Pay peanuts, get monkeys...

...precisely, that is the phrase to explain my situation right now. Another phrase would be "the zero sum game".
Recently, I moved from Mumbai to Bangalore on a new assignment. My relocation charges were "reimbursed" by the new employer, means I pay first and they would pay me later subject to std clause of the least of three quotes. I called a few nos. I had noticed here and there. Agarwal quoted Rs. 34K. Another party "SKY HOME PACKERS and MOVERS" (SHPM) quoted just Rs 26K. Then came the 3rd party, Sai Packers and Mover, and quoted 24K. That was great. After a few days, SHKM called to enquire abt the plan. When we told that we have got a lower quote, they matched, means they were ready to take a little less than Rs. 24K. We called up Agarwal and told them about the quotes from these guys and they reverted with a fresh quote, Rs. 44K. Funny...right. We had three quotes and we went for the least one, i.e. SKY HOME PACKERS and MOVERS. And, see what have they delivered to me in Bangalore....

1. My Sony flat screen TV with its mother-board in multiple pieces. Great. I thought a TV has got only one mother board. Surprisingly, even with 3-4 motherboards, the TV refused to switch-on.
2. All my furniture are delivered as they were packed. However, now I have no excuse to delay their polishing. In the process, I may choose to replace sun mica of my double bed, TV table and shoe-rack, which, I distinctly remember, were quite shining in Mumbai at the time of packing.
3. My wooden Almira was delivered in two pieces. Its lower portion, i.e. log assembly, could not withstand the torment of a travel from Mumbai to Bangalore.
4. Thankfully, my fridge has got a bend in the bottom. Nobody would be able to see it and I need not worry about its repair. And, in case it is still cooling things.
5. And, after watching the great job they had done, I was extremely disappointed that they delivered my car without any noticeable damage. The premium I had paid for its insurance last year would be a waste now. I thought may be I would get a free denting/painting done. So sad. And, it was not the fault of the delivery boy that he called me to a place 25Km out of Bangalore to take my vehicle by paying the balance amount of Rs. 3k, which I was supposed to pay after delivery of these goods. They thought I may refuse to pay after seeing the good work they have done. I think I made right choice by paying them 3k to get, at least, my car back.

Later, I called them to appreciate the good work they had done. The guy Anil, who was the relationship manager for me, was addressed to be in Rajasthan (I was told so). I thought I should convey my appreciation to his boss, Mr. Rajesh. The only problem is that he is very generous. He has got 2 mobiles and he has got 3-4 supporting staff. Hence, he has decided that his staffs would carry these mobile in turn and he would stay without any mobile. Anyway, after repeated failed attempt to contact him, I though I should convey the good words to his staffs at the least. And, to my utter surprise, I was told by them that whatever happens I should not bother about police, courts etc. I should not waste my time in conveying appreciations for things, which is fairly common. In fact his boss, Mr. Rajesh, was so tired of hearing appreciations that he has decided to handover his mobiles to his drivers and watchmen. And, there was another piece of advise that I should check with the insurance firm. After all such movement of goods are insured. I called up the insurance firm. Ms. Cholamandalam, no response. I sent a e-mail. Surprise, I got a call within an hour. After exchanges of few calls, by the evening, I was made clear that another guy from Hyderabad had already made a claim on the same policy and that the coverage was of basic nature, i.e. against any loss due to flood, fire, accident et al. That was surprise. All the while I was under the impression that transit insurance must cover any loss or damage due to mishandling, improper packing etc. At least, I would not subscribe to such policy and I am sure most of us are sane that way. Anyways, how does it matter to Ms Cholamandalam. They have got agents like Ms. Pacific Insurance Consultants to sell these absurd policies, so what if it is through cheating. So, here I am budgeting for the next move. A Sony TV would cost me app. Rs. 15K and policing of furniture with repairs would cost me at least Rs. 5-10K. I thought I would save Rs. 20k by using SKY HOME PACKERS and MOVERS. And, I am paying at least the same amount plus the tension to get the work done on ASAP basis. It was great learning experience....the zero-sum game or may be -ive sum game....Its your turn now...

To dear Rajdeep, who started as an option to Pranav

Dear Rajdeep,

This article of you is no different from the kind of reporting you and your fellow teammates resort to through CNN-IBN or IBN7.
Coming to the matter, I doubt if you'ld find any educated or I would rather say thinking, as you too are educated, man would say that MM is dishonest or his integrity is doubtful. You'ld not find such person from opposition party too. That's creditable.
However, the point remains, who is more important? MM as PM or MM as a person? Let's accept the fact that he is the weakest and non-performing of all PMs (please do not count Chandashekhar and Devegowda as PMs. They were bad accidents happened to Indian democracy. I hope this would not happen again as Lallu or Bahanji.). I am unable to recall any single project, which could have changed the life or people (I mean positively. He did change lives and I would come to that shortly). Now, help in naming a single project initiated by the previous government, whom I regard quiet productive, which MM has been able to complete. As far as I remember, that govt. started ambitious projects on highway developments, upgrade of ports, privatization of monolith PSUs, etc. Even this nuclear power initiative was taken by that govt. And, what did MM’s contribution on them? Highways are still under construction (check NHAI’s website. They have not been updating progress on highway projects. Perhaps they do not have update to showcase). Nothing is ever heard of on port-sector in last 3-4 years (except sometimes in PC’s budget speeches). Privatization is stopped. Nuclear deal is diluted (it seems). Then what did he do? Repealed POTA and led the nation to multiple serial attacks? I would not hold him responsible for inflation but the pointers were there since many months. Couldn’t he, as an economist, and his trusted PC, another economist, learn and take any counter measure? Sure, we are better off right now. But for how long? After all we have not done, neither doing anything to bell this cat, except our leadership coming up with age-old and shameful reasons like profit-seeking behavior of private sector and hoarding of food items by traders, and above all high pay-package of some set of people, who constitute some less than 0.01% of our population. I am failing to understand that who had stopped and has been stopping MM’s men to act if they knew of these reasons?
I would rate MM as a worse PM than PVNR. At least that fellow has a clear-cut agenda that he would be there as a PM for one full-term and he had no qualms about that. He never pretended anything else. He did not act any many things because he need not, to fulfill his agenda. Our economy did recover under his leadership and under MM’s guidance. But, in those circumstances, I unable to guess what any other FM would have done, or if anybody else were made FM, if he/she would have acted differently? Though he had his shares of stupidities, he did not do something as stupid as waiving of farm loans worth Rs 60000Cr. See what has happened as an effect of that? So called farmers have stopped paying. So call gainers are still committing suicide. And, banks have officially declared stopping fresh loans to farmers. Great. That’s the greatest achievement of MM. If not for anything else, he would be known for this great act. Some intelligent people, you too are counted in them, say that his hands are tied. Come on. That’s another stupid reason. If your hands are tied, you do stupidities? Only fools and weak people do that. And, that is what MM is. He is weak. A strong man would never stoop to accept these stupidities and would stand up to the consequences. MM cannot. He is too weak to act so, to SG/RG first, and then to Commies. Btw, did you report how and why new Hyderabad International Airport got its name?
So Mr. Rajdeep your analysis is all wrong, or all made up. Do justice to your profession. I hope you know of consequences of something called “Yellow journalism”.
Let’s see if you respond to this.