees and in all probability, the loan for the specific property would be sanctioned with requirement of title clearance being kept in abeyance and with a specific undertaking from me that I will repay the entire loan if the title clearance is not received within a specified date. I had to agree as I had decided that I am going to live the way the world wants me to, come what may. Luckily for me the decision was fruitful, as within a few months the issue was resolved and title clearance was handed over. It was rumoured that the builder had made a few adjustments here and there and received the title and it was a usual practice. While I thought it was the end for my property related woes, came the registration time. Apart from the usual registration charges of 6%, I was informed that there was some money which I had to pay in cash and that too before signing off the documents at the registrar’s office. I did not have the guts to ask the person “why”. I just paid the cut and got my home registered. Then came the bolt from the blue, the electric connection was not in my name but the name of the seller who had sold the land to the builder in the first place. In order to change the name I had to specifically go the electric contractor situated just besides the power company and apart from the requisite documentation and stamp duties, I had to shell out 50% of the amount extra by cash and was informed that the time taken for such changes is usually 2 months but with this extra money in the kitty, the authorities would issue it within 7 days. The alacrity with which the work happened thereafter was that in two days flat I was given the changed document with an assurance that the next bill would come in my name. Wow!! What a service! Despite the fact that the “Khatha” of the property was not in my name yet. When my neighbour informed that unless the property tax is paid in my name the property does not belong to me and anything can happen. So I had to go and ensure that the “Khatha” was made in my name and the property tax was assessed properly. Came the bolt from the blue once again, the inspector at the municipal office, coolly informed me that I had to pay 5 times more than the actual fees to get the “Khatha” transferred in my name since the earlier “Khatha” was in the builder’s name and since it was a corporate, the tax would be significantly higher and if I had to save this I better transfer the same to my name. He was only saving me the burden of higher assessment and he had his higher-ups to answer too. I had an alternative of paying nothing but waiting endlessly for the service. Coupled with it I had to take the risk of the inspector coming and probably questioning the very structure of the property and as well as the risk of having it demolished. I did not want to take any of these risks and hence paid the sum. I was called within the next 2 days and handed over the document neatly hand written in “English” despite the fact that the local language was the most preferred language for reasons unknown.

Things were slowly coming to a grind and the honeymoon like bliss started coming back to my life. I was pretty well settled, EMIs for the home, TV, new two-wheeler all paid on time and it seemed like eternal bliss. Suddenly, inflation reared its head and the household was sort of topsy turvy with expenses spiralling significantly. At that time to top it all, a letter from the bank that it has increased the interest rate by 200 bps. As luck would have it, I had taken the maximum available 25 year loan and the bank would not increase the tenure but would increase my EMI significantly. I still decided to go ahead and since I had time in the evening, I could utilise the time for plying a cab for the call centre and decided to go for a maruti van through loan. This additional income could pay-off for the van as well as some portion of the additional EMI for the home loan. I had not bargained on the impending increase in petrol prices, and the usual grease to various night prowling authorities. Things were suddenly becoming more and more difficult and many a time my vehicle was impounded by the finance companies’ goons, and each time I had to pay either the goon himself or the accompanying policeman or advocate. I had to do this to save my home. There was literally no remorse in me at all. I was not bothered where all this could lead me and whether it was right or wrong.

It was getting too much on to me and all this was taking a toll on my health. Suddenly, one night after all the drops I felt I was feeling giddy while driving and before I could stop, my vehicle was hit from behind and I was hurt badly and rushed to the hospital. Suddenly there was darkness surrounding me, when I found myself in a dark room and there were many others just like me in the same room all stashed near each other. I was suddenly feeling quite at ease despite the darkness when suddenly I heard some voices and one of them resembling my wife’s. That was the first time I heard her crying and crying out loudly. There was a shabby worker, who was lifting a few of us and throwing us without much care. I felt like reaching out to him and telling him that most of us were badly hurt and lifting us like that and throwing would hurt us more and even kill us, when I heard him telling my wife that money does not spare even the “dead” and she better pay for taking my body back, did I realise that I was actually seeing myself in a mortuary. It dawned that I was dead and my soul was having a great ball looking at my own body. I felt truly elated, I could move about freely, when I felt a slight twinge on seeing my wife’s eyes (poor lady, she was truly wanting me to succeed in my life). This was probably the first time she faced the brunt of having to grease someone’s hands to take my body. Now I felt completely at ease, no more greasing for me after this episode. My father-in-law, poor man had not bargained for this. He was waiting at the municipal office to get my death certificate, when the peon informed him that he had to pay some money to him, the clerk and the officer signing the certificate before taking it. He was also heard saying that since I would have made insurance, the claim would not be settled without the certificate and indeed paying them is only for a benefit. My wife was just hoping that with the money from the insurance claim she could pay off my debts, when her sister’s husband informed that probably the insurance company official would also ask for some grease and so would the bank for pre-closure of the loan.

Oh god!! Give me a break!! Enough is enough; I am now a free soul, free enough to travel even by the August Kranti without having to pay the TT or for that matter even for the ticket. I am neither, Anna Hazare, nor anyone from Team Anna or a Common Man; I am a Corruption Free Soul. Probably in India, only ghosts can be free from Corruption.