PREDICAMENT

He was tall, lean with broad shoulders. Very fair, he sported a black, well trimmed moustache above his lips, lots of hair on his head. While walking, the hair jumped up and down.

He was Venkat, always on the run, a fast walker and will not hesitate to walk any length. As a financial consultant, he was dealing with life and general insurance, mutual funds, post office savings and well established company fixed deposits etc. For a short period he was also involved in promoting real estate.

He had a range of clients who consulted him for any of their investments. Venkat used to give expert advices to his clients to their fullest satisfaction and following his advices many of his clients have reaped good returns on their investments.

He will explain all the risk factors as well as the returns, his clients will earn if they stay invested for the whole period of the investment i.e till maturity to get the said returns, provided the investment firm runs without any hassles.

He was married and had two kids. One daughter and one son. His wife was also employed in the insurance sector as a deputy manager.

His was an ideal family with his children doing well in their studies and a loving wife. The family lived a very happy and contented life all along.

He travelled by the corporation bus or local train and walk up to his clients place or office, shop etc to give his services and also walk all the way to the various offices of investment companies to lodge the investment he collected on the available schemes.

He usually start daily by 9am in the morning and reach home late in the evening after completing all his client's meet and attending the en-number of training programs on the investments products of the companies he was registered with.

His income from this service, were really very good. He used to charge service charges from his clients as well as earn good commission from all the company he was registered with. Hence there was no necessity to look for another employment.

Since he was in the field and take outside food and water wherever it was available, he used to suffer from common cold and cough frequently. Also he was allergic to dust and chilled drinks which caused asthmatic attacks. As a precauation he always kept with him Rotahaler and asthalin capsules containing salbutamol sulphate for emergency needs.

One day he had a long discussion with one of his colleagues who also dealt with similar financial products as himself. In addition he was dealing with a South based company which was giving very good monthly returns on the investments that any investor or consultant will get attracted to it and get deeply involved.

Venkat, went through all the schemes of these south based company but was very cautious that he did not plunged into it immediately. He waited for more than two years and watched the functioning of the company.

After intense discussion and also after visiting the company personally down south, Venkat registered with this company to procure investments from his clients.

When he explained the scheme to his clients, they were very much impressed and started investing in huge amounts to get higher returns.

Venkat used to pay back the returns on his clients investments in this new company in the first week of every month. His clients were very happy with the services of Venkat that many used to call him 'god-incarnate' and because of him their family financial matters are being solved.

His clients had the highest regards for him and he was welcomed at most of his client's family functions.

Everything was going smoothly, the south based company also expanded their bases all over the south and north opening new branches everywhere.

New schemes were frequently launched like pension plan and chit funds etc. Also the company announced they will be coming out with public issues and get it's shares listed in the stock market.

All of a sudden the company was raided by the enforcement department and all the records were seized for inspection. The enforcement department found quite a lot of discrepancies in the functioning of the company and the chairman and his administrative manager were arrested. The return on investments stopped abruptly as the company was undergoing investigation.

All of Venkat clients were now panicky and frequently asked him about their investments.

The company spoke person promised that the company will start functioning again very soon and all will be normal.

Venkat also briefed his clients as per the spoke person statements.

Months passed into years. There was no positive outcome about the company. Ultimately the company closed.

All clients of Venkat pounced on him, questioned him frequently. Venkat himself had invested a huge sum. Also his wife's money was at stake.

Venkat, to the best of his consciousness launched police complaints on behalf of his clients getting their signatures as well as the total amount invested by his clients in the company.

The pressure from the clients as well as his wife caused severe mental agony, that he become quite derelict in his services and was very forgetful in carrying out his work systematically.

Even though he travelled everywhere and was honestly answering and helping his clients, he became very weak and sometimes may be out his senses.

His wife realized the predicament of Venkat and took him to a medical practitioner who got him admitted in his clinic and administered intravenous fluids for a couple of days.

Venkat used to cough a lot and spit out phlegm continuously.

Within a week he lost balance and fell down at home. He was admitted in a multispeciality hospital. He was examined thoroughly and various tests were carried out on him. He became totally senseless and carried out all his immediate needs in the bed. The ward boys and the nurses were at beck and call and his wife was always at his bedside taking care of him.

Only on the eighth day of his admission a final test was done, drawing fluid from the spine. Ultimately, the test result was out. He was diagnosed with brain TB. Doctors administered the necessary medicines to recover from his ailments but attributed all his actions and forgetfulness to brain TB. Yes, the doctors said he will have severe memory loss and will take some months for him to recover.

Venkat did recovered from the brain TB, but his memory loss was for good. He used to joke that his files got corrupt and much of the contents got erased. He was not able to recollect most of his last two to three years incidents.

Since his wife and children were with him, caring him all the while, he was very great full to them. Now that his children have grown up, completed their education and was in search of a job. Venkat wished both his children settle well in life with a good job in an established company and their marriage to loveable and understanding life partners. He has almost winded off his consultancy and expecting to start his own home based business as he was quite weak and cannot travel long distances added to age related issues, he was above sixty now. He wished to be under his family care and not venture out alone.

Nobody asked him about the recovery of their investments, in the south based company as covid19 is prevalent all over the world and no one can give any positive answer.

Everybody is quite, expecting covid19 to get over and then follow up with the police complaints they have already registered.

So for now Venkat is looking forward to the future of his children's well being and wish to start his own home based business with some training and guidance to lead a decent life.