Times are changing

Times are changing

Last night, while having dinner at the mess, the mess owner smiled at me and pointed to a package that read �Universal VCD/ACD/Mp3� . �I bought it', he said. His wife and his two kids smiled too. �6500 rupees with home-theater system, I pay 100 a day, installment scheme you see.� The mess owner added. I nodded and gave a thumbs-up.
The country is progressing. 2003 was indeed a great feel-good year. I did not subscribe to all the dramatic headlines in the Economic Times (I wont link to their site; why do you need links to a toilet paper site?) and the lavish stories in all the leading tabloids.
To me this was the sign that sealed it; a middle class business man acquiring a home theater system at 100 bucks a day; yea, now we are talking.
I am sure there are thousand more families that had bought a fridge or a TV or a VCD player and are smiling right now. They want their kids to go to the best schools. They want to live it up. They want to work hard. So far so good.
Back in late 80s we got our first sofa. As the men moved the leather (or so the vendor claimed) clad monster to our living room, I had tears in my eyes. It was a dream come true for me and I had to wait for five years for it. I was ashamed to invite my friends to our home as we had no furniture but for the two ancient wooden chairs. No TV, no tape-recorder, no nothing.
After the sofa we got a black and white TV (portable) and a Dyanora-National tape-recorder; through an installment scheme. That day I had thought, �these installment schemes will revolutionize buying.� They did. And I am glad.
Write to me: suman 'at' sumankumar 'dot' com

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