A DAY AFTER DEMONETIZATION..

For certain personal reasons, I myself had to go to bank to exchange my old currency and accordingly I started for the same at mid morning of the day.. As I had few other urgent works in the city, I clubbed my exchange work in my bank branch nearer to that place along with those works..

• To counter the shortage of lower denomination currency, I electronically transferred some money to the App based Taxi Service Agency and booked my taxi..

• 10 minutes passed, the taxi on GPS was seen at the same spot not moving an inch.. As I rang up to the driver to know if I should cancel the booking, instantly the driver with all politeness answered me that it would take another 10 more minutes for him to reach me as he was in the queue at his bank to deposit/draw his money..

I understood the problem and assured him that I would wait so that he could finish his job and come to my point..

Within 20 minutes, the smiling driver was at my doorstep and soon we moved on to my destination.. On the way he was saying how it was important for him to save all those small denominations the customers pay for the day to make the ends meet by purchasing the essentials..

• I was at a loss to tell him that I would not be paying anything in cash as my charges would be adjusted against the advance payment I already made.. Soon my destination reached and his smart phone showed '0' to be paid on closure of the trip..

• As he bid me bye with a smile not revealing his tension, I felt bad for not able to directly handover his cash but decided to tip him liberally with smaller cash with me and accordingly did that and made him happy.. 

At the bank no doubt it was a serpentine queue, but all people had patiently put up with the pain of standing all along myself having located my position in the queue, sat in a chair watching the queue move slowly..

• A small time Daily Wage Earner with a little kid in her arms came in with a single older denomination to exchange for the lower currency..

• A good Samaritan quickly helped her with the required and people in the queue advised her straight go to the counter and take her money on priority so that the little baby was not inconvenienced as well she would not lose her precious work for the day.. 

The queue moved on but soon stopped as the cash got over and the Authorities informed that cash van was on the way.. Another 10 minutes passed.. Yes..

• To the delight of every one, the van arrived and to quickly help out the waiting customers the driver, moved across the road to back the vehicle to the bank entrance door requesting the people around move the 2 wheelers parked there in a zigzag way, to make his way..

• It took some time for that and meanwhile the traffic on the main road got piled up but none spoke a single word of protest supporting him do that job successfully.. 

In time my turn came, I happily collected my new notes, stepped to the side and as I counted them slowly, to my surprise I noticed one number less..

• I instantly brought that to the notice of the Authorities who equally felt bad about that politely advising me to come back at the closing hrs when they tally the receipts and payments and can locate the missing note..

• I had no go, waited there till that time meanwhile finishing the other works thru' another taxi booking and finally collected my missing note.. 

With the electronic money becoming zero, I was thinking of parting with my few precious denominations with the return taxi driver, when the god send cab driver smiled and said,

• "Sir! I know your place.. Don't worry, I'll take you to the near by shop at your drop location, you pay there by card and the shop man will give me cash!"

With the novel idea the driver proposed, I instantly became jubilant and headed home thus successfully closing my activities for one of the days to be ever remembered in my life!

Keyword: Demonetization