Monday, November 2, 2009

The Money that never reached my pocket


It is said that every morsel of rice has the name of the person who is going to consume it engraved on it. Similarly, I found out few days back that money not only has Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi‘s picture, but it also has the name of the person who is going to get it. It is clear that I was not destined to get the money that I deserved. The money that was earned with sincerity and commitment was denied to me.
About a month ago, I received a mail from a bloke called Orlando who was looking for committed writers .He was looking for writers who could write articles on any genre, and deliver it in the right time.

He also wanted to have a long lasting relationship with the writers (by relationship, I mean the professional one).to start off, he looked to be a very proactive person who hustled with his work. I got in contact with him through chat and I must say, we had a good conversation. He claimed that he received lot of applications for the post and he had a tough time scrutinizing it. His selection process was as simple as it can get, he gave 2 sample articles on any genre for checking the expertise of the writers. The criteria he was looking for was presentation and deliver time .the fee for each article was fixed for 5 $. An amount which would bring a grimace in the face of an American and delight on the face of the Indian. We Indians are very adept in multiplication and currency calculations are something we do instinctively. As expected, being in my Jurassic age of writing, I didn’t see it as a source of earning money. Deep down, I know that no one can become a J K Rowling overnight (maybe in her book, I can!).

I saw the opportunity of selling my work to a bigger audience. Hitherto, my work was read and reviewed my friends and loved ones. Whatever said, people that are close to you will not be able to give the exact feedback that they feel. At some point of time, relationship pressures will encapsulate their criticism of the work.
It is a universal truth that you get questions on a topic that you don’t know jack about. I opened the mailbox to find out that I had to write the 2 sample articles on Mortgages. I clearly had given up hope on writing. It was like asking laloo to solve a problem on Computational Fluid Dynamics. However, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, the light coming in the form of my friends. I must thank them for inspiring me and encouraging me (ordering as well) to give it a shot. I did write and I must say, I was satisfied with the article that I reproduced. The writer’s womb is not always original. He has to take ingredients from different sources to make the product a better one. I had to Google stuff and compile it in a way which would even be comprehensible to novices.

As promised, I did send the articles in time and also received the money as promised by Orlando. He told me that he would finalize the writers ASAP (which has no time limit) and let me know. Few days passed, I was anxious to know what happened. As I have mentioned in earlier writings of mine, the most difficult thing to do is sit and wait with bated breath. I mailed Orlando several times and also pinged him on chat. It was evident that he was avoiding me. This trait of certain people annoys me to the core. People should have the courage and courtesy to intimate even bad news to others. Talking to people only about recruitment or appreciating them is not communication skills. It is important to stand up and take the bull by its horns. It is surprising that he spoke about having a proper relationship with the writer. It was least expected from an American who are known to be courteous and professional.

I moved on, I am not the one who would be bogged down by specimens like Orlando. I had 9 $ 31 cents in my account and I decided to buy something for my new born nephew.

Online shopping is the most precarious thing possible on earth. The only rule of online shopping is that rules are subjected to change. I purchased a baby product that cost 8 $ and it clearly said that it included shipment charges as well.
Overjoyed, I paid it through PayPal only to find a mail in my mailbox saying that shipment charges were not included in it earlier. Taking into account that I have no money in my account (1$ 31 cents is close to nothing on this earth) I decided to call it quits. I will close the PayPal account today which would put my writing career to exile (for the time being). I hope one day I will get things that I deserve, that I desire.

As far as the 9 $ 31 cents are concerned, they did not have my name engraved on them. It would remain as the money which never reached my pocket.

1 comment:

Vathsa said...

That is true - You dont get to spend the money that you dont deserve. But, maybe you are being harsh on yourself saying that you dont deserve the money. You did spend time on that and plenty of anxiety has also gone into that. The money never reached you and you are kinda and I feel its outta disappointment you play the blame game with your name. (money not written with your name)... Good Post.. Awaitin the next..