MY FRIEND 'DEEP' PART 2.

MY FRIEND, DEEP (2)
Some 15 later, I returned to the town where Deep and I were in College. My niece was getting married. During the course of our talk, she mentioned that Ravi, who claimed to be knowing me as college mate, wanted to meet me. Ir so happened that Ravi owned a popular Saree Shop and they had gone there to buy wedding sarees. They fell short of some money and Ravi suggested that they could pay some other day, as convenient and asked them to give them their name and address for his record. Seeing the common surname, he asked if they were anyway related to me. When they said yes and that I was expected for the wedding, he requested them to ask me to contact them. I could recollect that Ravi was my classmate.
As I had not busy and there was nothing better to do, I went to Ravi’s Saree Shop. We could easily place each other. During the course of our chit chat he informed me that Deep was also in Town, a practicing Chartered Accountant and successful at that. He was Ravi’s tax consultant too. It was something like a bolt from the blue and I requested him to contact him on phone then and there itself.
Ravi dialed Deep’s number and he was on the other side. Ravi briefly informed him about me and handed over the receiver to me. “Arre wahan baitha baitha kya kar raha hai. Jaldi aa aur apane jooton se mere pitai kar”( Oye, what are you doing there. Come immediately and beat me with your shoes). That was Deep for sure. I promised to meet him in the evening at 7.30 and have dinner with him. I said goodbye to Ravi and handed over an Invitation Card to attend the wedding.
I was at his given address exactly at 7.30 in the evening. It was quite a big three storied house. He was at the gate the moment I rang the bell. He had come home early for me, as he said. He asked me what I would like to have for drinks and dinner and I said whatever. We moved to his study. He informed that his wife had gone to meet his kids who were in a boarding school at a nearby hill station and would be returning only after a week or so.
We exchanged the essentials of our lives and family and for rest of time he talked and I listened In his own words;
“After completing my CA I tried to settle in my practice at various places but finally landed in this town. I sold my share of the agricultural land in the villages. I wanted to do differently as my experience so far had been bad, at the best. With my wife I took a room in a pricy Hotel. I moved around the town and observed that most of the cars were Ambassador. I thought who would spot me in an Ambassador. I purchased a second hand Fiat and moved around the town with the single objective of a Sardar with a Fiat car. I carried a chunk of files and books on the backseat. I had tea at good restaurant. Within a month I was the known figure in this town. People knew that a Sardar Chartered Accountant with a Fiat car had moved in the town to set up a practice. A good many people from our college days, who had also settled in the town recognized me.
I rented out a decent house and opened my office with lot of fan fare. I invited all who I thought were my potential customers. Some months passed but there were friends but no clients. I however kept the façade of a busy CA with lot of outstation clients. Money was running out and wife was getting a little restless.
Suddenly I realized that this town had no Chit Fund Company. I had some experience in the line. I talked to few friends and told them how money could be multiplied both for the Executive Body, the operators and for the members by collecting funds and investing them in highly profitable business of forward trading called ‘satta’and providing short term loans at high rate of interest. Finally I could convince them and 10 of us formed a Limited company, me as Chairman and others as directors with equal voting rights and share holding. We all chipped in our share of the seed money and started functioning from my office. We adveritsed in news papers and through word of mouth actual payouts, our funds started swelling. We made very good profits in the first year. In the second year debtors starting failing in repayments and we could not meet our obligations to the depositors as promised. Members started withdrawing their money and we started failing in doing so. Since I was the Chairman, I was likely to face criminal cases.
I called the General Meeting which was attended by main members. I told them, they were free to file criminal cases against me but that way they would not get back their money. I asked them to give me one year and I will refund all their money. Till such time they should not ask for refunds. They had no choice but to agree. The Directors also supported the idea as they too had no choice but could also face legal actions. We worked hard with the debtors, even waived interest in many cases and finally were able to refund the principal of each member. We closed the company.
Almost three years were wasted and I was where I had started form. I however gained the confedence of many members and they eventually became my clients. To be frank with you, consultancy is another name of brokerage. I do help them in savings taxes in the legal way but finally the game is how not to pay taxes. The whole system works on the dictum of give and take.
Professionally I am flourishing. I have two kids, both sons aged 10 and 8. I needed an assistant to help me in my work and suddenly an idea struck me why not my wife. She is graduate and qualifies to be a CA. I employed her as an assistant and article clerk and her notional salary goes into the payment of my two sons at the boarding school. Every week we spend week ends with them. In another two years time my wife will also be a CA,”
I was both amused and confused. His story speaks of adventure, unfair business practices, business intergrity and personal and professional advancement. Do means justify the ends?
We are again not in touch for many years now.I am sure he is hail and hearty and plying with his grand children with that never say die attitude. God bless him.
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