Value of 100 Rupees ??

A few months back, my bike had met with an accident with its backend fully damaged as if cut using a chopper. Its structure had bent slightly and i gave it to a workshop for repair.  The service guy shocked me with an estimate of around 15K and a delivery time of 3 weeks which actually took 10 weeks because of the range of the damaged vehicle parts. Initially i was not happy with the service centre, but the service man used to update me every other day with the detailed status of the repair and had slowly taken my heart (because of sincereness & proactiveness) untill the final delivery of the vehicle. He had definitely put extra effort ( way beyond expectations !!) than what was expected from his service. My mind thought to reward him personally but  i was confused how to do it. On suggestion from my friend & positive feeling from my heart, i removed a Rs100 rupee note from my wallet and handed to the guy who smilingly accepted it. I was getting confused whether i was treating or giving a bribe. The same sweets appear as bribe when treated for personal favour (probably illegal) and appear to be more sweeter when treated with love/affection. I knew my case and felt happy (as if i gained Rs100) while testing my new bike on my way back to home.

Last week, I went to the same service centre to upgrade my insurance for the vehicle. I greeted this old service guy , but chose not to take his help this time, the reason being he had already displayed promptness and extra care in the 2 services for my bike after the accident repair and probably i didnot want to take any further advantage for the Rs100 rupees i had rewarded him once (sweet or bribe). I went to the counter ( where insurance is made) and handed over the documents needed and the lady there provided me a quote of  Rs1005 which included service charge of Rs100 for inspection of my vehicle. I was glad for paying the Rs905 for the insurance but for some reason , a sense of dis-satisfaction went through me for the extra Rs100 that i was asked for. I had serviced my bike hardly few days back (which means there was no need for inspection) and i had already been a good profitable customer of their service centre (remember the 15K for insurance). For a split second, i thought of the service guy who would have never charged the same (to my belief) and the innocence of the lady on this counter about my past relationship with the service centre. I didnot open my mouth but was definetely unhappy this time (as if i lost Rs100) while riding my bike back to my house.

Looking from a different perspective, a reader may argue that in the first case I shouldnt have given Rs100 as that was out of normal service proccess (the money didnot go to the dealer..but the service guy) while i was perfect (as per the process) in paying the same in the second case. But I was happy in the first case while unhappy in the second !!!. And what, the value of same Rs100 also turned exactly opposite in the second case.

Last vacation at my home-town, I was coming back with my sister from bustand to my home on the evening of Bhasani day (Visharjan) , the day when the goddess Durga is sent for immersing into the river (kathjodi) after about 10 days of worshipping. We usually board an auto which costs about Rs20 and travels on the ring road on the banks of river kathjodi on the way. The other way is through the city which is very long in terms of distance and time because of high traffic conditions and costs around Rs100-120. On this auspiscious evening, many number of processions from different areas of the city block the traffic on the ring road and hence the road was being closed by the police at all entrances from the city. We boarded an auto unaware of the changed conditions and all of us (we, the autodriver & the auto) moved towards the usual way. Two more elderly people joined in a short while, so i had to sit next to the driver and I could watch him and the road ahead clearly in front of my eyes. The initial entry point to the ring road was blocked using barricades and policemen standing near to it. The driver diverted the auto towards the city to find the next entry point but didnot manage to enter the ring road.I was astonished at seeing a strong sense of attraction in his eyes to travel on the same usual way. While observing and talking to him, i realised there was some other force than just business which was causing him to behave in this fashion. He got about couple of phone calls from his elder sister waiting for him at her home ( somewhere near to our home ) whom he had promised to pick her up as soon as possible. Suddenly we felt like passengers given lift by a vehicle going to the same destination rather than a nomal auto. I was stunned by seeing the force of love (affection) from someone who was not even her real sister. Finally after few more unsuccessful attempts, we ended up using the way through the city and reached our home. I asked him how much to pay & to my expectations, he answered "whatever you give".  I gave him only Rs30 while staring at another Rs100 note in my wallet. I didnot chose to give additional Rs100 as it wouldnot have meant anything more than Rs10 to him at that instant. He was being carried by the force of love of his elder sister and was hardly concerned about anything more than his fuel costs. This incident again made me realise the sense of positiveness love can create while thinking its boundaryless aspects.

In this case, the value of Rs100 ( which i should have paid to any auto driver for travelling through the city) had probably changed drastically to nothing more than Rs10.

This Monday while the value of 100 rupees was still running through my mind, I was heading towards my office with my bike running on reserve and wallet running out of money. I stopped at a small street on the hosur road near to a petrol pump; in front of an Axis ATM staring as always at the bank logo. I was standing in the queue at about 5th position behind a guy who looked as a middle class worker. He had worn a blue coloured check shirt which shirts out and a dark green formal pant which was muddy at its bottom. His face was dark with a little beard. I watched through the glass door while he took his brown coloured ATM card and inserted within the slot of ATM machine. While these scenes were still getting processed within my brain, i could see his hand taking just a Rs100 note from the ATM !!. I wondered how in this world one would stand in a queue long for just 100 rupee note. He folded the note into about 1/4th of its size and placed into his front pocket similar to a government employee placing his/her salary and walked away happily from the place.
The value of Rs100 now looked much higher as if he would probably fulfil all his necessities for atleast a few days.

In conclusion, all these incidents raised a question in my mind on the actual value of money which probably varies a lot according to the surrounding conditions.