How conscious are we?

An incident that happened recently made me to write this article. Money is the basic reason for most of the crimes. What is a crime? Crimes doesn't include only robbery or murder, Cheating people for money is also a crime (My own definition). Don't understand? Read this and you will understand the reason behind my definition of Crime.

Three days back, a carpenter came home for doing some wood works. It would have taken just half a day and can be done involving 2 person's. But the carpenter brought 4 person's to assist him. I also asked him to change the lock of the wooden cupboard. After finishing all the works, he came to me.

Carpenter (C) : Madam, the installation of the cupboards is Rs.1,500, new doors for the cup-boards is Rs.2,000, also you have asked me to change the locks of the old cupboard, it costs Rs.200. We are totally 5 member's, give Rs.100 for each and total service charge of Rs.1,000. Totally, give Rs.5,200.

I was astounded by the money he asked. I understood he is trying to cheat me thinking I don't know anything about his work.

Me : What? Rs.5,200? That's costly. We have got the cupboards and the doors and you just installed them using some screws. Apart from individual installation charges you are asking service charge too! This can be done with couple of person's. But you brought 5! Did I ask you to bring 5 of your associates? Also I need the bill of the new lock you changed.

C : Madam...... Its a nominal charge. In these area, people generally don't ask bills and also they won't mind giving this amount. Thinking all that I didn't get the bill.

Me : I need the bill sir, you go and get them.

He went away and came with the bill in another 15minutes. The bill also displayed the same amount Rs.200. I thought he would have asked the shop-keeper to put the amount in the bill. So I called the shop and asked the price of the lock. You know what? The reply of the shop-keeper proved that my instinct about this man's deed was correct. The shop-keeper who attended my call told me the cost of the lock was Rs.75!

Me : See you also increased the price of the lock whose original cost is Rs.75. Even if it was Rs.100 I would have given you. But you wanted an amount larger than the price of the lock. So, what shall we do now?

C : Madam, you are trying to cheat me! You pay me Rs. 5200 immediately and am leaving.

Me : ATROCIOUS. Wait, you can't leave as such. I need a detailed bill in the written format and mind you, I won't give you the price you asked for your associate. Also, mention the price of the lock as Rs.75.

He started cursing me and even told abusive words thinking that I will fight with him and taking that as an advantage, he wanted to get the money from me. I understood his intentions and asked him to write the bill. I also told him that my dad will file these papers for Income Tax. He was literally shaken by my words and started writing the bill. I thought he will reduce the prices. He took a plain paper and started writing. He also took a copy of the bill for his reference and asked me to sign in both the bills after paying the money. I was gaping after seeing the bill. It was just Rs.925! Where's Rs.5,200 and Rs.925? I was about to lose nearly 5times of money if it had not been instinct to question him!

What you call this? Now are you agreeing to my definition of crime? Since I tried managing the situation I didn't lose the money to that trickster. Daily hundred's of people are being cheated in one way or the another. How many of them are conscious or aware of these? Cheating is a primordial economic act: getting more for less. This cheating is not only with respect to money. It is done in every possible form. Why do they do this? Everything is for money. My blogging friend Bharathi wrote an article on these Money Fetishes, it covers all these in detail. I quoted this incident only to showcase how people are trying to cheat us and tries to earn money in a wrong way.

They who are of the opinion that Money will do everything, may very well be suspected to do everything for Money.

People value money more than anything in this materialistic world. I too accept that we need money for leading a normal life. But why cant we avoid earning the money in a wrong way? We all are helping them to earn money. Why can't we stop this? Its our own money, hard earned money. Why should we give it to people who are earning in fraudulent ways? Instead we can give it to people who strives for a single piece of bread. Everyone earns money hardly and it is not reared from a tree.

Last but not the least,

No matter how hard you hug your money, it never hugs back. Never work just for money or for power. They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night.

It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's too good to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy.

What say guys?

With Love,

Image Courtesy : GOOGLE Images.