The Colour of Money

At times, I've borrowed money myself. Last month, I realised - after I got off a cab in front of office - that I'd left my wallet at home, so I had to rush in and ask somebody for a "loan". I paid him back the next day.

Beg, borrow or steal - that's the order in the pantheon of money getting. Of the three, borrowing is probably the easiest way out. When you beg, you lose self-respect; when you steal, you end up serving time. But when you borrow (and I'm not talking about borrowing from a financial institution here), all you need to do is convince somebody that you are a trustworthy character, and that all you need is a loan - which you will proceed to pay back forthwith.
At times, I've borrowed money myself. Last month, I realised - after I got off a cab in front of office - that I'd left my wallet at home, so I had to rush in and ask somebody for a "loan". I paid him back the next day.
There are far more trying situations - more trying than paying the cab fare, that is - in the light of which people borrow money: someone falling sick or some other unexpected emergency. I guess everyone is allowed to ask for money - from friends and well-wishers - if they are in a tight spot.
But equally, upon receipt of that payment, they need to ensure a prompt repayment (unless you have a very, very valid reason, and in that case, you need to keep your creditor in the loop - and you better be honest about it). What happens when a friend - or a relative or a neighbour or a colleague - borrows and then doesn't return the money? Other than putting the screws on your relationship, it is a tiresome and stressful situation for all concerned (a friend of mine, for instance, hadn't told his wife about a friendly loan he had meted out to someone, and when this someone wasn't paying him back, my friend was doubly stressed: about the money plus the likelihood of his wife finding out). Find out more about the peculiar phenomenon of fiscal borrowings and no-returns in our special feature this time.
Designer Payal Singhal has managed to make her 'real' designs into a winning proposition. She says she makes couture for real women (that includes a great many celebrity superstars) who, in turn, inspire her. It's a win-win equation, going by the accolades Payal has been receiving. Read her exclusive interview with wknd. In Travel, we take you atop an active volcano near Santorini in Greece. Nea Kameni is our pit stop this week. What ails us at the workplace? Meet a doc who gives his diagnosis on health issues in office. All this and much more.
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